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

it’s the father-bother merger.

anyway, I’d say Mari-ah-na.

What is with all the posters putting an R in the pronunciation of a name randomly?

Mar-ee-arr-na

None of these!

Marry-Anna

Marry Ann a

It’s how it sounds when they say it. “Ah” and “ar” sound the same in some accents.

I would pronounce it like the trench, marree-ah-na

/ˌmæriːˈɑːnə/ in IPA

Mar-ee-ah-na

Like this classic tune from 1980!

None - I’d think Marry-ah-na

(the ah rhymes with car)

But it ends in ana, I’ve never heard anyone insert an R into the name Anna so it seems to be a conscious choice.

So if you say on as in ‘she sat on the chair’, do you pronounce it the sane way as ah as ‘ah, now I understand…’

This, I voted 2 as the closest but I'd say 'arn' rather than 'ann'.

Guilty as charged. Ok, I should have asked why anyone thinks on and ah are the same sound. Do they pronounce Madonna as Madahna?

I'd instinctively say Mar-ee-ann-ah. That's the pronunciation I'd expect if I saw it written down with no other context. I know it can vary depending on the person's background or family, but in the UK I think most people would probably read it that way first. If you choose it, just be prepared that you may occasionally have to correct people, whichever pronunciation you go with.

I think it’s to show the difference between Anna (rhymes with spanner) and ana where the first ‘a’ sound is aa (rhymes with car, in accents where the r is silent).

Non rhotic R in some accents. The r isn't pronounced but changes the vowel sound.

Like the word 'are'. Some pronounce the letter r. Others, like me, say aaah.

Marry Anna

I'm from NI so genuinely don't understand the adding an R thing - I don't understand why people would change Ana to Arna -you can't just change the pronunciation of someone's name

My English friend says my daughters name very differently to us and everyone else I know and it drives me mad but is probably a similar thing to people adding this random R

I don’t think it’s strictly an Americanism. They sound the same in my Irish accent. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes this, none of your options.

Ma(h) ree Anna im from Birmingham i would sound the r in the second syllable not the first

Agree

I voted 2

But there’s no double n, so it’s not that really either

In a Scottish accent I would say Marry-anna. If I were to lengthen that second a at all it would be very subtle and I wouldn’t be saying Marry-aRna as it would sound very wrong. So much of this is going to depend on regional variations as pp have already pointed out.

@Honeyhonayboo it’s just how people speak, not a conscious choice to be contrary!

”Anna” has a double n so not the same thing.

Marr ee are na