How do you pronounce Raphael?

[ShowOfHands]

As per the title. How do you pronounce it? Where do you put the stress?

Can we do that with all X names?

ex-ander?

I blame the X-Men frankly.

I should probably just be grateful they don't pronounce it ex-raffy-el.

It it just the staff that are getting his name wrong? Surely many of the other 4 year old boys have come across Turtles, although I don't think it's the same as it used to be and the Turtles get their names shortened (Raph, Leo, Mikey and Don iirc).

Raphael = Ra-fa-EL

Xavier = have-ee-air (although in Catalan it is chav-ee-air, shortened to Chavi, makes me laugh!).

I went to school with a Xanthe = zan-thee.

Having to pronounce your name is a life-long ballache. My surname is hard to pronounce correctly, even though fairly common (Irish). DH suggested changing it to his when we married, just to end the tedium, and I would have if it wasn't a rather stereotypical German surname (think foxy Alan Rickman's character in Die Hard). I could barely say 'no' for giggling!

He's the oldest in the preschool (born Sept 3rd) and most of the other children aren't aware of the turtles I don't think. He has a good friend there who is a fan but you're right, calls him 'Raph' and they do call the other turtles by their nicknames when they play ninja turtles based games.

I think the children just repeat what they've heard the staff say.

I'm not worried about it. DS gets a bit cross but in that exasperated, tiny octogenarian type way. All folded arms and "honestly people these days".

I like it but goodness it's getting very popular in north London

Ohhhh Die Hard. So Christmassy.

Alan Rickman's great in it. Very German name though, you're right

People always say my name wrong. It's a Beach Boys song and to me, it's obvious but I've heard all sorts.

I just never thought Raphael would be a problem.

I think I have a girl-crush; not only is your username my favourite band, our preschoolers share a name

In my case, we shorten to Rafa. Bloody Preschool seem to think that's pronounced Raffy. Erm, no,totally different names and ds clearly refers to himself as the former. Unfortunately he wasn't totally verbal when he started and it feels too late a year in to correct them!

Ooh we could form a mutual appreciation society based on folk music giants and excellent preschooler names.

We call ds Rafa or Raffy or Roo or BothShoesFFSWe'reRidiculouslyLateAndNoYouCan'tHaveJamToastRightNow or BuggerLugs or Oi. He answers to any of them.

My 4 year old gets cross when people put a glottal stop in her name (is it a glottal stop when people don't pronounce their Ts?)

Glo'ul stops.

BuggerLugs

I'm sure someone would mispronounce that, too. Boo-joo-lugs or somesuch!

Are you oop North OP? I can easily imagine Raffy-El in my home accent where even tho I grew up with ninja turtles, the enunciation just doesn't support Raf-ay-el

I am not Oop North though I am an Oop Norther by birth. I live in Norfolk.

BuggerLugs is pronounced Boo-joo-lugs isn't it?

RAH-fye-ell. The others seem totally wrong to me ( I guess I've never heard them)

RAFE-ee-ell. Emphasis on the first syllable.

I am Very Southern, as is the member of staff at ds's preschool who says Raffy-ell

And surely everyone knows its pronounced beaujolaiges

I have one friend who says Raffy-ell but she's Scottish and it's said in a very broad Glaswegian accent and sounds quite lovely.

I knew I should have called him Bob.

We have a Raphaella. Raf-eye-ella. Quite a few people pronounce it Rafi-ella though.

Raff - eye - ell

Are a lot of the staff from outside the UK? They might be pronouncing it the way it's said in their countries.

It's still worth pointing out that Raff-Eye-ELL is the pronunciation you use and that's not unusual in England. Not to correct them, but to stop other people correcting him. My daughter has a name that is very well-known in English and always has the emphasis on the final syllable. I didn't mind people pronouncing it differently but I did find it odd when they corrected me on the pronunciation.

Raff eye ell.

But it depends on what nationality you are, as it is common to make languages.

Rafa -el is one I have heard, and Raff ay ell.

It is a brilliant name (ds' name).

Staff are all British. All English in fact. Three have Norfolk accents, others are all 'generic southern English' accents.

I had a great uncle called Raphael who was always called Rarf. I never worked out how they got there from Raph-eye-el. He had a son called Ralph.

I have also heard Raph- el.

I'd say Zave-ee-a too but I know know a Polish one who is Zav-yair.

Raphael to me is Raf-ay-el not Raf-eye-el, but tbh I don't think I'd notice the difference if it was spoken fast.