How would YOU pronounce Aurelia?

[NauseousKitty]

I think it is Aw-ray-lia but mentioned it a friend who said Aw-ree-lia. Just curious...

[NearTheWindymill]

Aureeleah I think. I know one and I think that's how her parents say it. With the Aur pronounced as in Aura with a slight Oureeleah emphasis.

[RiverTam]

Au-ree-lee-ah

I think this is all a bit post-Gladiator - I studied Latin and classics at A level and Ancient History at uni and until Gladiator I had never heard Marcus Aurelius (Au-ree-lee-us) pronounced the way they do it that film (Au-ray-lee-us, or even Au-rell-us sometimes).

It could be how Spain pronounces it - I know they pronounce Ophelia (O-fee-lee-a) O-fay-lee-a.

[TheLastThneed]

Your friend's way...

[DebbieOfMaddox]

I know two, one who pronounces it Or-EE-lee-ah and one who pronounces it Ow-RAY-lee-ah. I have also heard Or-AY-lee-ah and Ow-REE-lee-ah so I suspect that the Aurelias of this UK need to be prepared to answer to any vaguely plausible-sounding nama.

[serin]

See, I'm from oop North.

I'd probably say

R' Alia

[serin]

R' even

R' Elia

[Jenda]

I came across this name in Love Actually and she pronounces it Aw Ray Lia , like you said. So pretty

[LaCerbiatta]

Sorry, but in love actually it's not Aw Ray Lia at all. It's Ow reh lia. The eh is the same as in 'fed'.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Or-ree-lee-ah

[SoFetch]

Orr-ay-lee-ah. I love that name.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Oh added an r at random.

I meant - Or-ee-lee-ah

I think the pronunciation is strongly accent based. It does interest me that Aurelius is always Or-ree-lee-us (except in Hollywood films not exactly famed for their accuracy) but there is much debate about Aurelia.

Being Welsh, Aur will always be an Or sound to me.

[beershuffle]

Maureen you are simply wrong to be so definite, there are at least two equally proper pronounciations.
Or-ray-lee-ah is a perfectly authentic way to say it.

Youre not so arrogant as to tell large numbers of people they cant pronounce their own names properly, are you?

[Alisvolatpropiis]

To be fair beer there are people who can't pronounce their own names properly. Anglo -Phonetic pronunciations of Gaelic names being a classic exam

[Alisvolatpropiis]

*example.

Fgs why must my iPhone sabotage me?!

[beershuffle]

That is true, the tendency to mangle lovely names is strong in the uk!

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Even stronger in the US.

Met my own real life See-oh-ban in Orlando a couple of years ago.

The pronunciation differences with Aurelia are significantly less pronounced, it is clearly the same name.

Accents are interesting.

Bonnie for example - I would say Bon-ee. Someone with a strong Yorkshire accent would sound like they were saying Bon-uh to my ears.

[beershuffle]

Oh my, Seeoban is hideous!

I did meet a woman who introduced herself as Sierra (see-air-ah), whoo then wrote it down.....CIARA. I just looked at her like: are you on glue?

[AwfulMaureen]

My DH (Aussie) knows a See-oh-bahn. Bless them.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

There's an American r'n'b singer who spells and pronounces her exactly like that beer! I was about 13 when she first arrived on the music scene and distinctly recall thinking "WTAF"

[SoFetch]

Alis I've always pronounced her name See-arr-ah. I thought the "air" was an American accent thing!

[Alisvolatpropiis]

It should be Key-ra though So. Like the Anglicised spelling, Keira.

[beershuffle]

Id say its keer-ah but thats probably just accent.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

No you're right beer, I've just said it aloud. We would say it the same.

Given my predisposition for phonetics, Key-ra was a rubbish attempt at explaining how I said it!

[squoosh]

I agree with RiverTam, I learnt Latin at school and we were always taught about Marcus Awe-ree-lius.

I would pronounce Aurelia as Awe-ree-lia.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Squoosh how is Awe said?

Or and awe (as in, in awe of someone) sound the same to me. It may well be my accent.