How would you pronounce Esme?

[copynpaste]

Would you pronounce it Ez-me

Or would you pronounce it Ez-may

Ez-May is far from new-fangled! It's the original pronunciation!

I know an Esme, and she hates it when people pronounce it ez-may - she reckons it would only be pronounced that way if there was an accent over the E.

Both ways sound lovely to me, but I'd probably choose the accented version given the choice.

Ez-mi

Ez-May

Cor blimey, who’d have thought such controversy would be stirred! I love the passionate debate.

It’s definitely Ez-ME by the way. I have it on official authority (that I just made up).

Ez may

Ez-may

I read somewhere (a while ago!) that Es-me was the usual pronunciation in the UK, particularly in Scotland, and it’s only recently that the Es-may pronunciation has been used. People think it’s the other way around though!

Ez-May

Ez-may, but I’d spell it Esmé.

How to pronounce Esmé

Ez-may

I think I'd default to Ezmee, if I heard of a mainlander with the name.

If I meet someone back home in Guernsey/Jersey, then I'd assume Ezmay. We don't use French names quite as much anymore, but the pronunciations still lean that way.

Ezmee if there's no accent over the E, Ezmay if there is.

Having said that I used to know someone who spelt her child's name Esmee (two Es, no accent) - I would have thought that was a very clear sign that they wanted the Ezmee pronunciation, but no, she was Ezmay and got quite disgruntled if someone got it wrong. So I guess the true answer is to always ask - and then go with what the person wants whether it sounds "right" or not.

It's not one of my top favourite names anyway, but if it was, I probably wouldn't consider using it for a child because of all the different spellings and pronunciations.

I used to know someone who spelt her child's name Esmee (two Es, no accent) - I would have thought that was a very clear sign that they wanted the Ezmee pronunciation, but no, she was Ezmay and got quite disgruntled if someone got it wrong.

Esmé is the masculine spelling

Esmée is feminine spelling

Both pronounced Esmé (meh/may)

My niece is called Esme and we pronounce it Eyes - my 🙂