How would you pronounce this baby name?

[MondaysFunday]

If you saw the name Mariana written down with no context provided, how would you pronounce it? DH and I completely disagree on the pronunciation, and we both think we’re right. I reckon there’s also the possibility that we’re both wrong.

1. Mar-ee-on-ah
2. Mar-ee-ann-ah
3. Mary-on-ah
4. Mary-ann-ah

I can’t understand how ahh and on sound the same either.

ahh na
on a.

Marri - ahh-na is how I would say it. It’s a long ahh sound
Marri- on-a sounds very different, it’s a short ‘on’

Marry - Arna

I believe I’d go with #3. It’s like mary-awn-ah (pronounced like fauna and Shauna).

I can’t begin to imagine how they sound the same.

on-ah is how the name Honor is said.

ah-na is how the Ana in frozen is said.

Marry-AHna

This isn’t helping me much. Those sound the exact same when I say them.

2

Mari- ar- na

Are you American? I couldn’t for the life of me work out how you could think On and Ahhn or Arn sounded remotely similar until I put on an American accent and said On 🤣

if you are British they are two completely different sounds.

2

Are you American? Say them like an English aristocrat would say them and you’ll get it.

On na and ah na sound totally different when I say them

Agree with this and the many others who have said the same. I know two Marijanas / Marianas and both pronounce Mary-arna

This is exactly as I’m imagining it.

Im British and would pronounce it number 2 (mar ee ann ah) but have family in Portugal where one of the neighbours is called Mariana and locals pronounce it mariah-nah which is different from the 4 options you shared.

EDIT: Actually said it out loud and sounds more like marry-arna in my northern accent.

I'm now thinking of that song 'Mary on a, Mary on a cross'. I only recently found out what the lyrics actually are as I hear Marry-ah-na (as per the name of the deep sea Trench) and couldn't understand what it meant, but I guess that's an example of on and ahn sounding the same in some accents.

They're different in my accent. I don't know if this helps, but for me it's the same vowel sound as La in 'do ray me far so LA te do.' Does anyone sing 'Lo' instead?

Mar (as in car) ri (as in rich) ARE (as in arm) nuh.
Mar-ri-ARE-nuh

Dave

But one starts with an a sound and one starts with an o sound? They’re different letters.

This. Like the trench.

Marry-anna

I’m British. They sound the same to me.

To answer the question, I think 1 is the proper pronunciation. I don’t think this name is meant to begin with Mary.

This.
Like the trench.

Mary-ann-ah

How does on sound like arn? Genuinely confused about that. You surely don’t pronounce Madonna’s name as Madarna?? Anyway, like most PP I would use arna pronunciation.