How would you pronounce Alicia

[ArtOfKnit]

Hi all,

My husband and I are trying to choose baby names as we haven't come up with many options and LO is due next week. My husband's top girls name, which I'm also quite keen on, is Alicia, which we both pronounce as A-Liss-ee-a. However it has dawned on me that some might pronounce it A-lee-sha. Would be great to get some outsider opinions on how others would pronounce it. Thanks in advance!

A-lee-she-a

Not in my accent, Will.

If we're going to start arguing for consistency with other - cia names, we may need to admit Aleechia to go with Lucia.

Think dd will stick with A-liss-ee-a...

There were a few Alicia's in my class when I was growing up, the teacher called all 3 A-lee-sha and 1 always pointed out her name was A-Lee-Sia but it never stuck.

20 years on I still hear her correcting people!

In mine though, Katherina.

Leticia
Felicia
Marcia
Patricia

These ^ all end in "sha" so Alicia would be the same?

Oliversmumsarmy

So how do you spell Al-i-see-a

I thought it was spelled Alyssia.

But friends DD is Alyssia and she is Aleesha not Alisee-a

Traditional English pronunciation (ha - pronunCIAtion!) of Marcia is Marseeya, not Marsha (American).

Annunciation is another CIA word pronounced seeya.

Oliversmumsarmy

Oh my...what a minefield of a name this is

@willrikers suggesting that I'd missed the point (or indeed anyone else has) is patronising.

But friends DD is Alyssia and she is Aleesha not Alisee-a

Then she has got it very wrong indeed!

Growing up in SE England all the Alicias, Lucias, Felicias (granted, onluy one of these) and Marcias I knew were pronounced Alisia, Lusia, Felisia and Marsia. I would consider Aleesha and Marsha to be US pronunciations.

As previous posters have pointed out, there are lots of words where 'ci' is not pronounced 'sh' - annunciation, enunciate, emaciate, associate, glacier, Annunciata, acacia, paramecia.

I'd say "a-lish-a" with a short 'i' sound, neither aleesha or a-liss-i-a"

But it's a known name with known different pronunciations. If you want it, use it. It doesn't hurt to say "my name is Alicia, pronounced a-liss-i-a", and it's a name that people may ask, if they've only seen it written, which way she'd like it to be pronounced because it is commonly pronounced differently. I think it's less of an inconvenience than saying "It's a-liss-I-a but I spell it 'Allyssia'" every time she says her name.

Minefield of a name.

Call her Rita.

I've taught two girls called Alicia, both pronounced Al-EE-see-a. Both are now around 18 yrs old.

The pronunciation of Alicia as Al-EE-sha is from the USA.

I've just watched a bunch of interview introductions on YouTube of Alicia Silverstone (because I am apparently over invested in the pronunciation of Alicia!) and there was A-liss-ee-a, a-leesh-ee-a and a-lees-ee-a said so it seems there isn't even a set American pronunciation.

A-lee-sha

I find the other way to be quite hissy on the ears.

As previous posters have pointed out, there are lots of words where 'ci' is not pronounced 'sh' - annunciation, enunciate, emaciate, associate, glacier, Annunciata, acacia, paramecia.

In Aus, glacier is pronounced glay-sher, associate is either pronounced asso-SEE-at or asso-SHEE-at (depends on where you are/your education, generally) and acacia is pronounced ah-kay-sha.

In Aus, glacier is pronounced glay-sher, associate is either pronounced asso-SEE-at or asso-SHEE-at (depends on where you are/your education, generally)

That's interesting. What's the regional/class difference with that one - who says asso-SHEE-at? Thinking about it, there may well be a north/south divide here on Alicia/Felicia etc.

(Fox's Glacier Mints wouldn't have quite the same rhythm in Australia, would they?)

It is my sisters name and for her it has always been a-liss-ee-a and she is 35 now. Hates it said any other way and practically evil stares people down if they say it incorrectly.
She was named after the ballet dancer Alicia Markova who's name is pronounced that way so it kind of stuck.

glacier doesn't have cia in it though... I know, I know... soooo petty.

That's interesting. What's the regional/class difference with that one - who says asso-SHEE-at? Thinking about it, there may well be a north/south divide here on Alicia/Felicia etc.

You'd here "shee" more in states outside of NSW and Victoria, and likely from people who were educated in state schools. It's a dialect thing, like many other words, phrases etc!

Glacial does.

Alyssia here