to want in laws to correctly pronounce my very ordinary name?

[DrSeuss]

I have a very ordinary, English-of-Greek-origin name. Spelled in the traditional way, couldn't e simpler, really.
For over twenty years, ILs have mispronounced it. For twenty years, I and my husband have periodically corrected them. Not a huge thing, granted but it grates every time they say it wrongly.

AIBU to slightly mispronounce their names just a little, e.g. Sarah becomes Sorah, Jim becomes Jom? Childish, I know, but it is pretty much the only thing I have asked of them in twenty years! Other family members ask for and receive special food despite having no real grounds for this or meals served at a particular time despite having no children. I'd just like them to say my name without me mentally wincing!

I can't imagine how it's not hell-in. What to say too is it really supposed to rhyme with bell-end.

And I don't believe in a million years you can pronounce every name correctly even if you try very very hard. It's an accent thing. You can never say it totally like where the person came from. Its phonological awareness as some other poster already pointed out.

DC1 is in YR and when she did phonics she got so upset DH and I got things wrong! We just couldn't say the vowels the way she wants it. We have kiwi accents so our vowels are wrong a lot of times to her ears.

It would be very annoying being called HELLIN instead of Helen. A bit babyish really.

It should rhyme with Melon shouldn't it? Who says they are some MELLIN? Or MELL-ON. It's a schwa.

It's really precious to be so worked up about this, they aren't calling you the wrong name. My name has an s in the middle, which in the UK is always pronounced with a z sound. Americans invariably pronounce an s, which sounds a bit weird to me but they are just saying it in their way. Not nearly so annoying as people spelling it the wrong (male) way even when they've seen it written down, which is lazy and rude.

For God's sake. Bangs head on desk.

Have you really got nothing else to worry about OP?? You must lead an incredibly quiet life.

Get a F**cking grip Hellin!

What CharlieSierra said.

And SillyBilly !!!!!

DrSeuss, I think your Sophie Rees Jones update suggests you pronounce your name in the normal way with the second vowel as a schwa, whereas the pils pronounce with a definite 'in' on the end. So yanbu to find it irritating but I don't think the pils are likely to change; they might even think they are saying it the same way as you. They probably find it easier to pander to your sils eating habits than to pronounce your name the way you like.

OP you don't seem to have acknowledged that this is probably just a difference in accent.

Someone mentioned pronunciation of Caroline earlier. This is my name. Some parts of NI give it an extra sound so it becomes almost Cyahroline. A NW English accent would elongate the i sound. A lot of US accents would make it more Careoline.

My phonetics are probably rubbish but all of those sound very different to how I say it but are not wrong. You seem determined to see only your accent as correct.

Now when I get called Carolyn that's a different name and does annoy me. Except for a lovely Scottish lady I used to live with who said "Carolyn" but I accepted that too was accent and for her was the same as Caroline

I have a simple first name. I also have a strong accent. I do not live where I was brought up. Nobody including my DP pronounces my name how I do. That is because they have a different accent to me.
Vowels are pronounced differently in different parts of the country. Incidentally I would say Melin for melon

Somebody please go on vocaroo.com and record yourself saying melin, hellin, brokin, fallin. I just can't imagine it. I'm imagining a Scottish accent in my head and still can't hear melin and hellin. What about heaven? Is that hev-in?

I can't work out if the OP minds Hellun. When I say Helen it sounds strange.

OP obviously thinks only her accent is the right one.

It must be very subtle. This accent tag on youtube: has her saying "seven" at 1:36, and I guess it sounds a little like sev-in. Although I wouldn't have heard that had I not been trying to. On a casual listen it just sounds like seven with a schwa to me.

PrivatePike relax will ya! It's interesting that's all. If it's not to you, then you're free not to join in the discussion!

I agree move to Wales if it bothers you. I'm a fellow Helen. I get Hel-en in Wales, Hel-in in England, and Hel-un from some rellies in Yorkshire. Although I have to say I think of it as an accent thing and it doesn't bother me . And Cecily-P, no it isn't like Helene, it is that the second e should sound the same as the first, which in Wales in does, as welsh is phonetic, and the Welsh equivalent is Elen, which has the same open e sounds for both e letters. In England they mainly say Helin, depending on region and class.

"On the Robert thing, in Wales some people would pronounce it Robat, and that's how everyone else would pronounce the name too."

Yes, but in the example I gave, if you have a non-rhotic accent, you wouldn't add a rhotic 'r' so, for example you met an Irish Charles, you'd pronounce it Chahles and not Charles unless your accent would normally pronounce the 'r'. You'd look silly otherwise wouldn't you? (I imagine Charles isn't very common in Ireland, but I couldn't think of another example).

Kitchen - (kitchin)
My DB's name is Christopher.

The final syllable is variously pronounced:
Christo FUR / FUH/ FA / FURRRRR (by the Scots in the family)

The First consonant sound is KR /CHR (more air, you hear the H) and with a roll of the RRR as CUH-RRRR

No-oneis wrong!

I'm struggling with the pronunciation too.

Helen = Hell - n, Hell'n ie one syllable as such.

Equally though Hell -En with the emphasis on the E would be Helene I think and be definitely two syllables

Hell -in? Must be accent

Helen doesn't have an emphasis on the second e, it has equal emphasis on both syllables, so Hel-en as in "Hel ended the relationship" . I say both e letters the same way. That is typical here in Wales. The second e isn't a shwa . I also say I-mo-gen with the same e sound. And engine as en gin. When I lived in London I often used Helin as otherwise it was assumed my name was Ellen. It isn't like calling a Sarah, Sara , it is more of an accent thing than that.

Oh and here in West wales, you would subtly hear the second R in Robert, and the e would be an e sound not an u sound, if that makes sense! We sound all our letters in Welsh.