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Original poster

How would you pronounce Esme?

165 replies

copynpaste · 28/01/2025 19:55

Would you pronounce it Ez-me

Or would you pronounce it Ez-may

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Mountainfreshair · 28/01/2025 22:39

Es-May - I’ve never heard anyone say it the alternative way

GlasgowGal82 · 28/01/2025 22:35

Definitely Es-May. It’s a French name and that’s how they pronounce it.

bluebunnys · 28/01/2025 22:34

Actually no, in French Esmé is not pronounced Esmay, more Esmeh. There is no AY sound in French.

In English Esme should logically be pronounced Es-me

bellocchild · 28/01/2025 22:31

Esmé comes from French and the é sound is pronounced AY not EE. We've lost the é in English, so perhaps it doesn't matter.

LucyRidesAgain · 28/01/2025 22:27

Ez may

TheCrowPeople · 28/01/2025 22:19

Esme = Ez-mee

Esmé = Ez-may

Augustusjoop · 28/01/2025 22:18

I know two Esmes and they pronounce them differently. The Ez-me gets very upset that people call her Ez-may despite the spelling.

Rumpoleoftheballet · 28/01/2025 22:17

The first one, Ez-me.

Banyon · 28/01/2025 22:16

Ez-May
there should be and accent ‘ on the final e.

anon20 · 28/01/2025 22:12

Ezmay

kiana2015 · 28/01/2025 22:05

Ez-may

schnubbins · 28/01/2025 22:05

Ez may never heard it pronounced Ez mee

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 28/01/2025 22:03

Ez-may. Unless the person told me they pronounce Ez-mee.

Whoarethoseguys · 28/01/2025 22:02

Ezmay,

Jollyjoy · 28/01/2025 22:01

Ezmay I mean!

Jollyjoy · 28/01/2025 22:01

Esmay. Never come across the idea it could be anything else until now!

EggandStress · 28/01/2025 21:59

Ez-May

Splat92 · 28/01/2025 21:52

I've only ever heard it pronounce EZ-may. I'm Australian and we had a character on a soap called this in the 80s/early 90s which most people of my age would have been very familiar with.

Babadookinthewardrobe · 28/01/2025 21:46

That’s a bit presumptuous @roibustea! I could
equally assume those pronouncing it Ez-May when there isn’t an accent don’t know how it is supposed to be pronounced.

It seems to be around 50-50 on this thread. Quite right too. Whatever the individual Ez-Me’s or E-May’s prefer must surely be the answer - agrEe with that bit!

TenerifeElevenerife · 28/01/2025 21:39

Esmé is traditionally pronounced Ezmay.
Esme without an acute accent is Esmee.
However no matter how you spell it or pronounce it, others will say it the way they prefer, I hadn’t realised how much it would bug me until I had one.

GhostInTheWashingMachine · 28/01/2025 21:37

EZ-me

roibustea · 28/01/2025 21:36

Ez-May

I'd assume anyone who pronounced it Es-Mee didn't know it was supposed to be pronounced Es-May. Like Ralph pronounced Ralf. But if I wouldn't be rude enough to tell them so and would pronounce it however they liked.

hamsandyams · 28/01/2025 21:27

Those pronouncing it EZ-mee is that the same as you would say Esmi/Esmy? Like with the same last syllable as Chloe? My northern accent struggles with making it sound like a name… and so I would say EZ-may

Rowgtfc72 · 28/01/2025 21:27

Ez-may

shieldmaiden7 · 28/01/2025 21:25

Ez-mee

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