Choosing to pronounce name different

[mylittleyumyum]

Just waffling really, I was watching tv last night and there was a woman called Greta, but it was pronounced Greeta. I've always only heard it pronounced 'Gretta'.

It reminded me of a friend called Nicole, who pronounces her name as Nicoll and snaps at anyone who dares say it any differently. She maintains that as it's her name, so she will decide how it is pronounced.

A colleague recently gave birth to baby Freya, but pronounces it Friar.

Does anyone know of other instances like this?

Bucket pronounced Bouquet!

I knew a Chlöe who insisted that, because of the umlaut, it was pronounced Cholee

I went to school with someone called Sian whose parents had only seen the name written down so pronounced it See-ann. the poor girl had to correct every new/ supply teacher we ever had.

I've always thought it was pronounced greeta. Like Greta garbo.

I've never heard gretta.

I'm English btw.

But Nicole is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable while Nicoll has the accent on the first, so Nic-OLE vs NIC-oll. They do sound very different.

I had a tutor called Deborah whose name was pronounced Deb-OWE-rah

@m0use

Nicholl - rhyme with doll Nichole- rhyme with hole

Doll and Hole rhyme to me! (Born and raised in Kent, it's that awful Thames Estuary accent I think)

But Greta Garbo is pronounced Gretta, not Greeta

I've known two British Gretas and they both pronounced it as Gretta. I've never heard it said Greeta.

My name is five letters, two syllables, and ought not really to be all that hard to get to grips with - but it is. It is very, very unusual - Google it and you'll get me and a murdered New Zealander. It is indeed from 'another country' (EE). And it is precisely because I know it's unusual - my mum isn't even 100% sure how it's 'supposed' to be pronounced - that I can't get my knickers in a twist of people mangle it a bit, especially if they've seen it written down and heard me say it, because there's a bit of a 'gap' between the two and I guess the conditioned brain supplies what it thinks it hears/sees rather than what it actually does.
Er - I wouldn't misspell someone's name if applying for a job. I can read.

I'd associate 'EV-uh-lyn' with a woman (Glennie) and 'EVE-lyn' with a man (Waugh). Personally.

Er - I wouldn't misspell someone's name if applying for a job. I can read.

Good for you, but it does happen a lot. Look at any "terrible CVs and cover letters" thread and you'll be amazed at the sort of things that people do.

I once met a woman who had a daughter named Francesca, pronounced franSESka. I don't know if that's the original Italian pronunciation or not, but I imagine it meant lots of correcting at school.

Many years ago when I was working in the Civil Service, a girl had transferred from a nearby town to work in the same office as me. I was asked to take her around the office and introduce her to everyone. There were 3 floors and about 100 people or so.

She had a very unusual Scandinavian name. I showed her around the office and introduced her to all the staff and pronounced her name CORRECTLY.

As soon as anyone saw her name written down, they ALL pronounced her name wrong! I was the only one who called her by her correct name in the end.

She was used to it BUT it really bugged me.

@Sunnysidegold

I can hear the difference in Nicole (coal) and nicoll (call)? My surname is a "Mc" name and I pronounce it "Mac" whereas others say "mick". A woman I work with is Sara which I've proniunced as "Sarah" but she says it like "sarrrrrra". It must be annoying if people always mispronounce your name.

This, 'caul' instead of 'coal'.

My colleague with Freya/Friar is from the same region as me, same accent etc.

@Sunnysidegold as a Sara (not Sarah) I can confirm it is really annoying!

I am from the midlands. Depending on which part of town you came from meant you pronounced words differently. So we had about three Sand raaas and three saaand ras in my class. We all knew which was which when we passed the ball in hockey sixty years ago.

Today they would be Alex though

I knew a Julie pronounced July and a Sharon pronounced shay-ron.

I know a Doreen who pronounces it like
Duh-reeeeen.

I have a colleague from another country who has a name that is common here but pronounced slightly differently. (think like Elisabeth / Elizabeth kind of name)
Anyway, despite correcting people daily, some of my coworkers STILL insist on the "English" version. The other version isn't even hard to say, they're just too lazy.

I have only ever known Lauren as Lawren.

I wouldn't at all - I do academic proofreading, amongst other things. Nothing surprises me anymore, save how some people get funded to do a PhD. I take your point, and I suppose it is rude/irritating when people constantly get names wrong, and the fact that it doesn't bother me personally doesn't mean it shouldn't others. But my greater point is that if there exist alternative pronunciations/spellings of a name, when someone hits on the wrong/more common/generally accepted one first time, getting snippy about it is not really on. Just say 'Actually, I know it's spelled 'K-A-T-I-E' but I pronounce it 'Mxyzptlk' and move on.

have only ever known Lauren as Lawren

Me too. But I think she meant Lauren as in Ralph Lauren which is pronounced law-RENN with the stress on the last syllable.

'Shay-ron' is probably closer to the 'original' than 'Sha-ron', actually. Although 'Share-on' is probably nearer the mark.
I've known many people called 'Lauren', all pronounced 'Lorren'. Literally never heard 'Law-Ren'. Life's rich tapestry, eh?

Everyone in Bolton says Duh-reeen!

@HagridsBackTeeth

I have a colleague from another country who has a name that is common here but pronounced slightly differently. (think like Elisabeth / Elizabeth kind of name) Anyway, despite correcting people daily, some of my coworkers STILL insist on the "English" version. The other version isn't even hard to say, they're just too lazy.

It makes me wonder if they also treat their clients like that.