To pronounce this name differently

[babynameconfusion]

DH and I like the name Felicia. But we would pronounce it 'Fuh-liss-ee-a'
rather than like Feleesha. What would you think if you saw a baby with this name? Would people always pronounce it wrong?

I'm not ring racist.
I've never watched bloody X-factor. But she was on BGT so I had no reason not to assume she wasn't on there

Mumzypopz, I don't think they do. It's just that when many English people pronounce the name, it sounds like a 'u' as in Fuh-lee-sha. I don't think it's as extreme as you think. The name Fenella for example is also often pronounced 'Fuh-nella'

Yeah, but we all know why you really got them mixed up don't we?

They want to make up a third pronounciation.... Ful-ee-shia, even though there is no u, which makes it even more complex

Most English speakers hear an exaggerated schwa as a u. A transition to spelling a name that includes a schwa with a u is therefore not all that surprising.

Because of COURSE you get white people on BGT and X Factor mixed up. Cheryl Cole, Amanda Holden, what's the difference? They both look the same to me.

My elderly neighbour was called Helene, and even when she was 91, she was correcting people on how her name was pronouniated...She used to say it's not Hel-een as in sheen but Helen as in when. So she had all those years correcting people.

That's funny because I never actually mentioned Alesha until you did.

ODFO Bill

No, Lobster did.

Sorry, it's absolutely hilarious watching you condemn casual racism by being casually racist Lobster.

Every single time the phone rings at work, they will say "hello, is that Fel-issi-ah", and your DD will have to say, "no, it's Ful-eesha".....It really is annoying...there will be someone on the end of the phone thinking "that's not how you spell it, or she's an idiot isn't she, or what a weird spelling".....Trust me, they will!!!!!! She will be correcting them ALL HER LIFE.......Please don't do it

Well, no because the OP wants to call her Fe-liss-ia, not Fe-leesh-a so actually that would we exactly what the person on the phone is thinking, according to your scenario. You're being utterly ridiculous by the way with your 'please don't do it'. It's hardly an unpronounceable name. LOADS of names are pronounced two different ways- it's not the same as saddling a kid with something that nobody can pronounce.

Oh I'm getting myself so confused now I have no idea who you're talking to

I have a very common English name that is consistently pronounced differently in America. I've spent my life correcting people and the ones not time it's a problem is when other people INSIST their is only one real pronunciation. In my experience, the only people who do this are English. No one else actually cares once you correct them the first time. Usually they try to apologise and I tell them its unnecessary since language/ pronunciation evolve and change. Pronouncing someone's name 'wrong' is only a problem with snobs and racists. Otherwise, it's not a big deal.

Oh for fuck's sake, I haven't got a clue why we're all arguing about who was on what shitey tv show (never watched any of them so I haven't a clue what you're arguing about). The tone of the "too much X factor, not enough education" was cunty, whether it was racist or it was snobbery. Either way, it's shit.

Creakyknees13.....My name is unusual and I have this very same scenario at least 20 times a day, so does my friend who also has a similar name to Felicia, so I do know what I'm talking about....I'm not being utterly ridiculous at all.

I worked for some years on a Caribbean Island and one of my colleagues called her DD Porsha because, although she preferred Portia, she said that her Caribbean family would find the spelling too difficult. Was she too being "casually racist"? Amazing how nobody there was offended so easily.

That's a shame. I love the name Portia and DD1 was going to be called it, but family didn't like it. Porsha is not lovely though.

Creakyknees13.....My name is unusual and I have this very same scenario at least 20 times a day, so does my friend who also has a similar name to Felicia, so I do know what I'm talking about....I'm not being utterly ridiculous at all

Yes, you are. Felicia is not an unusual name. Do you also think it's wrong to call a child Alicia because it might be pronounced two different ways? What about Helena or Elena?

Well it just goes to show why we shouldn't be so quick to shout people down as racist doesn't it Lobster? You were really quick to stick the boot into someone else piping up to support accusations of racism, but when your (much more racist) comment got picked up on suddenly you're wondering why everybody is getting so offended. Maybe you ought to offer the same courtesy to others that you expect yourself? E.g. Not making accusations of racism on flimsy grounds when you can't even tell one black person from another.

Also, you have that scenario 20 times a day??? Really? Because I would guess that if you are Felicia (pronounced as per the OP), you might have it happen once in a while. What the hell is your job where 20 different people read your name and pronounce it wrong every single day?

Also loving your 'some of my best friends are black' comment lobster.

I really like that name, OP.
I would naturally pronounce it Feh-LEE-thee-a if I saw it written down.

That doesn't help, does it?

Creakyknees13...NO IM NOT...I think the very fact that we have nearly seven pages of discussion around it shows that I'm not alone in my thinking....ANY name that has an element of doubt on how to pronounce it can cause confusion, which is why I believe the OP was questioning whether she should chose it or not in the first place. Someone I know is called Alicia, and she constantly says I'm A-liss-ia and not Al-eesha.

Creakyknees13...Yes, really, I do have that up to 20 times a day....A real pita....

I would say "fel-ee-sha" because of "bye Felicia"