Madeleine or Madeline?

[Koalafications]

Which spelling is right, or are they both right?

Is Madeleine pronounced Mad-e-line and Madeline pronounced Mad-lynn?

It's French so think about how a French person pronounces it - more like Mad-e-len which I think is a prettier way of saying it.

That's how I say it out loud 33going but I read it as Mad-e-line. No idea why!

Another spelling is Madelaine.

Ah yes, there was a girl at my school called Elaine, and she was a bit mad

The poem is translated from the French though so it's not a great guide to pronunciation. I love that book but it has some dodgy rhymes and scanning because of translation issues.

I call my daughter Mad-uh-Lin and spell her name Madeleine. She, and all her friends, call her Maddie anyway.

I thought everyone would know how to pronounce it now because of Madeleine McCann.

Just to clarify, it's not the Keats poem "Eve of St Agnes" that is translated from French! So that example still stands.

Totally outs self but doesn't care

I have a Madelyn.

There, the awful can't spell spelling! I love it!
She's Maddy to everyone (her choice).

I spelt it like this for two reasons...
ExMil said "Ooohh, Madeliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, I'll never shorten it!",
and my mum has a name with a -lyn spelling.

Plus it's pronounced as it's spelt, and ime Madeline has to be spelt each time (over phone etc) as there's so many spellings anyway.

It's a beautiful name!