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Original poster

To tell parents about pronunciation?

158 replies

HelpaSILout · 15/12/2023 08:31

My SIL shared their favourite name with family for their soon due DS.
It’s a beautiful name, Fionn. We live in England (no strong Irish heritage on our side of the family, not sure about hers) but being an obviously Celtic name I wondered about its meaning and put it into google.
Now the problem arises, they are pronouncing it Fi-on and I’ve found it’s pronounced Finn. Do I say something or just keep my beak out!?

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fuckssaaaaake · 16/12/2023 18:13

This thread is actually hilarious! I mean, everyone has a different opinion, including the Irish! So that confirms that you can pronounce it any bloody way you like as someone in every country will pronounce it differently/the same

fuckssaaaaake · 16/12/2023 17:58

I love the sound Fi-on

LizzieAnt · 16/12/2023 15:42

Boomboom22 · 16/12/2023 11:48

They still sound the same though? Fion and fyun are the same. Obviously not fie on. Unless you you mean like fu the start of fudge? Yun and on when said in a name sound the same, like yonder.

Sorry, totally confused now 😅
I don't get the Leon/Ian bit either, sorry.

I'm not sure how fion and fyun could be pronounced the same as ion isn't pronounced the same as yun?

To be clear, the sound the y makes in fyun isn't the y sound that can be replaced with an i or an ie ( Billy/Billie/Billi) but the y sound in you.

Fyun is said like fun but with this slight y sound after the f.
Like...take the word few...and put an 'un' at the end instead of 'ew'.

Boomboom22 · 16/12/2023 11:49

Boomboom22 · 16/12/2023 11:48

They still sound the same though? Fion and fyun are the same. Obviously not fie on. Unless you you mean like fu the start of fudge? Yun and on when said in a name sound the same, like yonder.

Not like Leon more like Ian.

StuntNun · 16/12/2023 11:48

If they wanted him to be called Finn, why didn't they name him Finn? My DS has a Ciara in his class that's pronounced Kee-aah-ra instead of Keer-a. Do people pick names out of the baby name book without checking the pronounciation?

Boomboom22 · 16/12/2023 11:48

They still sound the same though? Fion and fyun are the same. Obviously not fie on. Unless you you mean like fu the start of fudge? Yun and on when said in a name sound the same, like yonder.

Gooseysgirl · 16/12/2023 11:43

Not had your coffee yet Eiris 😂 I'm fully aware of dialects, no need to be so touchy! Lighten up!

HollyJollyRobin · 16/12/2023 11:37

I don't think it really matters...people spell and pronounce names in all which ways these days! As long as they like the pronunciation/sound of the name and the spelling, it's fine!

Eiris · 16/12/2023 11:15

The link I posted is to the amazing Irish dictionary which is one of thebest online dictionaries in the world. One of the tabs has the pronunciation by different dialects so u listen and hear "fin" "fyon" and"fyoon".

Eiris · 16/12/2023 11:11

www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/fionn www.forvo.com/word/fionn/ fionn pronunciation

Barmecide · 16/12/2023 11:06

TwirlBar · 16/12/2023 10:56

Not always.
How do you pronounce Fionnuala?

Sometimes one of the dialectal pronunciations of a name becomes the dominant one in the rest of the (mainly English speaking) country. It doesn't mean it's the only correct pronunciation.

Show quote history

We in Munster feel all other gaeilgeoirí should just say things as we do.

(I’ve seen fights almost break out over the plural of ‘ubh’.)

ArsenicInTheAppleTart · 16/12/2023 11:04

As is always the case on MN threads where people with varied accents try to describe sounds it all ends up a bit of a muddle. I've lived in the UK for ages and thinking about it can now see that an English person hearing fyun might describe it as fee-on.

It would make things easier, and threads shorter, if there was a little button where we could press and record our voices.

TwirlBar · 16/12/2023 10:56

mathanxiety · 16/12/2023 05:08

It's not pronounced Finn.

It's pronounced Fyun.

F-i-n-n is 'finn'.
F-i-o-n-n is 'fyun'.

Show quote history

Not always.
How do you pronounce Fionnuala?

Sometimes one of the dialectal pronunciations of a name becomes the dominant one in the rest of the (mainly English speaking) country. It doesn't mean it's the only correct pronunciation.

mollyfolk · 16/12/2023 10:37

LizzieAnt · 16/12/2023 01:29

I'm also curious, whereabouts in the country is Fi-on used @JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOnand @mollyfolk ?

Fyun is like yun with an f in front, so not like fi-on @Boomboom22.

No you are right. On second thoughts, I only know one Fi-on and his parents are not Irish. Fyunn is how I would pronounce it and there are loads here in Dublin.

Eiris · 16/12/2023 10:02

@Gooseysgirl did you even read my post? Stop trying to make the language smaller. There are three native dialects, two learner dialects, four distinct historic eras each with their own spelling.
You can find some at teanglann.ie and dil.ie
The Old Pedant would like to add that the spelling "Finn" is usually sound like "Feen" in Munster. The Anglophones in the house say it sounds like a whistle followed by a moan. So not Anglicised at all.

Gooseysgirl · 16/12/2023 08:37

Out of interest I just googled and there is some eejit on YouTube called Julian Miquel completely mispronouncing it... for anyone Irish, it's HILARIOUS. Sadly for anyone not Irish it is incorrect 😆 Here is how NOT to pronounce Fionn...

The correct pronunciation is indeed F-yun runs off to start own YouTube channel on how to pronounce Irish names

Eiris · 16/12/2023 08:18

mathanxiety · 16/12/2023 05:03

Byug
Kyown (rhymes with down)

Show quote history

And there you go.
I mostly say "beg" and "kyan" (sounds like "chan"). But I can understand people talking different dialects too.
Más aoibheann libh an Ghaeilge, ba chóir daoibh na cánúintí a fhoghlaim.

scoobysnaxx · 16/12/2023 06:20

Yeah I don't know of a single English person that would guess this is pronounced Finn. Unless you've heard the name before.

We would assume Fion 100%.

mathanxiety · 16/12/2023 05:08

StoatofDisarray · 16/12/2023 02:48

I didn't know it was pronounced Finn. I've only ever seen it written down.

Show quote history

It's not pronounced Finn.

It's pronounced Fyun.

F-i-n-n is 'finn'.
F-i-o-n-n is 'fyun'.

mathanxiety · 16/12/2023 05:05

Boomboom22 · 16/12/2023 01:24

But fi on and f yun sound the same?

How are they the same?

Fee-on is not at all like Fyun.

mathanxiety · 16/12/2023 05:03

Eiris · 15/12/2023 22:54

If you say Fyon for Fionn how do you say "beag" and "ceann"?

Byug
Kyown (rhymes with down)

Simonjt · 16/12/2023 04:43

Where we live Fionn is pronounced Fe-on.

StoatofDisarray · 16/12/2023 02:48

YourNameGoesHere · 15/12/2023 08:35

How can they not know it's pronounced Finn? Why would they think it was pronounced Fee-on? Definitely tell them because everyone else would be pronouncing their child's name correctly except them.

I didn't know it was pronounced Finn. I've only ever seen it written down.

JanglingJack · 16/12/2023 02:12

AnnaMagnani · 15/12/2023 08:40

In England I'd assume Fi-on and that the child is a girl with Welsh heritage.

This ^

I assumed Welsh and fee-yon. I have more Welsh and Irish inheritance than I do English lol.

LizzieAnt · 16/12/2023 02:08

Or Fi as in Fiona ( so the same as fee)?