How do you pronounce Viola?

[Noodlesnoodlesnoodles]

Is it Vi-ola or Vee-ola? I much prefer the first...

@Noodlesnoodlesnoodles

Hmmm... I think this thread may be putting me off the name 😂

I imagine she'll thank you for that!

It's definitely the type of name you can only use if you don't care how people say it. Or if you don't mind constant references to musical instruments.

I would guess that in English the name usually refers to the flower, not the instrument, so ‘vy’ is more common than ‘vee’.

Vi - ola like violin. Not vee

Those saying Vi ola? Does that mean Vee (Vinegar) or Vye ((Vile)?

I prefer Vi (ee) ola.

I don't pronounce either of those things as you've said 😆. @Violetlavenders . Vi as in your username violet (V eye I guess)

I'd say Veee O la

I think Violet is a much better name though.

The instrument is pronounced vee-OH-la. Never vye-OH-la.

I would say the name VYE-oh-la but I think it can go several ways, like the name Elena.

Oh now I've said both I've no idea

Named after the flower vyola after the instrument veeola. Assume you want the flower

@LudoTrouble

The instrument is pronounced vee-OH-la. Never vye-OH-la.

I would say the name VYE-oh-la but I think it can go several ways, like the name Elena.

Thank you for making this clear yet again!

This thread is making me irrationally angry with all the people who so confidently pronounce the instrument completely incorrectly. Which is really silly I know!

If I see “Vi-o-la” or “vy-o-la” “like the instrument” one more time I will combust.

For the last time and the love of God...

THE INSTRUMENT IS ALWAYS VEE-O-LA. UNIVERSALLY. IF THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU CALL IT, YOU ARE WRONG.

Think of other musical instruments. Cello. Piano. Flute. Does dialect come into those? No. Calling a Viola a Vy-o-la is the equivalent of saying “well where I come from we say Sello, Pyanoo and Flut to rhyme with slut.”

Vee-OH-la = instrument

I think this thread would put me off the name lol. Though I think the vote seems to be that the girl's name and instrument are pronounced differently.

I wouldn't have known about the instrument but for the girl's name I would have said the "vi" part to rhyme with "eye".

I pronounce the name, the flower and the instrument all as v-eye-OH-la.

@TatianaBis

I’ve played 2 instruments since I was 3 and only very rarely do you hear viola pronounced vye ola by musicians. It’s usually non-musicians.

Agree. I play the vee-ola.

Calling a Viola a Vy-o-la is the equivalent of saying “well where I come from we say Sello, Pyanoo and Flut to rhyme with slut.

Except that I would guess that this is why we don’t say ‘veeolin’.

I’m not suggesting that vyola is the common English pronunciation of the instrument, just that pronunciations change, particularly name pronunciations.

I also think that the name relates to the flower, not the instrument.

@merrymouse

Calling a Viola a Vy-o-la is the equivalent of saying “well where I come from we say Sello, Pyanoo and Flut to rhyme with slut.

Except that I would guess that this is why we don’t say ‘veeolin’.

I’m not suggesting that vyola is the common English pronunciation of the instrument, just that pronunciations change, particularly name pronunciations.

I also think that the name relates to the flower, not the instrument.

I have no issue with the name being pronounced Vy-o-la.

It’s 100 % wrong to call the instrument a Vy-ola. It’s a Vee-OH-la.

Violin. Sigh. I really don’t want to have to get into linguistics but the word Violin was introduced into the English Language prior to the “Great Vowel Shift” hence it being “Vy”. Viola was introduced after the Great Vowel shift and therefore retains it’s Italian pronunciation. In Italian a Violin is “Il Violino” (vee-o-leen-o), the name/character is Violetta (vee-o-lett-a) and so on. In English it’s VY-o-lin and Vee-OH-la. We do have quite a nonsensical language. But the instrument is universally a vee-OH-la.

I know someone called viola - actually pronounced Yolla. She's Welsh

Viola was introduced after the Great Vowel shift and therefore retains it’s Italian pronunciation.

And what was the great vowel shift of not a change in pronunciation?

I've played the vee-ola for 30 years. 'Nuff said! ||{

@rbe78

I would say VIE-o-la for the name, and vee-O-la for the instrument

Me too. I play the viola too.

@FayLivvie

I know someone called viola - actually pronounced Yolla. She's Welsh

That’s interesting pronunciation-letter v doesn’t exist in Welsh!

@merrymouse

Viola was introduced after the Great Vowel shift and therefore retains it’s Italian pronunciation.

And what was the great vowel shift of not a change in pronunciation?

I think that’s massively downplaying the great vowel shift...

The Viola didn’t become very popular in the U.K. until the 18th Century, which is when we start to see British composers including it in orchestrations. The Great Vowel Shift happened between 1400-1700. It’s always been Vee-OH-la. The pronunciation didn’t change. It still hasn’t changed. Musicians call it the Vee-OH-la. Ill informed people incorrectly pronounce it as the VY-oh-la.

Vi- ola. (As in Violet)

Not what you asked but I really like it and considered it before finding out I was having boys.

There is a great scene at the end of Shakespeare in love when Viola (gwyneth p) walks into the sea to sort of become Viola in another play (twelfth night I think)

Vio-la.