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Original poster

Pronunciation of Noah ...

29 replies

heavenstobetsy · 11/09/2009 15:22

further to the earlier thread, how do you pronounce Noah.

I have only ever heard it as No-ah but my Mum insists on saying Nor, which I think might be an Arabic pronunciation (or she may just be bonkers )

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Confitdecanard · 14/09/2013 21:35

My Mum (who is a bit bonkers) says noor. Midlands but with a fairly neutral accent.

MsJupiterJones · 14/09/2013 21:27

I don't think it's an accent thing, it's a different pronunciation. Like Boudicca/Boadicea (sort of).

Thymeout · 14/09/2013 20:30

Big W - I'm from London, too and was brought up pronouncing it Nor. Only when I went to posh secondary school, did I hear No-ah used.

WhispersOfWickedness · 14/09/2013 09:47

My DS is Noah, pronounced No-ah. Have heard people from the north east pronounce it more like Noo-ah though.

BigW · 14/09/2013 09:38

We are all from London or there abouts.

BigW · 14/09/2013 09:35

We have a No-ah but various members of our family pronounce it Nor. They are the older ones, so I wondered if it is a generation thing.

My grandad (92) sings him a song in which he rhymes noah with jaw. He realised everyone else calls him No-ah, so now he says jo-uh instead. He's so lovely.

SanityClause · 14/09/2013 09:28

I can imagine that in some accents it has only one syllable.

But I have always said it with two.

My parents pronounce DD2's name differently to us. That's due to how they've heard it pronounced in the past. But, it's not really an issue to me, as I know they don't mean it in a nasty way. And her name is usually shortened, anyway.

BartBaby · 14/09/2013 09:21

Another from the north east here and I've only ever Heath No-ah.

It's on our short list if dc2 turns out to be a boy Smile

SelectAUserName · 14/09/2013 05:31

I'm a Geordie and I wouldn't pronounce it Nor. If anything a Geordie accent would emphasise the "a" ending, but with our flat vowels it would sound a bit like "Noe-wa" with a very slight "w" sound.

SubliminalMassaging · 14/09/2013 04:12

I say Noah, everyone I know says Noah, but I suppose in some regional accents it could sound like Noor - Geordie for example. I don't know that a southerner would ever say Noor.

MsJupiterJones · 14/09/2013 04:01

I thought it was an old person/posh thing, as I've heard it pronounced Noor by people in those categories.

TallulahBetty · 13/09/2013 21:45

Noah to most BUT my colleague is from "Norn Ireland" and pronounces it Nor.

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 13/09/2013 16:45

No-ah.

elcranko · 13/09/2013 16:22

I'm northern and still say No-ah! Smile

tecnogoog · 13/09/2013 00:10

I always thought it was No-ah, and that was the only possibility, but tonight I was out with some people and more than one of them pronounced it "Nor" (i.e. sounds like "gnaw"). I don't know if it's a Northern / old-fashioned thing...

mumto3boys · 17/09/2009 21:42

This has made me LOL. My MIL was here a while ago and was reading a book to my boys about Noah but kept saying it 'nor'

I just thought she was bonkers and halfway through the books my DS told her is was 'No-ah' - I was just ignoring and cringeing the whole way thorugh!

I assumed it was just her, but the minute I saw your thread title I thought of it!

Pingpong · 17/09/2009 13:40

only ever heard it as no-ah why do people add r to words when it isn't there? brought instead of bought really bugs me!

LynetteScavo · 17/09/2009 11:24

Your mum is bonkers.

Is she from the north east?

Original poster
heavenstobetsy · 17/09/2009 11:22

so just you mitchy who has heard it my Mum's way - do you know her?

I think Pania is right

OP posts:
pania · 11/09/2009 18:21

I think your Mum might just be bonkers

MitchyInge · 11/09/2009 18:20

I have heard people pronouncing it 'gnaw'!

lena522 · 11/09/2009 18:19

I would just say it as No-ah

dogonpoints · 11/09/2009 18:01

Let me know if anyone comes on and says they promounce it differently to no-ah.

MamiBabi · 11/09/2009 17:49

We have a Noah and it's pronounced No-ah.

TitsalinaBumsquash · 11/09/2009 17:25

No-ah, never heard it said any different.

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