Anaïs

[IvyandOlive]

So a friend has decided on this name for her baby girl.

How would you pronounce it?
I've heard it as 'a-niece' or 'ah-na-ees' even by people with that name!
Or I might be totally wrong! Both seem lovely!

Please help

I would say Anne-eye-eece
I think the double dot on the "I" means you say the 'i' sound....like on the ë at the end of Zoë or Chloë makes it say Zo- eee / clow-eee rather than just Zo or Clo.

It’s Ann-Eye-ees as far as I know.

ann-eye-eece. Lovely name. floating is correct about the function of the diaeresis.

Beautiful. I’d say ah-nah-EES.

We would have considered it but were concerned about pronunciation, the diacritic being a pain, and proximity to “anus”

But I do love it!

An eye is

I know an Anais who pronounced it An-ay
It's the only time I've ever heard it so only know that pronunciation I know of

An-ay? Never heard that pronunciation. It's a French name and the ïs definitely pronounced.

Ann-eye-ees

I know two who pronounce theirs Ann-Ay

I would have said Ah-Nay-Iss if I hadn’t been told

Heard an interview with the founder of Aden and Anais brand the other day and she went with Ann-Ay pronunciation (she’s Australian).

One of those names where there’s several versions and you just have to go with what the owner of the name says.

Sorry, missed that yours had double dots! Ignore me

I would say An-Ay

DS has a girl in his class pronounced like that but it's spelt Anis (just asked him). She is his girlfriend apparently haha.

Yes, I've also heard An-ay but 's' in french can be silent? I am no expert as you can tell!

It's french. It's pronounced An-eye-ess.

The perfume was pronounced

Anay anay

It’s a lovely name

Anaïs is a French name and there is only one way to pronounce it: Ahn a ees

NottonightJosepheen yes, I found her after googling the name . Had never known of her before but she was fantastic (from the little I researched).

Will have to look in to her 'erotic literature'

Yes, I've also heard An-ay but 's' in french can be silent?

You're right, OP, and this is the source of the confusion over the name, I think.

The diacritic ( ï ) is vital to the correct pronunciation of the name but it is often left off by English speakers, who write Anais. This isn't a French name, but if it were then French pronunciation conventions would mean that it would be correctly pronounced 'anay'. The diaeresis means that you separate the vowel sounds into two separate syllables, giving an 'eye' and an 'ees' sound.

Be prepared for everyone to pronounce it wrong. Even family.
I prounce it Annayees, but it often comes out as Annays and it still works for the english.

Whoops

The perfume was never meant to be pronounced Anay Anay.

It has always been pronounced An- eye-ees An-eye-ees. It's just the British have always been incapable of pronouncing it correctly despite tv adverts using the correct pronunciation.

Dad is French and he’s always pronounced it An-ay...

I first bought this perfume in France on a school tour and they definitely called it anay anay.

anay