How do you pronounce Ophelia?

[HainaultViaNewburyPark]

I've always thought Ophelia was pronounced oh-FEEL-ee-ah

But the new girl in DD's class pronounces her name oh-FILE-ee-ah

Have I been using an incorrect pronunciation?

Uh-feel-yah.

She's wrong, you're right.

Off -eel- ee- ah

Is this kid from Australia or NZ by any chance?

Off Ell Eey Ah

Some people spell and/or pronounce their own names wrong. There is only one way to pronounce Ophelia.

Her accent isn't Australian - she sounds local and she's certainly moved from a local school. Her mother sounds local too. I've not met her father.

I know a woman named Miriam who used to insist on being called Mare-ee-yum, even by her family! I think she didn't really like her name and wanted it to sound like something more like Mary-Anne which was more commonplace at the time. She calls herself the usual pronunciation now though.

Maybe it's something like that?

I knew a Celine who told everyone it was pronounced Saline (in her very fake posh accent). Silly cow didn't realise she was calling herself saltwater.

O-fell-ya

But I don't live in an English-speaking country and that's how it's pronounced here.

Really don't know where somebody would get the "i" sound from as in file.

Off-EEL-ya

You are right

Oh - FEE - lee -a (with emphasis on the 'fee'). In most of continental Europe I think it would be Oh -FAY- lee-a (I've heard that in France and Germany) but oh-file-ya is a totally new one on me

Oh-FEE-le-ah

Oh Failllll yah round here.

I knew a Celine who pronounced her name 'SAY-leen'. ... Ophelia would be O-FEEL-ya around here.

I knew a Celine who pronounced her name 'SAY-leen'. ... Ophelia would be O-FEEL-ya around here.