Names that look lovely on paper but not so good when said out loud

[rumtumtugger]

Like Sunday Rose or Harper Seven, or Biba, or Ophelia....

Just trying to figure out what to avoid for dc2!

Tell me about it

I had to shorten it considerably as a kid so I could spell my own name.

(love it now though...was just rough when I was a wee bairn)!

Oh god yes - Grainne - looks so so pretty written down, I imagined rippling fields of golden wheat. I was gutted to meet one and discover it was pronounced Gron-ya. I hate the word Groin.

And Anais is very nice to look at but awkward to say.

Well, you're one up on me at least, I still hate my name and found it hard to spell as a child!

I didn't know Grainne was pronounced like that, skink.

LRD you could always pronounce Sophia the old English way, So-fire.

Orchard, how do you pronounce that? Is it similar to Fionnuala? Have never seen that before.

How do you pronounce Anais? Is it an-ay?

Oh, I like that kitten.

I say it 'so-fee-a', but when I was growing up people said 'sphere' (I had a friend called Sophia).

I think Joshua is another one. Looks nice ... doesn't sound so good. Like a wet throat-clearing.

Oh dear re: Fiohnula - that's the name of my... um... well, you get the jist.
Sorry

I think Ethan looks nicer than it sounds, especially when people replace 'th' with 'f', yea gads!

I met a baby last week pronounced 'ser-sha', she/parents were Australian - what would the spelling be? Is it Irish?

Ethan seems very chemical to me. Only 2 whiffs away from methane

I think Seth and Silas are horrid too - pair of hissing snakes.

Saoirse, Conyo. It means 'freedom'.

With you on Ethan!

Aurelia - reminds me of a nipple.

I think Ieuan and Iestyn look lovely written down, but wouldn't necessarily be pronounced correctly (outside Wales).

Ooh good thread!

Loretta
Ilithiya
Eirlys
Amaryllis
Claudette
Perdita

Amy

Because I'm in London and it would be pronounces Ayyymeee

Annabel - similarly because it would become Annabew.

Naomi. Looks absolutely gorgeous written down but so many people say Nay-oh-mee with the emphasis which is awful. My friend Naomi insists on people pronouncing it Neoh-mi with the emphasison the first syllable which is much nicer.

I agree re: Aurora, a lovely name written down but spoken you get the "roar" and also I find it difficult to say the first "r" so it sounds like Awora.

For me, it's Linnet, love the name, love the way it looks, love the bird, love the character in the Children of Green Knowe, but not completely sure about the sound if the second syllable is emphasised not the first.

I love the look of Lene - should be pronounced 'Lay-nah', I think, but it's actually 'Lee-na' ... which rhymes with hyena. So, spoiled for me!

Lene should not be pronounced with an ah ending sound or a na ending sound.

Best I can suggest in Phoenics is Leh- neh I am actually quite horrified by how many sites suggests it should be the ah/na sound ending Lena is a name in its own right and they have very different sounds.

(best childhood friend was Lene and we still have contact)

iwouldgoouttonight Anais is pronounced Ah-nah-ees with the emphasis on the last syllable.

Iona

That's interesting Frick: I have never heard the name pronounced, so have only ever been able to go on what I've read re. phonetic pronunciation in books.

I love Biba!

Ariella to me looks pretty, but then I think 'nipple'.

Agree re Joshua, makes me think 'moist'.

Aíne is another like Grainne, doesn't sound as nice as it looks.

Why does Ariella make you think nipple?!

Oh - Aureole! Gah, you've spoiled it for me now.

Although, Erica always makes me think of a wiry ginger pube. And I have no idea where that association comes from. (Apologies to any Ericas out there - I know the problem is all mine!)

I think your brain is taking you to the downstairs department of Eric Stoltz.