How would you pronounce Viola?

[mrselba]

Vee-ola, or Vye- ola? And what do you think is better middle name:

Viola Nancy
Viola Dorothy
Viola Agnes
(realise these might not be to everyone's taste- they are all family names)

Thanking you

Vee-ola. Also think it sounds prettier than Vye-ola.

Viola Agnes is lovely!

Vye-ola - as somebody said she's a Shakespearean heroine (a good one for a strong, intelligent woman) - the other pronounciation is an instrument, certainly.

If the pronunciation is going to worry you don't use the name, as you will be constantly getting annoyed and correcting people - correcting people when they have not pronounced it "wrong" but simply not the way you like it always seems a bit awkward/ ridiculous somehow ...

Just go for Trumpet, or Cello

or stylophone

Vee-ola.

takingiteasy, composhat, thank you for your incredibly useful and stunningly witty comments. Unfortunately,your suggestions aren't actually normally considered 'names', whereas,as noted at least twice here, the 'name' Viola goes back to Shakespearean times,at least. It's a bit like saying to someone calling their child May, or June, "why don't you just call it September". But you know, thanks anyway.

Thank to everyone else for answering- i'm not overly fussed if people get it wrong,there's not a huge difference,just wanted a straw poll of what the most common way would be.

thank you for your incredibly useful and stunningly witty comments. Unfortunately,your suggestions aren't actually normally considered 'names', whereas,as noted at least twice here, the 'name' Viola goes back to Shakespearean times

Christ alight, you are a lot of fun aren't you?

No need to get so riled by a flippant comment. No offence was meant.

Do you really have to be quite so patronising? I am well aware Viola is a character from 12th night, as will most people with a passing interest in English literature. Who died and made you Mary Beard?

Bloody hell. If you're going to get that riled about a few jokes on MN about the fact that the name is an instrument, I strongly advise you don't use the name, as you'll be hearing those kinds of comments a lot...

vye-ola
its lovely
I like it best with Agnes

first thought was vee-ola

but then i did think, or vye-ola

if i met someone with a child called Viola i would pronounce it however they did :)

Vye - ola is how I would pronounce it. Liking Agnes or Nancy. Probably prefer Nancy!