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Original poster

How would you pronounce Anthony?

133 replies

igglepiggle599 · 25/02/2025 22:16

I'd love to use the name 'Anthony', but I've heard a lot of people (especially in the States) pronounce it using the 'h', which I really dislike. Is this likely to be a common problem?

I do get very bothered by certain pronunciations. I've already ruled out the name 'Anastasia' because I hate the way many people pronounce it with four syllables (An-uh-stay-zhuh instead of An-ah-stay-see-ah).

I'm aware that it can also be spelled 'Antony', but it just doesn't look quite right to me!

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HamSpray · 26/02/2025 08:30

The only people I’ve ever heard pronouncing it with the ‘th’ in the UK and Ireland are my BIL and his European wife (he and one of their sons are called Anthony, which is a family name in his family), and in their case, I’m pretty sure it’s an overcorrection like ‘Heighth’ or ‘That would be myself, Lord Sugar’. I’ve known my BIL since my teens, and he always pronounced his own name without the ‘h’, so I imagine it’s her telling him he’s mispronouncing his own name (as he is from a WC family who horrify her), and ‘correcting’ him to what she imagines is the more genteel pronunciation.

Answeringaquestiontonight · 26/02/2025 08:24

I would pronounce it without sounding the h, but my husband’s family (where Anthony is a family name) pronounce it as a ‘th’. They are west coast of Scotland.

however, people should pick up on how it is pronounced when you tell them.

RosesAndHellebores · 26/02/2025 08:21

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 26/02/2025 05:06

In the UK people normally pronounce it without the H.
Are you happy with the name Tony? Because that's what he'll very likely end up being called by friends.

We know lots of people called Anthony (in the 60 to 75 bracket). All pronounced with a hard "t", an occasional Antnee (the Antnees we know have Irish roots). None of them are shortened to Tony.

St Anthony was the patron Saint of lost things which is rather charming.

PenneyFouryourthoughts · 26/02/2025 08:11

In London: it would also be AntKnee. Me ex-BiL has this name and exH calls him AntKnee. His friends call him Tony. In Bridgerton, Lady Bridgerton calls her son AntErKnee. People who say AnTHunny sound odd to me.

I refer to the Roman politician Marcus Antonius, or Mark Anthony, who went on to partner Queen Cleopatra in Egypt and have three children with her. The T is prominent in the Roman pronunciation.

User12435687 · 26/02/2025 07:58

We have family members who spell it Antony. They sometimes get Anth-ony but mostly people say Ant-ony. I also know and Antoni

I think I prefer the spelling without the h.

Mariannassa · 26/02/2025 07:57

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Mariannassa · 26/02/2025 07:56

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DeathMetalMum · 26/02/2025 07:54

cactuswoman · 25/02/2025 22:31

I have a nephew called Anfernee, and I know how mad he gets when I call him Anthony. Almost as mad as I get when I think about the fact that my sister called him Anfernee.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

A kid near me growing up also was Anfernee, though actually spelt Anthony i believe. Regularly shortened by everyone to Anff.

Everythingwillbeokay · 26/02/2025 07:54

My DH is Anthony, his DM says it without the h and his DF says it with. So they never even agreed!

It's a good name, never met anyone apart from his DF who pronounces the h.

Ddakji · 26/02/2025 07:50

Shitgift · 25/02/2025 22:23

Yep, Antony Ant-oh-knee, Anthony Anth-oh-knee. I'm British.

No, in Britain both are pronounced Anthony. You’re using the US pronunciation.

Emanwenym · 26/02/2025 07:47

Ex-FIL and his son are from the NE and say it with a T.

Friendlynortherner · 26/02/2025 07:43

The th-pronunciation is standard in the north-east, so far as I know, (nothing at all to do with copying the States, it's just always been that way) and the t-pronunciation everywhere else in England.

Emanwenym · 26/02/2025 07:34

Ant-unny, but some will insist on Anth-unny. Use it as a middle name.

Goldenboysmum · 26/02/2025 06:51

My late son is Anthony, pronounced An-thony so with the th.

Although he was always Tony and only got Anthony when he was in trouble.

We're scottish, and I've never heard it said without the th in the middle.

To me Antony and Anthony are pronounced differently.

user1492757084 · 26/02/2025 06:51

I hear mostly Antony in Australia.
It is the default for Antony and Anthony.
Most are shortened to Ant or Tony.
I have heard Anthony said with the TH when the named person prefers it that way.

countrygirl99 · 26/02/2025 05:31

I've been married to an Anthony for 44 years. Ne er heard it pronounced the American way but he'll be called Tony anyway.

sashh · 26/02/2025 05:25

Littlefish · 25/02/2025 22:18

I've only ever heard it pronounced either the 'th' sound in the middle when it's said by Americans. I've never heard it here in the UK.

I have met one who pronounced it an-thon-y but if I saw it written I would say ant-ony.

mushroomushroom · 26/02/2025 05:20

Irish, and I've almost exclusively heard it pronounced with the "th" sound, and would automatically pronounce it with the "th". The only time I've heard it as "ant-knee" (minus the h) was (as impolite as it is to say this) among inner city addicts in Dublin. Most of my friends with inner-city accents still pronounce it as "anth-o-knee". Still shortened to Tony in some cases.

HappydaysArehere · 26/02/2025 05:08

His mates will call him Tony.

SD1978 · 26/02/2025 05:08

Scottish, always pronounced the 'th' if you don't want a 'Th' then you'd spell it Antony surely?

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 26/02/2025 05:06

In the UK people normally pronounce it without the H.
Are you happy with the name Tony? Because that's what he'll very likely end up being called by friends.

MumonabikeE5 · 26/02/2025 05:02

i had a Scouse house mate called An thon ee
we lived in London where many people called him Ant Knee

my dad was Ant(h)ony, he went by Tony.

mathanxiety · 26/02/2025 05:00

Another name that gets the TH treatment in Ireland is Thomas.

mathanxiety · 26/02/2025 04:59

CointreauVersial · 25/02/2025 23:33

Well.....between DH and I we have a brother, a stepbrother, an uncle, a second cousin AND a nephew each called Anthony, so consider ourselves experts!

All spelled with a "th" and all pronounced with a hard "t". I can't imagine many Brits getting it wrong.

And yet there are Brits who spell it Antony.

mathanxiety · 26/02/2025 04:57

igglepiggle599 · 25/02/2025 22:55

Never said it was pretentious. Purely personal preference.

Disliking one thing that's typically American doesn't make me anti-American.

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I think you'll find it's typically Australian and also Irish, and it also seems to be a fairly common pronunciation in Britain independent of foreign influences.

It's odd to zero in on American or assume the TH pronunciation is American.