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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Dahlia - pronunciation??

85 replies

DueJune16 · 17/04/2016 16:28

Hi,

We really like the name Dahlia if we have a girl, just a bit stuck on the correct pronunciation!
I thought it was pronounced Day-lia, hubby thinks Dhal-ia.
I really like both but just wanted opinions on how other people would pronounce the name.

Thanks everyone!

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RedMake88 · 30/04/2022 14:09

Bizarrely as a name I’d say Dar-lia and as a flower day-lia! Don’t know why!

Joystir59 · 30/04/2022 14:10

Day-lia, marvellous flowers!

Alwayshoovering · 30/04/2022 14:42

I've only ever heard it pronounced
Dar-Lee -Uh
I was unaware anyone pronounced it Day Lee Uh but just go with whatever you like.

On a side note google translate has it pronounced both ways so must be one-off those names that is quite interchangeable on pronunciation.

Alwayshoovering · 30/04/2022 14:46

Oh that's annoying, just realised someone decided to resurrect an old thread with a nonsense post about UK and US pronunciation of the name.
FYI to that poster the difference in pronunciation is not US UK thing.

Revolut · 30/04/2022 14:49

The flowers are named after the botanist Anders Dahl and pronounced dah-lee-a.

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 30/04/2022 14:54

Alwayshoovering · 30/04/2022 14:46

Oh that's annoying, just realised someone decided to resurrect an old thread with a nonsense post about UK and US pronunciation of the name.
FYI to that poster the difference in pronunciation is not US UK thing.

Disagree. I've only heard it as day-lia in the UK, as in Aunt Dahlia of PG Wodehouse fame. But Americans pronounce is as dahl-ia. As in the Black Dahlia.

pinklavenders · 30/04/2022 15:06

I've only ever heard Dahlia pronounced Dah-lia

Never heard Dah pronounced Day..?!

KirstenBlest · 30/04/2022 15:08

Revolut · 30/04/2022 14:49

The flowers are named after the botanist Anders Dahl and pronounced dah-lee-a.

The flower is named after a botanist called Dahl, but in the UK the flower is pronounced Day-lia

Similarly, Fuschia is pronounced Fewsha

KirstenBlest · 30/04/2022 15:08

sorry, it's Fuchsia not what I typed

barneymcgroo · 30/04/2022 15:09

To rhyme with Australia, is how I always had it. My mum knows a rude Limerick where the two rhyme... 😳

StageRage · 30/04/2022 15:11

Lived all over the UK, never heard anything but daylia, and if I saw it as a name that is what I would say.

StageRage · 30/04/2022 15:15

Aaaargh ZOMBIE!

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 30/04/2022 15:16

pinklavenders · 30/04/2022 15:06

I've only ever heard Dahlia pronounced Dah-lia

Never heard Dah pronounced Day..?!

05.30

'Aunt Dahlia. What ho, old blood relation'.

Weepingwillows12 · 30/04/2022 15:20

The flower is day lia to me but the only name I have heard like it was pronounced dah Lia so I would be unsure and probably check pronunciation with them if I met them.

pinklavenders · 30/04/2022 17:41

How does Dah become Day?!

PurpleFlower1983 · 30/04/2022 21:28

Day-lia here!

Lovely name! It was in our top 5 before we got pregnant but when I was in my first trimester we had some huge dahlias growing in the garden in the July heatwave of 2018. I had awful sickness and now can’t think about them without feeling sick!

SonicWomb · 30/04/2022 21:29

DAY-LIA because I know the flower. DAH-LIA if I’d never heard of the flower.

RuthW · 30/04/2022 23:18

Dar - leah for me not Day- leah

mathanxiety · 30/04/2022 23:25

Dayl-ya here.

Southside Dublin accent.

liveforsummer · 01/05/2022 06:33

I'm in Scotland and would say Dah li ah (we pronounce our r'a here so certainly not Dar li ah.

KatherineJaneway · 01/05/2022 06:35

I'd pronounce it Dar Lee a

liveforsummer · 01/05/2022 06:37

Oh god, another zombie - where are these all coming from? Need to learn to check. Dc will be a lot 6 now. Was it a girl OP? What name/pronounciation did you go with? 😆

urbanbuddha · 01/05/2022 06:49

The little one I know is called Dah-lee-ah. Don't know how it's spelt though.

WithANameLikeDaniCalifornia · 01/05/2022 19:42

I pronounce it Dhal-ia

Bellex · 03/05/2022 23:05

My friends daughter is 3 and they pronounce it Dar ee lea, a lot of people mispronunce it the other way