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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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goldenfoliage · 26/02/2023 19:02

I pronounce it with equal stress. If I want to stress it, I say syllable in Juliet lauder since it's not natural for me to stress any syllable in Juliet.

DuchessOfSausage · 26/02/2023 10:51

That's how I say it too. I don't say Harriet as Harry-et, Violet as Viol-et, Scarlett as Scarl-et, or Julia a Julie-ah

CambsAlways · 26/02/2023 09:40

julieeeeee -et

Fifthtimelucky · 01/06/2022 08:37

By coincidence I watched the film ´Letters to Juliet' a couple of days ago.

Vanessa Redgrave pronounces it like Julia but with a T on the end.

That's good enough for me!

Peccary · 31/05/2022 22:39

DD is Juliet and I put equal stress on the syllables, "Ju-li-et" unless telling her off when the "et" is more pronounced. I'll have to listen more to how others say it!

Concestor · 27/05/2022 17:50

JEW-liET

Snowiscold · 27/05/2022 16:59

KarrotKake · 27/05/2022 09:02

@Snowiscold how do you work out what is emphasized? The only version of juliet in your message that sounds different to me is Jool-yet. The other 2 are indistinguishable to my ears.

I don’t have to work it out. It’s how they are pronounced. Is that what you mean?
JULiet is pronounced with the emphasis on the Jool bit. The “iet” is swallowed - it almost makes it two syllables -JOOL-yet or JOOL-iet -very subtle three syllables.
JuliETTE is three syllables, with the emphasis on the ETTE. Jool-ee-ETTE.

ATadConfused · 27/05/2022 15:44

@Silverbirchy if you want it pronounced a certain way, choose a different name, otherwise it's going to drive you barmy.

pinklavenders · 27/05/2022 15:40

Yes Serviette, Odette, Juliette etc

Very different to Juliet

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 27/05/2022 12:26

My cousin is called Juliet and having read this thread I'm now doubting how I've ever said her name Confused. She is Jules most of the time! My gran calls her Julie. I've also got a cousin Julie Grin

I think the difference is like:
Harriet/Juliet
Serviette/Juliette

(I know Serviette isn't a name btw!)

averythinline · 27/05/2022 11:47

Julie et

SmallestInTheClass · 27/05/2022 11:45

Juliet - I would say JULIE-et. My cousin has this name and the family all pronounce it this way but she finds most others call her Julie-ETTE.

ColouringPencils · 27/05/2022 09:47

So interesting! I am going to be saying Juliet/ette in my head all day.

DuchessOfSausage · 27/05/2022 09:41

@ColouringPencils , yes I say the end bit of Juliet and Harriet the same.

I'd say Juliet and Juliette differently, just like I'd say Janet and Janette differently

I really don't like the Julie-ET pronunciation. In French the 3 syllables have equal stress.

ColouringPencils · 27/05/2022 09:36

When I say they sound the same, I mean in English. Obviously if someone were French they would have a different emphasis, but I don't think the spelling of the words in English changes the sound?

ColouringPencils · 27/05/2022 09:34

To me, Juliet and Juliette are pronounced the same, as are Annabel/Annabelle, Isobel/Isabelle etc. Marian and Marianne have a different pronunciation. Do some people really pronounce Juliet like Harriet? (Just the end, obvs! 😂)

IamTheSun · 27/05/2022 09:25

My name is Juliet and my parents and other family pronounce it JOOliet, but pretty much everyone else (including my husband) says JuliET. To be be honest it really doesn't bother me either way (it definitely bothered my parents more!). I do know another Juliet who is very insistent on the JOOliet pronunciation but I think life is too short... Although I do get annoyed if I get called Julie as that is actually a different name!

DuchessOfSausage · 27/05/2022 09:23

@KarrotKake , you barely say the i in Juliet and the Jool-yet pronunciation is very close. I only know that it is 3 syllables because of the shakespearean iambic pentameter.

DuchessOfSausage · 27/05/2022 09:18

@KarrotKake , think of how you say Marian (MARR-i-an) vs Marianne (MARRy-ANNE)

So Juliet is JOO-li-et, and Juliette is Jooly-ET

KarrotKake · 27/05/2022 09:02

@Snowiscold how do you work out what is emphasized? The only version of juliet in your message that sounds different to me is Jool-yet. The other 2 are indistinguishable to my ears.

Snowiscold · 27/05/2022 07:46

Juliet and Juliette are pronounced differently.
Juliet is English - JOOl-iet /JOOL-yet
Juliette is French- Juli-ET.

All multi syllable words have a stress or emphasis. It’s impossible for them to be evenly stressed.

pinklavenders · 27/05/2022 07:28

So how do 'posh' people pronounce Juliette?

ChagSameachDoreen · 27/05/2022 07:21

Posh people say JULI-et. Non-posh say Juli-ETT.

teezletangler · 27/05/2022 04:06

when saying "Romeo and Juliet" I have always said "JULIE-et" with the emphasis on the Julie.

Same. When saying it in the context of the play I emphasize the first syllable quite heavily. If you listen to the closing lines, the emphasis is usually on the first part of the name:

https://myshakespeare.com/romeo-and-juliet/act-5-scene-3-video-performance-prince-lines-305-310

In real life I probably say the syllables almost completely balanced.

Luredbyapomegranate · 27/05/2022 03:48

The first in the Uk.

if you are in the UK, no point expecting Fr pronunciation.

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