Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Eleanor pronunciation? Please help!

38 replies

Nurseryrun · 17/03/2022 10:16

Hello,

I am interested in the name Eleanor and I was wondering how it is pronounced.

I've heard it as Eh-Len-Nor. Is this correct?

If this is the case, why is the "a" lost and not pronounced?

Would it not be better pronounced as Eh-Leh-Ah-Nor ? This is what I read...

I would like it to be pronounced as Eh-Leh-Ah-Nor... S, how should I spell it?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Original poster
Nurseryrun · 17/03/2022 14:03

Thanks all!

That's very useful.

I ended up that it's a too complicated name (although a quite common name) and can lead to many mispronunciations.

Also, if my DD ever moves to another country the spelling would be different as well there which will bring a chaos in her life.

I think I need to find a name like "Alex" that you can't get it wrong however much you try and wherever you end up living Grin

OP posts:
Jennywren1975 · 17/03/2022 13:59

Just to confuse the situation, we have an Eleanor and Elinor in the family and it's pronounced Ellen er. It may be just our accent.

Talipesmum · 17/03/2022 13:42

@Nurseryrun

Thank you all.

Just to clarify is Eleanor spelt as Eh-lee-nor or Eh-leh-nor?

I mean that the "ea" is like the word "sea" or like the word "bread"?

Thank you! :)

I think you mean pronounced, not spelt.

More like eh-leh-nor. It’s not a “lee” sound in the middle like “sea”. It’s more like the ea in bread - eh.
But it’s often more of an “uh” sound too: eh-lu-nuh. Just depends on people’s local accents.

chesirecat99 · 17/03/2022 13:05

Eleonora is pronounced el-ee-oh-noor-a, which is is similar (ish) to Eleanor with the a sound in the middle you like.

demoness · 17/03/2022 12:56

I'd say EL-uh-ner (I'm Irish and this is the way I've always heard it pronounced where I come from). So I think it depends on where you live.

I believe English people say EL-uh-nuh and Americans saw EL-uh-nawr.

I've never heard anyone pronounce the "a" though.

SundayTeatime · 17/03/2022 12:30

The second. Eh-leh-nor. But you’ll also get different pronunciations of the final syllable. Some will say a definite nor sound, others will use a schwa sound, like uh or a.

17caterpillars1mouse · 17/03/2022 12:27

Around these parts (east mids) it's always said like Ellen-nuh

If you wanted El-eh-nor I'd go with Eleanore

Original poster
Nurseryrun · 17/03/2022 12:25

Thank you all.

Just to clarify is Eleanor spelt as Eh-lee-nor or Eh-leh-nor?

I mean that the "ea" is like the word "sea" or like the word "bread"?

Thank you! :)

OP posts:
Artichokeleaves · 17/03/2022 11:55

Eh - le - na (have a friend with this version, however she's never liked it and feels it's like a long eh sound occasionally interrupted by consonants)

Eh - le - NOR - much prefer this one!

I have heard of Eleanore being pronounced Eh Lee Ah Nor, went to school with one, or Elianor. Elliana also very pretty.

However also need to accept she'll probably be Ellie, Elle or Ella much of the time!

Talipesmum · 17/03/2022 11:49

[quote Nurseryrun]@ShowOfHands That's helpful thanks.

Also, is the "ea" in Eleanor, Eleanora, Eleana etc. spelled as "ee" or "eh"?

Thank you all :)[/quote]
The stresses go approx like this:

Eleanor = EH-le-nor
Eleanora = eh-le-NOR-a
Eleana = (I haven’t ever seen it spelt like this but I’d probably guess at eh-LAY-na)
Eliana = eh-lee-AHH-na or possibly eh-lee-ANN-a

I don’t know what you mean about the spelling of the “ea” - it’s spelt “ea”.

Good luck!

BarbaraVineFan · 17/03/2022 11:28

The French version is Aliénor, pronounced A (short A like cat)- Lee- eh- nor, if you like that?

bigbluebus · 17/03/2022 11:08

I've never heard it pronounced how you want it - and DS went to school with loads of Eleanors - and I have a niece and a friend with that name.

How do you feel about it being shortened to Ellie - which is undoubtedly what will happen even if that's not what she wants to be called?

KittenKong · 17/03/2022 11:05

Lenore 🪶

I’d say E-la-nohr. Maybe there are regional pronunciations?

Synchrony · 17/03/2022 11:02

I pronounce Eliana "Eh-lee-ah-na" (long ah, as in "are"), and Elianna as "Eh-lee-an-a" (short a, as in Ann). I don't know how universal that is though.

Original poster
Nurseryrun · 17/03/2022 11:01

And in which syllable is the stress?

OP posts:
Original poster
Nurseryrun · 17/03/2022 11:00

@ShowOfHands That's helpful thanks.

Also, is the "ea" in Eleanor, Eleanora, Eleana etc. spelled as "ee" or "eh"?

Thank you all :)

OP posts:
ShowOfHands · 17/03/2022 10:55

Eleana will likely be misread as Elena and pronounced el-en-uh or people might have a bash and guess it's eh-leen-uh.

Eliana really is the closest you'll get to what you want.

ShowOfHands · 17/03/2022 10:53

Eliana might be your best bet.

Original poster
Nurseryrun · 17/03/2022 10:48

Thank you all! That's very very insightful!

@Synchrony I liked your suggestion of Eliana.

So, would Eliana be pronounced as Eh-Lee-An-Na?

If it was Eleana how would it be pronounced?

OP posts:
elfycat · 17/03/2022 10:47

What about Elanor? I know one (It's a name form Lord of the Rings Samwise Gamgee's daughter. If you watch the films it would be the little girl who hugged Sam when he got home at the end)

El -Ah-Nor

However she would need to spell it out for the rest of her life.

Nnique · 17/03/2022 10:47

Also please no weird alternative spellings to try to make people say it differently.

Pick a name that you love as is. 🙂

Anyfeckinusername · 17/03/2022 10:45

@Nnique

The way you want to pronounce it would just be a made up name. It doesn’t matter that the ‘a’ is lost - that’s how spelling/pronunciation works sometimes.

What about Leonora instead?

Yes! Leanora. I went to school with one. Pretty name.
Beees · 17/03/2022 10:44

So, how should I spell the name to make the "a" stand out and not get lost?

Honestly just discount the name entirely. You want it pronounced in a way that no one will pronounce it and no matter how you spell it people won't say the 'a' because it is not siad with an 'a' sound in the middle.

Trying to include the 'a' will be setting your daughter up for a lifetime of correcting people who are actually pronouncing her name correctly. It's like calling your daughter Phoebe and telling people it's pronounced Pee Hoe Be.

GrumpyDullard · 17/03/2022 10:43

It’s El - en - uh.
Pronouncing it “El - eh - a - nor” is like pronouncing Heather “Heh - ather“. It’s just wrong!

Nnique · 17/03/2022 10:43

The way you want to pronounce it would just be a made up name. It doesn’t matter that the ‘a’ is lost - that’s how spelling/pronunciation works sometimes.

What about Leonora instead?