How would you pronounce Zana ?

[RoseApp]

My friend assumed people would pronounce her child’s name Zana like Zah-nah as in Suzanna but several people have pronounced it as Zar-na

You don't pronounce the R in cart though! That's the whole point. 🤣

“Zahna”
”Zanna”
”Zayna”
”Cockwomble”

The sound ISN'T ar!!!

To me, both of your examples - Zah-nah as in Suzanna and Zar-na - seem like the same pronunciation of the vowel but with a rhotic vs. a non-rhotic accent. Someone hearing you say "Zah-nah" may repeat "Zahr-nah" and think they are saying it exactly as you asked.

Zay-nah or Zey-na (roughly rhyming with Dana or Reyna) is a different vowel sound, but not illogical from the spelling. It's not a particularly common name in English and there are different cultural-lingusitic-national origins of the same name with different pronunciations, so she may just have to correct people re how her daughter's name is pronounced. Personally, though, I would say "Zah-nah" (unless told otherwise); I've mainly seen it used as shortening of Suzana/Zuzana in various Balkan languages.

No because some people will say this as zah-na and some people will say this as zar-na.

just za-na can be interpreted different ways depending on where you’re from. That’s what this whole thread is about.

It is to me. Maybe it’s not to you, but, as it’s my bloody accent, it is to me. You can’t dictate my own accent to me.

What?
Of course the r is pronounced in cart.

ar is a spelling feature in English that represents a long a. It just is.
You acknowledged that it's a convention that is reflected in your own accent. So why are you insisting it's "wrong".
Cart is not pronounced cat with an r in any accent I know. I'm willing to accept there may be some but I can't think of any.

Not by non-rhotic speakers though, which I'm pretty sure @CellophaneFlower is given her post.

I swear, I am going to bed now.

Oh dear god. It isn’t pronounced in non-rhotic accents WHICH IS MOST OF ENGLAND

I can tell you that there is no r present in the word Zana, because there literally isn't. You can choose to add one if you like, but it's incorrect to then suggest everyone should also be saying Zarna because you do.
It"s Za na, not ZaR na.
How were you taught to pronounce a?

The whole thread is because somebody doesn't know how to pronounce it so it's obviously not that clear?

It really just seems to be you that's confused? Other people have said they don't pronounce bath etc the same but they still know full well what is meant by the r. You have just added the confusion. Had you not posted at all, I'm pretty sure the OP would have had their answer and this thread wouldn't be 15 pages long, filled with your pettiness.

Most of where?
Are we excluding Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland? Why?

R is not pronounced the same all over the UK, it adds confusion.

But my name doesn’t have an r in it and is pronounced with the ar sound, so you telling me my own name is wrong? My friend Jana pronounces it with an ar sound, is she wrong too? These are our names, we pronounce them correctly and if you pronounced my name without the ar sound I would correct you and expect you to accept that, in the same way if I met someone called Zana and I pronouncemd it with the ar sound and that was wrong I’d expect them to correct me and I’d accept it.

Not everyone speaks like you!!! Accents and dialects exist! It’s part of the amazing fabric of life. How are you still not getting this? The world isn’t according to YOU

Google states most of the UK. As I've already stated.

It's not an ar sound. It's a long vowel, and you happen to pronounce ar in the same way.

Some dialects not pronouncing it, and them being used to dominating, doesn't mean it's correct.

Seriously dude, I agree with you about R being a poor choice to denote the sound. You're not helping yourself.

If it's a long vowel there should not be an r sound. R is not universally pronounced and is actually a consonant.

I'm not a dude.
I'm making a valid point.

Yes? This is exactly what I’ve been explaining? Over and over again?

That that is how I pronounce it due to my accent and others don’t because their accent differs. I have already stated that i don’t roll or accentuate the r. I even tried other variants but aA and ah aren’t it.

I don't pronounce r as a long vowel.

It's incorrect to assume this applies to anything other than your dialect over and over and over again.

People keep referring to England though. There's more to the UK than England.