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?
OnlyWhenILaugh · 18/09/2024 18:53

FWIW OP I'd probably start with Zayna. I'd assume Zahna to be a possibility but not Zanna

ApolloandDaphne · 18/09/2024 18:53

So is it a Zay-nah or Zah-nah issue? I maybe misunderstood.

OnlyWhenILaugh · 18/09/2024 18:51

SonicTheHodgeheg · 18/09/2024 18:48

Is it a regional dialect. Lana being La-nah or Lar-nar sort of thing.

No. The OP is asking about the long or short vowel sound. The r in the spelling Zar is a red herring that always side tracks threads like this!
Forget the r people and think about the vowel sound

SonicTheHodgeheg · 18/09/2024 18:48

Is it a regional dialect. Lana being La-nah or Lar-nar sort of thing.

SkaneTos · 18/09/2024 18:46

I would pronouce it "Zah-na"

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

Flossyts · 18/09/2024 18:42

zaynah or zarnah. Definitely not like suzanna

Bigearringsbigsmile · 18/09/2024 18:41

Zay na

ApolloandDaphne · 18/09/2024 18:41

I think it is a regional thing. Some accents put in an r where there isn't one. I'm Scottish and I would pronounce it as the parents would expect.

kenidorm · 18/09/2024 18:41

Neither Zay nor zar

I would say 'Zah - na'

youhadmeatsausageroll · 18/09/2024 18:41

Zay na

ManhattanPopcorn · 18/09/2024 18:41

Zayna

Brobdingnagian · 18/09/2024 18:41

If I saw it written down, Zane-a.
If I was told how to pronounce it then I would say it that way.

Dolliesdisasterousdayout · 18/09/2024 18:40

Zay na

It’s very pretty when pronounced properly though!