The name Karen

[whiteslats]

Has anyone known a Karen pronounced Car-ren?

Yes, in her seventies and a school friend of my aunts. It’s been around for a while.

Car-ren would be pronounced the same as Karen, surely? Do you mean with a soft ‘c’, like Saren? Or Kay-ren?

With the Car part pronounced like the vehicle

Yes. 60ish. Swedish influence

Thanks. I like it. Pretty name

Met a Dutch girl once, she'll be mid 30s now.

Yes. She's in her late 50s

Confused here.

Is there any other way to pronounce it?

No not one. Even if some people did pronounce it like that, they would be constantly correcting people and have all the same problems with having that name anyway while having the inconvenience of explaining.

I had a work friend called Marie..except it was pronounced MA-rie rather then Ma-RIE. I believe it was an Irish pronunciation? So it sounded like Murrey to me. Every pissing day she corrected people. On the phone, in person, everyone she didn't see on a daily basis. She was in her 50s. Imagine doing that for 50 years!!

No but I do know a Care -en spelt Karen.

Usually the A is shorter, closer to the A in cat than the A in car.

Confused people:
OP is asking about whether the 'a' is a long sound as in 'car' or a short /a/ as in 'cat' (which is what is usually used).

Yes.

I also know Karin.

I know a Kären (care - en) but can’t work out what you mean by car-ren!
Must be an accent thing!

Yup South African

Welsh is Caren.

Short a

Yes , she’s early 50s. Also another pronounced Carn (she died in her 90s)

Pronounced Car (as in vehicle) and wren like the bird.

That's how it's pronounced in Scotland so every Karen I know is called car-ren

To add in Scotland we are pronouncing the 'r's rather than elongating the 'a'.

I always forget you non rhotic speakers add 'r's you don't pronounce to make a longer sound which then confuses the heck out of us rhotic speakers that pronounce all our 'r's.

Yes, worked with one years ago. I also had an aunt MARie.

Yes, I know two. I always through they were just being pretentious 😂

Perhaps carrot Vs car is clearer than cat Vs car? (Although I'm Irish and rhotic and find cat Vs car clear in this instance.) Are carrot and car the same in Scotland?

That would depend on your accent. In my Scottish accent, car and cat are exactly the same length of vowel sound.