How would you pronounce Joel?

[aliphil]

DH and I are thinking of Joel for a boy (we don't know yet what we're having). I have always pronounced it JO-ul, i.e. two syllables. But it came up in one of the readings at church last Sunday, and the reader pronounced it Jole, which I don't like as much. Anyone know which of these is the standard pronunciation?

Jole here!

This is top choice for DC2 due in August.

A friend is called Joel and he loves it, but says sometimes as a teen he got teased and called Joleen

Btw, I live in Northern Ireland and it's pronounced Jole here too.

Joel rhyming with sole.

The only other variation I've known is a female Joelle.

Jo-ul, I'm Scottish...

Though to be fair, I say sole a bit like that as well, lol

I pronounce it jole. It's a lovely name.

DH is Joel. It rhymes with soul, goal, and mole.

I'm northern and I'd say Jo-ul. I also say owull and med I cine :-)

There you go...MsPontine has backed my theory up!

A real northerner often says "Mowul" for Mole and Sowul for soul...etc...

Jo-ul

Joel is an excellent name IMO.

Actually thinking about it - I'm not northern I'm Midlands which is .. well ... in the middle!!

But don't people class as north anything above London which is pretty much 3/4 of the country

Sorry.. I digress!!

North is anything above Stoke.

DS2 was almost Joel, but we decided on Samuel instead. I think he would have suited either as he is so easy going and quite honestly he would suit most names.

Is that Sam-yule or Sam -yu-ul?

Sam

I thought Jo-el like in Billy Joel.

Agree it's Jole in the south, Jo-ul in the north!

I'm in the north Step and I say Jole.

Jo-ul (SE Wales)

I know two Joel's. One Jo-le one Jo-el. Lovely name.

jole sole vole in a hole