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 22:57

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:50

Are you missing the several posts where I've explained why adding a non-existent r sound brings confusion and possibly changes the pronunciation? The r isn't necessary.
Za na - not hard to say.

The whole thread is because somebody doesn't know how to pronounce it so it's obviously not that clear?

It really just seems to be you that's confused? Other people have said they don't pronounce bath etc the same but they still know full well what is meant by the r. You have just added the confusion. Had you not posted at all, I'm pretty sure the OP would have had their answer and this thread wouldn't be 15 pages long, filled with your pettiness.

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:57

BrieHugger · 18/09/2024 22:56

Oh dear god. It isn’t pronounced in non-rhotic accents WHICH IS MOST OF ENGLAND

Most of where?
Are we excluding Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland? Why?

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:56

NoUseForAN4me · 18/09/2024 22:53

It is to me. Maybe it’s not to you, but, as it’s my bloody accent, it is to me. You can’t dictate my own accent to me.

I can tell you that there is no r present in the word Zana, because there literally isn't. You can choose to add one if you like, but it's incorrect to then suggest everyone should also be saying Zarna because you do.
It"s Za na, not ZaR na.
How were you taught to pronounce a?

BrieHugger · 18/09/2024 22:56

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:53

What?
Of course the r is pronounced in cart.

Oh dear god. It isn’t pronounced in non-rhotic accents WHICH IS MOST OF ENGLAND

BarbaraHoward · 18/09/2024 22:55

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:53

What?
Of course the r is pronounced in cart.

Not by non-rhotic speakers though, which I'm pretty sure @CellophaneFlower is given her post.

I swear, I am going to bed now.

OnlyWhenILaugh · 18/09/2024 22:55

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:46

I'm repeatedly being told that ar is right for an a sound when it simply isn't.

ar is a spelling feature in English that represents a long a. It just is.
You acknowledged that it's a convention that is reflected in your own accent. So why are you insisting it's "wrong".
Cart is not pronounced cat with an r in any accent I know. I'm willing to accept there may be some but I can't think of any.

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:53

BarbaraHoward · 18/09/2024 22:52

You don't pronounce the R in cart though! That's the whole point. 🤣

What?
Of course the r is pronounced in cart.

NoUseForAN4me · 18/09/2024 22:53

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:52

The sound ISN'T ar!!!

It is to me. Maybe it’s not to you, but, as it’s my bloody accent, it is to me. You can’t dictate my own accent to me.

NoUseForAN4me · 18/09/2024 22:53

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:50

Are you missing the several posts where I've explained why adding a non-existent r sound brings confusion and possibly changes the pronunciation? The r isn't necessary.
Za na - not hard to say.

No because some people will say this as zah-na and some people will say this as zar-na.

just za-na can be interpreted different ways depending on where you’re from. That’s what this whole thread is about.

Palilula · 18/09/2024 22:53

To me, both of your examples - Zah-nah as in Suzanna and Zar-na - seem like the same pronunciation of the vowel but with a rhotic vs. a non-rhotic accent. Someone hearing you say "Zah-nah" may repeat "Zahr-nah" and think they are saying it exactly as you asked.

Zay-nah or Zey-na (roughly rhyming with Dana or Reyna) is a different vowel sound, but not illogical from the spelling. It's not a particularly common name in English and there are different cultural-lingusitic-national origins of the same name with different pronunciations, so she may just have to correct people re how her daughter's name is pronounced. Personally, though, I would say "Zah-nah" (unless told otherwise); I've mainly seen it used as shortening of Suzana/Zuzana in various Balkan languages.

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:52

NoUseForAN4me · 18/09/2024 22:51

No because as a few of us have said, aa and ah are completely different sounds, they don’t sound the same as ar and I don’t say bath with an aa or ah sound.

The sound ISN'T ar!!!

BrieHugger · 18/09/2024 22:52

BarbaraHoward · 18/09/2024 22:50

Aa, ah or simply "a long A" will all be more universally understood, even if they're not perfect. It's very hard to write a pronunciation perfectly anyway unless you can write the phonetic alphabet - and even then no one can understand what you've written. Grin

Actually, MNHQ need to start allowing very short voice notes in this topic only. I utterly hate voice notes in all other cases but it would be useful here.

