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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how you pronounce Amelia

389 replies

moonlightmile · 19/04/2017 03:08

DD is called Amelia. Most people I know seem to pronounce it 'ah-mil-yuh', which is how I have always said it. However, we have recently moved to a completely new area and EVERYONE here pronounces it 'ah-mee-lee-yah', which imo sounds so so annoying. I know I am probably being pretentious not liking the way people say it, but I never realised it was pronounced like that!

Is this the normal way and I've always been saying it wrong??

OP posts:
Original poster
moonlightmile · 19/04/2017 04:08

Gin I actually wanted to call her Amália as that was my great-grandma's name, but DP wanted her to have a more English name.

And, no, it really doesn't matter, I will just have to remember to pronounce it properly from now on Blush

OP posts:
lazydog · 19/04/2017 04:10

Only ever heard the second pronunciation, sorry!

SuperBeagle · 19/04/2017 04:11

It's four syllables: ah-mee-lee-ah.

I would expect the first pronunciation from Americans.

KC225 · 19/04/2017 04:12

God daughter is Amelia, everyone around her pronounces it the second way.

GinSwigmore · 19/04/2017 04:19

No lovey, I meant does it matter what others think of your pronunciation/how others say it apart from it making you wince. I wouldn't change what she's used to you saying. In fact, I would venture that is quite sweet that only you, her Mum, says it like that. Flowers I meant that if Ah ME Lee yah grates on you then introducing her to others as Milly is a way out of it making your teeth itch every time. CakeBrew

BikeRunSki · 19/04/2017 04:28

Second way.
DD knows several Amelias, all pronounced the second way.

UterusUterusGhali · 19/04/2017 04:38

A Mee Lia

Change it if you and DP pronounce it the Eastern European way.
Honestly it won't be weird,
I've met plenty of Tomases etc.(To-MAS, rather than TOM-us)

People will pronounce it your way if you spell it your way.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 19/04/2017 05:18

Yes, sorry OP - have to say that I too suspect that your friends just copied your pronunciation of the name and now you're finding out how everyone else says it.

But stick to your pronunciation - your DD will learn to cope with answering to both without question. :)

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 19/04/2017 05:23

I have a friend called Tania - she has to hear people pronouncing it every way from Tarn-yah (NOT rhotic, to those who do rhotic pronunciation, just emphasising the length of the a in the first syllable) to Tann-ya, when in fact it's more of a Tah-nya. She doesn't correct people and she answers to all pronunciations.

Whereas a very annoying woman I used to know called Sandra, who wasn't from Liverpool, wanted to be called Sann-dra, when most people in her area pronounced it Sarn-dra (again not rhotic), and she used to try to correct them. Didn't work well.

mathanxiety · 19/04/2017 05:27

I have to say I much prefer your pronunciation, moonlightmile.

Amelia is a name I have never really liked because of the 'mealy' bit in the middle.

JessicaJulia234 · 19/04/2017 06:00

This reply has been deleted

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EvilDoctorBallerinaDuck · 19/04/2017 06:30

2nd way.

Blackfellpony · 19/04/2017 06:33

Second way.
I thought it was 4 syllable too.

WhereTheFuckIsMyFuckingCoat · 19/04/2017 06:35

2nd way here.

TaliDiNozzo · 19/04/2017 06:39

Yeah second way here too. But DP is from Preston and his accent seems to make it a bit more like the first way. He thought it was odd when I said the first way though.

5inabed · 19/04/2017 06:46

My dd is also called Amelia and I pronounce it the second way the first way really annoys me it just sounds horrible but lots of people from my dad family said it the first way so really not unusual (we're Scottish) I taught my dd to say it's a meel I a grampa not Ameel ya. Perhaps an area thing?

Impresionante · 19/04/2017 06:49

I say it much more like your way! My cousin and her daughter both have the name Amelia, and it is said by everyone in the family as Ah-meh-lya. My uncle was Italian, and this was the Italian pronunciation Glaswegianised.

Much nicer way to say it, I think. One of them uses Mel to avoid the mispro that is common now.

CactusFred · 19/04/2017 06:51

Second way is the correct pronunciation I'm afraid!

Mombie2016 · 19/04/2017 06:52

DNiece is second way

On Greys Anatomy its pronounced the first way

Bringmesunshite · 19/04/2017 06:52

Only ever said it the first way. Only ever heard it said that way.

FumBluff1 · 19/04/2017 06:52

Never heard it the first way!

Ah-meel-e-ah here

GreenFox17 · 19/04/2017 06:57

My baby cousin is called Amelia.

Ah-me-lee-ah

Sometimes shortened to Me-Leah

coconuttella · 19/04/2017 06:58

2nd way is the only way I've ever heard it.

Chottie · 19/04/2017 07:13

2nd way here (South East)

SingaSong12 · 19/04/2017 07:19

I pronounce it the second way, haven't heard yours before.