Xavier: pronunciation

[xavierpron]

Hi, we are thinking of this name for our DS when he is born but I am worried about the pronunciation.

Would you say the "a" in the "zay" bit of "Zayv ee er" as in "wave" or "have"?

Hope that makes sense!

Like have. zav-ee-ay. I know a small one and AFAIK it doesn't get mispronounced.

Would say it as "Zav"

Zavvy ay or Zavvy air would be my normal attempts at pronunciation.

I think you get to choose.
I would say ecks-ZAY-vee-er.

I was going to add: but under no circumstances go with the dreadful "Exs zay vee er"

:o

Ex a ve ar

I got it from my French friend Xenia. Pronounced Ecks en ee a.

ZAY-vier

You and me outside now Soup [grin{

like 'have'

there is an x-ay-v-er in dd's school -I always have a little chuckle

We have a school near us and it is pronounced st francis zay vee yar. (That is also how they pronounce the name of the character on Home and Away!) The French pronounce it zah vee yay

Zayv-yer was how it was pronounced by two little boys with the name at my old primary school.

panzee

I went to uni with a xenia which she pronounced Zen-ya

perhaps it's a regional thing?

Zav ( rymes with wave) ee-ah. Like it but hate it pronounced ex-av-ee-ah.

I know a little ex-zay-vee-er, spelt Xzavier. Soup, I share your pain.

To rhyme with have.

I'm obviously the only one who would have difficulty in not saying hav- ee- ay
The Spanish ( I believe) way on first sight.

Definitely think you can expect it to be " said wrong" what ever way you would like it pronounced until you've filled people in.

My friend is French and he pronounces his name as Sav-yeah, I wonder if the pronunciation depends on which region one is from.

I think they called Professor Xavier (in the X-men film) Prof. Ex-ay-vier so the hard of thinking would know that's where the X came from- surely nobody has ever pronounced the X at the beginning before that? It's just daft. I'd say Zay-vier.

Thea - yes, I would have thought hav-ee-air or hav-ee-ay.

I remember French at junior school with George, Nicole, Brigitte, Xavier and their dog Nero. Our French French teacher pronounced it "Zav-yea". I always think the American pronunciation just sounds weird.

wow - loads of replies - thanks

we have ruled out "ecks ayv ier" which I think is used in the US and the french and spanish pronunciations as we are not french or spanish.

Just wondered if there was a rule about whether it should be "zayv" or "zav".

Seems that there are lots of possible pronunciations...

I always thought it was hav-ee-air

The Spanish would be hav-ee-air (only more ggghhhhh on the h) but spelt Javier. I would say 'Zay-vee-er' as in St Francis Xavier.

If you want the French pronunciation then it's Zav (as in have) ee-ay. English would be Zay-vi-er.

My brother's 'house' at school was St Francis Xavier, and it was pronounced as in the English way as above.

My French cousin's French boyfriend was Xavier, and it was pron. in the French way as above.