Will this be pronounced wrong alot

[narnia2025]

I know that in America this name is pronounced differently to over here but when I have mentioned it to people they have asked me which way we would pronounce it which has surprised me as I thought it was exclusively pronounced one way here.

The name is Clara.

I want to pronounce it is clarr-ruh and this is the way I love. But I am genuinely worried people will pronounce it Claira which honestly I don't like at all. What do people think?

@LadyChilli , poor, pour and paw sound different where I'm from (I'm not Scottish). Poor said as poo-r is falling out of use.

@SemperIdem , it doesn't matter if it makes sense to you or not, both pronunciations are valid.
I don't understand why people say Alicia as Aleesha or Aliss-i-a,or Evelyn as Evvelyn, but they do.

Tara can be Tare-a to Americans too. But I think you’re safe in England with Clara.

Must admit I’d always thought Mariah was the spelling for ‘black Mariah’ pr. mar-eye-a and that that was a different name from Maria. Have learnt something there.

Claaa-rah
How the hell does Claire sound harsh???

@Flutterbees , I've no idea, it sounds much softer. I think that Clara sounds cold.
@lottiegarbanzo, I think Mariah is from Mariah Carey.

What are you worried about how a name is pronounced in a country you don’t live in You may as well ask how it’s pronounced in Australia or Argentina. I don’t imagine a single name is pronounced identically to the SE England way in every single country on the planet.

Never heard it any other way than KLAH-ra here and I’ve lived in the north, midlands and south.

Because we had a couple people pronounce it or correct the pronoucian. These two people are actually of an older generation which through this thread I now know was the original pronunciation which makes sense. When I looked it up it flagged America being that pn. When choosing a name I think it is normal to think about different things like different pn, initials and nicknames.

It feels harsh to me. I think it's the strong air sound. It's personal preference.

@canklesmctacotits , Because the people in SE England might be from Australia or Argentina.

@Excellentsausages , 99.9% of Claras are pronounced the way you want OP. How do you know?

Going back to 2000, I'd have been surprised that Caitlin was 'Kate-lyn' and Evelyn 'Evvuh-lyn'. I'd only heard Cat-lin, Kotch-leen, Eve-lin and Ev-lin.

I reckon 99% of people in the south east of the UK will say Clara, so the first part rhymes with Star (how south east Englanders pronounce star).

Clara Clayton from Back to the Future (where I first fell in love with the name but alas, I had boys) has her name pronounced with a much shorter, harsher 'a' , the same as in 'clap'.

I don't think you will have much problem, most people will say it how you want it said, there might be slightly different pronunciations throughout the UK depending on how they pronounce their vowels but you are very unlikely to get Claire-ruh (which I agree, that's not half as nice!).

It just goes to show everyone has difference opinions of what sounds harsher. I feel that Clara (the way I pronounce it) feels more natural to say. I also think it's sounds better with our last name and with the middle name we have decided on.

Then you're fine.

I don't like it but am unlikely to ever meet you. I think how natural it feels is down to how you first heard or read it.

Cara is much nicer.

Each ro there own. And you are probably right. I don't think I would have ever chose Claira though. We have talked and there is a couple of names that are both maybes for us so we will see.

I think you are overthinking this OP.

Maybe but I am someone who has a name who can be spelt several different ways and my spelling has two different pronunciation i think maybe I am more aware of how annoying it can be. I definitely find naming kids difficult.

Well by your reasoning every name could be pronounced any which way! 🤦‍♀️

I know a Clara. It’s pronounced Claira but no one realises this. She gets eternally fed up of everyone pronouncing it to rhyme with Tara. So I think you’ll be fine.

Not really but several can sound quite different in different accents.
Leo might be Lee-o or Lay-o, Theo might be Theeo, Tayo or Feeo, Maya might be My-a or May-a, Isla might be Eye-la or Is-la...

Other than Feeo those are valid pronunciations and not made up, but you'd definitely hear Feeo where I am.

We ruled out quite a few names because of how they might sound within the family. Neither me nor the DCs father can say R properly so Rory was out of the question.

No mention of the validity of either pronunciation was made.

Preferences are allowed.

You're right, I don't know for sure, I haven't met every Clara in the country. But I get out a lot and every time I hear the name Clara called in playgrounds/gardens/castles etc, colleagues' kids, school/nursery/playgroup etc - it's always, always the way OP wants.

So much so that if she really liked Clara I really don't think she should let pronunciation fears put her off. I've only met one pronounced Claira who was older than me, must be late forties by now.

I'd actually be willing to bet on the 99.9% figure😂For England anyway.

North east England and I would pronounce its Clara with an AH sound at the end.

I know a Clara who gets called Clare-ah

I know a British Clair-a.

Mariah is a long-established name, resonant of the Victorian era. Black Mariah is a police van for transporting prisoners, originally horse-drawn.

What I learnt from the thread is that Maria used to be pronounced the same way as Mariah, so the two names that I’d thought of as separate, used to be interchangeable.