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AIBU?

To think i know how my childs name is pronounced?

242 replies

crappymummum · 08/05/2011 14:36

So my friend says she has just had an in depth argument with one of her friends who i happen to know over my daughters name.

DD is called Luisa.Not Louisa but LuiSa as in emphasis on the S not the soft sounding s in Louisa.I think the name originates from Germany but is widely used in Spain.
My DD was born in Spain (we are now back in the UK) so i liked the thought of a Spanish name, especially as we planned on staying there for some time.My Aunt is Spanish and also called Luisa.

Apparently this argument started when the lady started arguing with my friend when she was pronouncing it correctly saying no its Louisa,it's stupid etc and how it is just an alternative spelling but pronounced the same etc etc.

This is becoming a bit of a problem as i have noticed friends/teachers etc calling her Louisa...even receiving invites to parties with Louisa on.

Should i just let them get on with it for an easy life for my daughter and just accept that Louisa is what she will be called?

AIBU to be really bloody annoyed about this woman?

OP posts:

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QuackQuackBoing · 09/05/2011 13:32

Luisa is pronounced like Luis with an a. Lueessss and lueessssa

I didn't get what you are all talking about but this explains it. I have a friend called this so I'm now wondering if I say her name wrong?!

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belgo · 09/05/2011 13:38

I'm not sure how to pronounce Luis, with or without the s? My friend's son pronounces it Louie.

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ShowOfHands · 09/05/2011 13:52

Louis is pronounced Loo-ee.

I think by Luis they mean loo iss making Luisa loo issa as opposed to loo eeza

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limitedperiodonly · 09/05/2011 13:54

Depends how you treat people who mistakenly get it wrong.

A French woman called Genevieve joined my office. She pronounced her name Jzon-vee-aive (with a soft G) which was a surprise to us who'd grown up with the film about the vintage car but not a major challenge to get right when corrected.

However, she used to fly into a tantrum if someone who hadn't heard her pronounciation called her Jenny-veeve. Consequently most of us stopped talking to her unless it couldn't be avoided.

There were other pronounciations of her name flying around the office but I'm much too polite to repeat them here.

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BitOfFun · 09/05/2011 13:54

No, loo iss is how you pronounce Lewis. Loo eess is Luis.

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RitaMorgan · 09/05/2011 14:24

Louis = Loo-ee (French)
Lewis = Loo-iss (English)
Luis = Loo-eese (Spanish)

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PinotGrigiosKittens · 09/05/2011 14:54

My DS1 has two friends called Lewis and Louis. Both are pronounced Loo-ee.

If this thread proves chuff all else, it's proved there are no rules - communicating your personal choice is the key.

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ScousyFogarty · 09/05/2011 15:07

cmum..the BBC pronounce names the way the namee wishes them to be pronounced. they are on your side ....

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buttonmoon78 · 09/05/2011 15:57

My dd2's name is unusual both in spelling and pronunciation (but it's a real name before anyone accuses me of making it up). She is 11 and has for a number of years just let it wash over her in normal conversation.

When it matters, as in when starting in a new class or something long term like that, she's happy to correct people in no uncertain terms.

But she knows when to lighten up about it

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lljkk · 09/05/2011 16:23

I'm one of those people who often can't hear subtle differences in pronounciation. Also, I speak Spanish. So I would say Luisa the way OP wants automatically.
BUT, I might say Louisa wrong according to English ears... because I'm foreign :), and probably more used to hearing it with the soft sss sound.

I use a different name when I introduce myself to Spanish speakers; I don't even think about it. Not giving my real name here... but suppose it was "Jane" -- I'm happy to be called the Spanish equivalent instead, (Juana, which is said out loud as "Wana"). I don't really get being precious about the pronounciation.

Now, if they started calling me "Teresa" or "Maria", that'd be odd. But Jane/Juana, fine to interchange.

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Wordwork · 09/05/2011 16:26

My FIL was called Władysław but he always introduced himself to English people as Walter, to avoid complications.

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Wordwork · 09/05/2011 16:27

Sorry: the complications weren't as big as that: MN can't show the spaecial Polish character. His name was Wladyslaw

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campion · 09/05/2011 17:58

I teach a Lucia who insists it's Lucy-a. Doesn't sound right to me but I go along with it

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missslc · 09/05/2011 18:05

Can I just say as a former teacher that when parents give children names that are difficult to pronounce- I used to avoid asking them questions for two thirds of the year which was how long it took to hear other kids pronouncing it after not wanting to ask a fifth time how it was pronounced.

So on some level they got less attention.......i was a conscientious teacher but with over 3oo kids a week it took a while to learn the more straightforward names.

Throwing that in there.

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Bonsoir · 09/05/2011 18:15

My name is Anna. I am English. I live in France. My name is not pronounced in exactly the same way in French as in English. It would be unbelievably stupid and pretentious of me to insist on my name being pronounced the English way when people are speaking to me in French.

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BitOfFun · 09/05/2011 19:06

You say that like it's a bad thing...

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thefirstMrsDeVere · 09/05/2011 19:09

my ds has a much hated name on MN and to top it all, its spelt 'differently'. Not my choice, his birth mother's.

I just grin and bear it. His school has spelt it wrong which I think does need pointing out and my mother does too which pees me off.

But other people taking a wild stab doesnt annoy me much

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buttonmoon78 · 09/05/2011 19:10

BoF!

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ChippingIn · 09/05/2011 19:26

BoF

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HerHissyness · 09/05/2011 19:31

My name is pronounced differently in other languages to the way it is in english. It is one of the most common girls names there are tbh.

When XH (forrin) says it in the english way, it sounds weird, wrong, but when he says it how it would be in his language, or pretty much anywhere else non-english speaking that's fine.

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TobyLerone · 09/05/2011 20:56

My sisters have 'normal' names, but slightly differently spelled (although still totally acceptable spellings you'll find in any baby book). My grandad still doesn't know how to spell them. My sisters are 23 and 25

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BendyBob · 09/05/2011 21:11

A well known name with an unusual pronunciation will equate to years of correcting people who assume - understandably - that they are saying it correctly.

If you don't want the hassle of putting it right all the time, or feel irritated at people defaulting to a more well known version, then pick something else.

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mercibucket · 09/05/2011 21:22

fork and pork do rhyme!!
if you want to prove otherwise, write them in phonemic script and I might believe you

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GrendelsMum · 09/05/2011 21:25

We have a Czech family friend who for the last 30 years we have all called Jerry. Turned out last year that his name is actually pronounced Yizhi, and he'd been too polite to correct us all along. He said he'd got quite fond of being called Uncle Jerry, and he'd rather stay as that now.

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lesley33 · 09/05/2011 21:31

faurk
poork

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