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?

Pick another name. Call your next cat Felicia

Or even better Fur-licia

I would pronounce it as Feleessia, just as I would pronounce Alicia as Aleessia. I've never heard either of them pronounced with a -sha sound.

I think it may be a case of what the original name was, as in it being a feminised version of a masculine name. Presumably Felicia derives from Felix, and Alicia from Alex. Both those have a -ks sound, so the "s" is already there. But Patricia ("Patrisha") comes from Patrick, which doesn't have an "s" sound, but is related to "patrician" which does have a -sha sound.

Not that that makes a jot of difference to the debate, of course.

It doesn't matter how a name is pronounced; what matters is that when people have been told how that name is pronounced they do their best to follow that. In the hospital I used to work in, any doubt about pronunciation was dealt with by a basic phonetic version written on the front of the patient's notes. It was a simple way of being respectful to the patient.

It doesn't matter how a name is pronounced; what matters is that when people have been told how that name is pronounced they do their best to follow that
Which is something that some people will do and others won't.
It is something that some people will try to do, but still forget because she is a casual acquaintance.
When people read her name out, they will always get it wrong - she will forever have to correct people.

You are signing yourselves and dd up to a life of correcting people but as long as you're happy with that go for it!
It is similar to Alicia - I have met girls who pronounced it as A-liss-ee-a, A-lee-see-a, and A-lee-sha but all spelt it at Alicia.

as not at

When people read the name out they have a 50/50 chance of getting it right surely MyWine? More than that if the OP lives somewhere where the Feli-/Ali-/Mar-see-a pronunciation is more common.

If you like it then name her this. It can be be pronounced both ways

Gender:girl
Meaning:Happy times
Origin:Latin
Pronunciation:feh LEE shah; feh LISS eh ah (from babynames )

Its pretty and frankly people get used to pronouncing names the way that they get told to.

I would pronounce it Fe-lis-see-a.... as in Alicia ...A-lis -see-a

Nos Alicia keys. Pronounced as Alisha keys.

Gilmartin

OP it is a pretty name, but have you seen the film Balerina?

However you spell it I'm afraid it will be pronounced fel-ee- say, with emphasis on the final syllable. I'm sorry to say that I also predict by the time DD is in reception you will have discovered it, and its variants, are shared by rather more children than you anticipated.

My Dd has an unusual name for the UK (I believe it is quite popular in a couple of other countries) and people always mispronounce it. It's extremely annoying as there are obvious spelling differences.

I do know some one with a name ending 'ssia' that always gets pronounced 'sha'

even if you change the spelling doesn't mean it will be pronounced right by everyone

When people read the name out they have a 50/50 chance of getting it right surely MyWine?
No, not 50/50, more like 1/99 because almost everyone would pronounce it the way it is traditionally pronounced.

Issia is surely more traditional than eesha though?

I thought eesha was the American pronunciation?

I'd pronounce it Feleesha and would be if I heard someone pronounce it the way you intend.

But, I also pronounce Alicia as Aleesha and think it's bizarre when it's pronounce ah-liss-ee-ah.

However, I'm not from the UK, so...

I would pronounce your way anyway!

I would never have occurred to me to pronounce the other way and a quick google shows that your way is a recognised and accepted pronunciation.

So go for it

Reminds me of the car.

Everyone saying the 'fuh-LISS-ee-a' way to say it is wrong, no I'm afraid you are according to this useful little site for English pronunciation:

howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-felicia

It's for British English. I assume 'fuh-LEESH-a' is the American way to say it, see also Marcia and Alicia.

You are pronouncing it the traditional way. The alternative pronunciation is much more modern (or perhaps American, as some posters have suggested). Countries with a Latin-based language (from where the name originates) pronounce it your way (as they do AlEEsia, and PatrEEcia).

It's a beautiful name and there's no reason to change the spelling.

If you like it OP, go for it. My daughter is called Elaina. Literally Elaine with an 'a' sound at the end. She quite commonly gets called Eleanor or Helena. Two names that I feel sound quite different. She just corrects people now, it's just rude to not learn a name.

Fell-iss -ia

I would pronounce it how the OP does anyway and it didn't occur to me that there were two ways to pronounce it. To me, the two pronunciations are not that different - not as different as Air-on and Arran, say.

There are surely at least two ways to pronounce most names, apart from Lee, perhaps.

As long as people don't pronounce it Phil Licky Ah, then it's fine .

because almost everyone would pronounce it the way it is traditionally pronounced.

Except no one can agree how it is traditionally pronounced. I think Feleesha is wrong and would go with Felissia.

As PP have pointed out the traditional Engliah pronounciation is Fel-iss-e-ah.

Alesha is more common now that Alicia, but some people still use the traditional pronounciation.

I would have thought that the Fe-leeesha pronunciation of Americans comes from Italian immigrants? Idk.