To wonder why people can’t say my name

[Rowennanotrowena]

I am resigned to being Rowena is written correspondence. But why is it when I say ‘my name is Rowenna’ people keep saying Rowena? The two names look similar written down but sound very different so I’m not sure why people get it wrong. And AIBU to find it really irritating?

Why not start spelling it phonetically?

I'd go for Ro-When-ah but that's cos I'm in Cornwall & I've friends with similar names.

I read it as Ro- ENN - ah but I'm used to Welsh names where E is usually pronounced 'eh' not 'ee' (Gwenno, Alwenna, Cerys etc)

Everyone is talking about the spelling but op specifically said it annoys her more in speech, when she has said row-enn-a and people still come out with ro-wee-na.

I think some people don't pay enough attention and just assume it's what they know. Some can't hear the difference (though it seems unlikely in your case) and some just can't get their brain and tongue to click together. I have the last problem with the name Oighrig - I get in a mess every time I try to say it, it just won't stick. My mum, on the other hand, seemed to have the first problem with a good friend of hers. She called her Julia for years although her name was Julie. Obviously her friend never corrected her but she would have heard others call Julie by her name but she never heard the difference.

Perhaps you could offer the abbreviated name ˋWennˋ. We have the name Rhiannon in our family which is invariably pronounced Ree-ANN-un but is meant to be Ree-ANN-on. To counter this she said , I’m Rhiannon, or just call me Non and it did work.

I have a name that could be pronounced two different ways. I don’t love it when people get it wrong, but I know I’ve fudged up other people’s name pronunciations, too. It’s not something that I give much thought to. Be polite and say “actually I know it looks similar to Roweeeena, but it’s Rowennna”.

My friend has a daughter whose name I kept getting wrong - I had mentally to do a pneumonic so I’d fix in my brain. People don’t want to get it wrong, if you correct them nicely they’ll try.

I don't know anyone with either name but I would gather from the double n

Rowenna - Row-enn-ah
Rowena - Row-ee-nah

People can never say or spell my name either, it's really annoying as it's a traditional/classic name spelled the traditional way. I've given up correcting people unless it's for an important form.

No clue how to pronounce either version 💁🏽‍♀️

I'd have said 'Row-AY-na', but not a single other person has pronounced it that way in the thread

That being said, if you'd introduced yourself to me, I'd have listened to how you said your name and I'd copy.

Your name is nice.

I reckon people either don't register the double N or don't understand what it means. The number of times I've seen 'dining' spelt 'dinning' points to that.

Many of us DO care about language!

Rowenna sounds lovely, is it Cornish?

I'd just have to have 'it's Rowenna' with a smile, and an assertive tone, on repeat.

(And maybe if I'm being passive aggressive, deliberately mispronounce their name in return)

The point isn’t about how people
assume it’s pronounced when written down. The OP’s point was when she tells people her name they reflect it back to her with a different pronunciation from what she said. Which is either downright rude or indicates they didn’t catch the difference. If I mispronounced someone’s name I’d like them to correct me, although it must get really old correcting people all the time.

I'd introduce myself as 'Rowenna with two Ns' to help people remember

I know a Rowena (ee pronunciation.) I’ve never seen Rowenna or heard of it.

Sorry I have no idea how to pronounce Rowenna. I would have assumed it was an alternative spelling of Rowena.

“I am resigned to being Rowena is written correspondence”

Well there’s your answer 🤷🏻‍♀️
People mistake Rowenna for Rowena. Because it’s far less common. Even my phone autocorrects. So the brain “reads” Rowena.
Sure, it’s annoying - but it’s obvious why.
Blame your parents.

YANBU. It's utter rudeness to mispronounce (and continue to mispronounce) someone's name, especially when they've been corrected.

You have two options - either correct then every time or ignore them if they say the wrong name, and when they pull you up on it, say you didn't think they were talking to you as that's not your name. 🤷🏼‍♀️

This is a revelation. I was taught in the 70s, English grammar was non existent and I still don't know the rules apart from some I've picked up over the years. This was the first time I'd heard of the short vowel and double consonant.

Now that would help

I have great trouble remembering sounds and for every grammar rule I can find exceptions but that would be useful

Of course your situation isn’t helped by the explosion in “different” spellings.
Once, a parent might choose Rowenna because they wanted the “WHEN” e, and the “nn” made it happen.
These days, parents might double the n to be “unique” - but still insist it’s Row-EE-na.

I’d say Roh-wen-ah instinctively, however it’s written, so if you have a different pronunciation you’d have to tell me. Im the same about Welsh names, for example I will
always assume Rhys is Rh-uh-ss not Reece.

I see words in my head when I say them, so I’d probably be “seeing” your name without the extra N.
Very pretty name by the way

I’ve never seen it with a double n, I guess many people without their reading glasses on might miss the extra n in written correspondence. But if you say it’s RowENah and they still say RowEEnah, that’s just proof that most people are idiots. I say this as an Oonagh who gets called Yoona by about 50% of people I introduce myself to.

Even if you had been taught grammar, pronunciation has as many exceptions as it has rules. Short vowel / double consonant is something native speakers mostly learn by ear and exposure.

Taken (would you guess Takken differently?)
Happen (would you guess Hapen differently?)

The responses have answered the question I suppose!

I met a Morwenna yesterday and no one called her Morweeena so I did wonder …

And I do understand many weren’t taught grammar - same, it just mystifies me when I clearly say my name and people repeat a different one back at me!