“Zahna”
”Zanna”
”Zayna”
”Cockwomble”

BarbaraHoward · 18/09/2024 22:52

CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 22:50

But for those of us who understand it, we ARE pronouncing it. The same as we'd pronounce it in cart.

You don't pronounce the R in cart though! That's the whole point. 🤣

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:51

CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 22:50

But for those of us who understand it, we ARE pronouncing it. The same as we'd pronounce it in cart.

You're pronouncing at least one of them incorrectly if a word with an r and one without an r sound the same.

NoUseForAN4me · 18/09/2024 22:51

BarbaraHoward · 18/09/2024 22:50

Aa, ah or simply "a long A" will all be more universally understood, even if they're not perfect. It's very hard to write a pronunciation perfectly anyway unless you can write the phonetic alphabet - and even then no one can understand what you've written. Grin

Actually, MNHQ need to start allowing very short voice notes in this topic only. I utterly hate voice notes in all other cases but it would be useful here.

No because as a few of us have said, aa and ah are completely different sounds, they don’t sound the same as ar and I don’t say bath with an aa or ah sound.

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:50

CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 22:48

To be quite honest, I don't give a shiny shit what alternative they want to offer. I will use whichever letters I like and if somebody doesn't understand I'll try and explain myself further. Have no idea why this poster thinks it's their way or the highway 🤷‍♀️

Are you missing the several posts where I've explained why adding a non-existent r sound brings confusion and possibly changes the pronunciation? The r isn't necessary.
Za na - not hard to say.

CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 22:50

MinervaMcGonagallsCat · 18/09/2024 22:48

@rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou

But it doesn't have an r sound.

That's my point. Stop putting an r in it unless you are actually going to pronounce it. There's no r

But for those of us who understand it, we ARE pronouncing it. The same as we'd pronounce it in cart.

BarbaraHoward · 18/09/2024 22:50

OnlyWhenILaugh · 18/09/2024 22:46

But you haven't provided a more practical alternative.
How would you represent the long a sound to have a greater consensus or understanding

Aa, ah or simply "a long A" will all be more universally understood, even if they're not perfect. It's very hard to write a pronunciation perfectly anyway unless you can write the phonetic alphabet - and even then no one can understand what you've written. Grin

Actually, MNHQ need to start allowing very short voice notes in this topic only. I utterly hate voice notes in all other cases but it would be useful here.

CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 22:48

OnlyWhenILaugh · 18/09/2024 22:46

But you haven't provided a more practical alternative.
How would you represent the long a sound to have a greater consensus or understanding

To be quite honest, I don't give a shiny shit what alternative they want to offer. I will use whichever letters I like and if somebody doesn't understand I'll try and explain myself further. Have no idea why this poster thinks it's their way or the highway 🤷‍♀️

MinervaMcGonagallsCat · 18/09/2024 22:48

@rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou

But it doesn't have an r sound.

That's my point. Stop putting an r in it unless you are actually going to pronounce it. There's no r

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:48

OnlyWhenILaugh · 18/09/2024 22:46

But you haven't provided a more practical alternative.
How would you represent the long a sound to have a greater consensus or understanding

I don't actually think Zana is a long a sound, and it's definitely not an ar sound.

ThePoshUns · 18/09/2024 22:48

Zay nur rhymes with Gaynor?

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:46

CellophaneFlower · 18/09/2024 22:32

If it does and yours doesn't, that's fine. That doesn't make your way right and other people wrong. Why can't you see that?

I'm repeatedly being told that ar is right for an a sound when it simply isn't.

OnlyWhenILaugh · 18/09/2024 22:46

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:41

I don't see this logic at all. For me it just adds confusion.

But you haven't provided a more practical alternative.
How would you represent the long a sound to have a greater consensus or understanding

BarbaraHoward · 18/09/2024 22:45

rosesareredvioletsareblueaimverytiredandsoareyou · 18/09/2024 22:43

But it doesn't have an r sound.

<pssst> She's agreeing with you. She just fucked up the quotes.