Would you consider this a mispronunciation?

[namechangefornamequestion]

Our DS is named Raphael.

To be honest I've had a lot of name regret. I like the name myself but have been surprised by people's reactions to it - mostly negative and a surprising amount don't seem at all familiar with the name.

About 70% of the time people pronounce it "Raph-ee-el" instead of "Raph-eye-el".

Would you class it as a mispronunciation or is it small enough that its just a slightly different way of saying it?

My DH has come to the conclusion that it's said that way so commonly that's maybe it's just a local accent thing. Eg we are up north and someone called "Claire" would get called "Cluur" and no amount of correcting it is likely to get people making the "air" sound any other way. I don't really think it's the case for Raphael (I am northern, DH is not and I can't think of any other situation where the "eye" sound becomes "ee").

I really don't like the sound of "Raph-ee-el" but I'm starting to think I might be facing the same problem as parents of Naomi's do (Nayomi, Kneeomi, Nighomi) and it's a losing battle.

To anticipate some questions, we do call him "Raphy" for short but I always introduce him as Raphael and the mispronunciation happens before they hear the shortened version.

The mispronunciation happens both when they see it written down and when we introduce him verbally.

It’s a lovely, classic, biblical name. I don’t know what’s so hard about it?! Ignore the thickos who can’t pronounce it.

Definitely a mispronunciation.

I would pronounce it -eye- and I'm surprised so many people are getting it wrong, but if it's as high as 70% then I think DH must be right. It's a shame though.

I’d pronounce it -eye but then I think of ninja turtles. Sorry.

I think it’s a great name and like you say, people will mispronounce all sorts of names so try not to take it personally.

I'd pronounce it Raph-ay-el😳

We have had a similar thing with DD.
Everyone pronounces her name differently and it used to really irritate me.

We mainly use a nickname now but I’ve found that by the time she was about 1 1/2, I completely stopped caring about it, which I never thought I’d say!

Me too

Me too.

I pronounce it how the ninja turtles do 😆

I'd pronounce it Raffa-el

Me three

Thank you. This has been very interesting. I am now wondering if they're actually saying "Raph-ay-el" as I can sort of maybe see how the accent makes it sound like "ee".

I thought I was calling him a name with only one pronunciation but evidently not. Thank you for the input!

It is irritating but I have to admit I’ve found once people ‘decide’ your name is said in a certain way it’s nigh on impossible to divert them. I have people I’ve known for thirty years or more who still call me by a different name to the one I’m christened. It does piss me off tbh, and had me seriously considering changing my name once.

Also I don't at all mind the teenage mutant ninja turtles connection. I think they're pretty cool. If anything I thought people would be more familiar with it from that

I'm slightly playing devil's advocate, but I think there's an argument to say that raf-eye-el itself is a mispronunciation. Where is the 'y' sound coming from? I'd pronounce it ra-fa-el, but I'm probably influenced by the fact that I speak French, German and Spanish, and you wouldn't get a 'y' sound in that name in those languages.

So do I.

Quoted the wrong post. I say Raf-ay-el too.

It’s an Italian name and have you heard of the painter?

Raph-ay-el is what I would say too.

I think it might just be an accent thing. I think most people know it's pronounced raf-aye-el, but it just doesn't always sound like it if your accent makes the aye sound difficult

I'll never forget my Latin teacher drumming into us that "ae" is pronounced like "eye". I don't remember much from my school days, but I do remember that

It’s actually an anglicised version of the Italian name, isn’t it? @LittleBearPad

Not claiming any expertise myself. Looking it up just now, though, it seems like the Italian name is typically spelled in a totally different way, with an f or ff — there are a few variants. It kind of makes sense for the pronunciation of the anglicised spelling used by the OP to be different from Italian.

It will just be the variations in people's accents and how they hear things.
When I said your two versions out loud I can barely hear a difference. I knew a Raphael a few years back and I will be honest I'm not sure which way people said it - because to me the difference is barely noticeable.
I love the name btw - I think it's a very cool name.

I know a child called this and his mum calls him “Rafe-ee-el” with the stress on the Rafe.
i prefer your way!

It must be a regional mispronounciation op because I've never heard anyone pronounce it that way.

I know a rayf-eel. No idea which pronunciation is right, tbh.