Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

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

How would you pronounce Zana ?

438 replies

RoseApp · 18/09/2024 18:38

My friend assumed people would pronounce her child’s name Zana like Zah-nah as in Suzanna but several people have pronounced it as Zar-na

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 20:12

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:06

You're proving my point - why are you adding an r sound to any of those either?
Bath not Barth
Grass nor Grarss
Castle not Carstle.

I think you're a bit confused. Nobody thinks it needs an r. They are adding the r to explain the way it sounds when they pronounce it.

Undisclosedlocation · 18/09/2024 20:12

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:10

Zara has an r in it, Zana doesnt.

Fine, you win. I shall text my friend of over 50 years and tell her she’s got her own name wrong then 😂

ShillyShallySherbet · 18/09/2024 20:12

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:06

You're proving my point - why are you adding an r sound to any of those either?
Bath not Barth
Grass nor Grarss
Castle not Carstle.

I pronounce the words bath, grass and castle as if there is an ‘r’ in it, even though I know there isn’t. I know others don’t but it doesn’t make me wrong and them right, it’s just different dialects.

Similarly I would pronounce Zana as if there were an ‘r’ in it even though there isn’t. I’m intrigued how people are pronouncing zah-na because to my ear that would sound like ‘Zarna’ too.

Jasperj · 18/09/2024 20:12

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:10

Zara has an r in it, Zana doesnt.

Surely people were just trying to emphasise the extended ahh sound. Does it really matter if everyone isn’t an expert in how to clearly convey something phonetically?

BarbaraVineFan · 18/09/2024 20:11

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GOOGLE RHOTIC VS NON-RHOTIC ACCENTS!!!!!!!!

Ahem. Sorry for shouting, but this happens EVERY time.

StudioCreate · 18/09/2024 20:11

But zah-nah is the same as Zarna to us southerners... @GoldenNuggets08

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:10

napody · 18/09/2024 20:09

Agreed zanna if you want a short a sound.
I'd guess Zarna if I saw it, because it looks like the name Zara.

Zara has an r in it, Zana doesnt.

napody · 18/09/2024 20:09

SkaneTos · 18/09/2024 18:46

I would pronouce it "Zah-na"

Not like "zanna" in Suzanna, that has 2 ns, Zana has 1.

Agreed zanna if you want a short a sound.
I'd guess Zarna if I saw it, because it looks like the name Zara.

CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 20:09

I would think Zah-na, like Lana. I'm not understanding the Zayna? Can't think of anything else that ends in ana that's pronounced that way.

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:08

Girarffe? 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 18/09/2024 20:07

I would have to ask.

GoldenNuggets08 · 18/09/2024 20:07

StudioCreate · 18/09/2024 20:04

But Bath isn't spelt Barth, Grass isn't Grarss, Castle isn't Carstle etc. @rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou there can easily be an r sound in a word without it actually being there - see also girarffe

Who in the name of God pronounces any of those words like that???? THERE IS NO R!

I'd pronounce it Zah-na

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:06

StudioCreate · 18/09/2024 20:04

But Bath isn't spelt Barth, Grass isn't Grarss, Castle isn't Carstle etc. @rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou there can easily be an r sound in a word without it actually being there - see also girarffe

You're proving my point - why are you adding an r sound to any of those either?
Bath not Barth
Grass nor Grarss
Castle not Carstle.

BrieHugger · 18/09/2024 20:04

Zana with a long A like Zara.

If she wants it to rhyme with Anna it would really need an extra N.

StudioCreate · 18/09/2024 20:04

But Bath isn't spelt Barth, Grass isn't Grarss, Castle isn't Carstle etc. @rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou there can easily be an r sound in a word without it actually being there - see also girarffe

Undisclosedlocation · 18/09/2024 20:03

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:00

But why would you expect an r sound to be there at all?

Because as I said, I have a direct experience of a friend with that name who DID pronounce it like that!

Jelnotjel · 18/09/2024 20:02

Zah-na. Zan-na has two n's. Zay-na as in what now?

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:02

This reply has been deleted

This is the work of a previously banned poster.

Anyone inserting an r that isn't there is mistaken!

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:01

ShillyShallySherbet · 18/09/2024 19:59

Zarna. It would need to be be spelt Zanna for the pronunciation your friend wanted or Zannah, like Hannah

Edited

It would need to be spelled Zarna to say Zarna!

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 20:00

Undisclosedlocation · 18/09/2024 19:57

Err, to show how I’d expect it to sound phonically. I’m not sure I understand your question?

But why would you expect an r sound to be there at all?

ShillyShallySherbet · 18/09/2024 19:59

Zarna. It would need to be be spelt Zanna for the pronunciation your friend wanted or Zannah, like Hannah

sunnyday81 · 18/09/2024 19:59

Zay - na

Fuuf · 18/09/2024 19:58

This reply has been deleted

This is the work of a previously banned poster.

Undisclosedlocation · 18/09/2024 19:57

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 19:48

Why are you adding an r?

Err, to show how I’d expect it to sound phonically. I’m not sure I understand your question?

mugglewump · 18/09/2024 19:57

My first guess would be Zah'na. I agree that to look like Susanna, it needs two ns.