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Original poster

How would you pronounce Juliet?

161 replies

Silverbirchy · 25/05/2022 08:27

I posted about the name Juliet yesterday and it seems that there could be some confusion over pronunciation. So, how would you pronounce the name?

JULIE-et?
Julie-ET?

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Devakai · 03/03/2023 23:26

It's akin to the difference between Julian and Julianne.

DueinAugust23 · 03/03/2023 23:21

JULIE - et

DuchessOfSausage · 03/03/2023 19:14

I wouldn't use it because of the possibility of people saying Julie-ETTE. Too serviette like. Juliet is lovely, but it ruins it.

CharitySchmarity · 03/03/2023 19:10

I prefer the Julie-ETTE pronunciation even when it's spelt Juliet. The reason for this is that I think it sounds rather unnatural for an unstressed syllable to have a vowel sound other than a schwa or a short i. This might be something that most people are not fussy about and some hardly even hear, but it would bug me enough for me not to choose that name, or spell it Juliette, to get the pronunciation I prefer.

Reddahlias · 01/03/2023 17:49

Spelling (not spell)

Reddahlias · 01/03/2023 17:49

I've drawn to conclusion that's why Juliet is considered more posh because it's missing the strong eh at the end.

Posh? Why would one spell it be 'posher'?

The different spellings simply reflect the different origins. Juliette being French, Julietta Italian and Juliet English

dahlianoir · 01/03/2023 17:25

My DD is Juliette and we're in France. The French don't stress the last syllable like the English. Also the Ju is smooth and doesn't sound like Jew.
My husband insists it has four syllables - juu-li-é-tuh

I've drawn to conclusion that's why Juliet is considered more posh because it's missing the strong eh at the end.

😃

xprincessxjanetx · 01/03/2023 01:42

The second one.

BorisJohnsonsHair · 28/02/2023 21:48

I think Americans pronounce it JOOliet, as they often stress the first syllable, eg CIGarette, MAGazine etc.

In the UK I think it would be JuliET.

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:46

This we you use is interesting . Because I have never, as I said, heard anyone say uh . Stress at the start yes, slightly. Three syllables.

25 years teaching the play!

Google clips all say et too. In English accents. ( which I very much suspect you say differently from me too...)

HelloBunny · 28/02/2023 21:43

My mind says JULIE-et.
Mt mouth says Julie-ET.

Snowiscold · 28/02/2023 21:39

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:28

Yes, but I'm talking about this uh sound. I can put emphasis at the beginning and still say et.

ˈdʒuːliət -the schwa is the symbol that is the penultimate one. Joo-lyut. Sort of. Not Joo-lyet. Because it’s unstressed, in English the “e” sound then becomes a schwa. We change it without realising it.

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:28

Yes, but I'm talking about this uh sound. I can put emphasis at the beginning and still say et.

Snowiscold · 28/02/2023 21:24

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:17

I get the stress, but not the uh sound. I agree the Ju is stressed there but not in the title. But always an ET sound with differing emphases .

But you can see that the pronunciation guides put the schwa pronunciation and the stress on the first syllable as the first (main?) pronunciation. The other pronunciation with an emphasised -et is secondary, though valid.
Juliet. /ˈdʒuːliət/, (or ). /ˌdʒuːliˈet/.

mast0650 · 28/02/2023 21:18

I think more emphasis on the first syllable. But it's not that pronounced.

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:17

I get the stress, but not the uh sound. I agree the Ju is stressed there but not in the title. But always an ET sound with differing emphases .

Snowiscold · 28/02/2023 21:15

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:04

As DS said, it doesn't work with Shakespeare's metre.

“For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”

Ten syllables, iambic pentameter.
Juliet is effectively only two syllables and the stress has to go on JU.

A bit like Julian, yes, for the stress.

FuckingHateRats · 28/02/2023 21:13

DockOTheBay · 25/05/2022 08:29

I think Juliette would have an emphasis on the "et" syllable, Juliet on the "julie" part.

My daughter is Juliette for that exact reason. I wanted the stress to be on the 'ette', not the 'Jul'.

It made sense in my pregnant head.

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:11

*now saying

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:11

I am not saying Juliut Capulut as an experiment. The Montagues and the Capuluts. Hmm. Might do it there. But it's still not Juliut.

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:04

As DS said, it doesn't work with Shakespeare's metre.

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 21:02

So I keep reading on here. Never heard a single person say it...

Like Julian . But with a T?

Snowiscold · 28/02/2023 20:59

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 20:50

I teach English and have literally never heard anyone say Juliet with this schwa sound. Ne-ver.

There are two pronunciations, one of which uses the schwa -which is really common sound in English.

Juliet. /ˈdʒuːliət/, (or ). /ˌdʒuːliˈet/.

Piggywaspushed · 28/02/2023 20:50

I teach English and have literally never heard anyone say Juliet with this schwa sound. Ne-ver.

Reddahlias · 28/02/2023 20:46

But the French don't stress the last syllable!

Ok, they equally weight the syllables whereas the English versions emphasise the first syllable