Do you ever change the pronunciation of a characters name?
25
Soubriquet · 28/05/2020 11:39
Because you aren’t keen on how it’s supposed to be?
For example in a book I read, a character is called Celaena. Supposed to be pronounced Se-lay-na
I don’t like that, so I just say Se-leen-a
Lyricallie · 28/05/2020 11:41
All the time. I read mainly fantasy books and in my head I change their name into one I know as it makes reading it easier but doesn't really take away from the story. For example it's Vivenna in the book and I keep thinking Vivienne.
ElizabethMainwaring · 28/05/2020 11:43
When I was about 9 I read a lot of Noel Streatfield.
I said Her- mee-own and Horry -atoo in my head as opposed to Hermione and Horatio.
onemouseplace · 28/05/2020 11:44
Yes, Ged from the Wizard of Earthsea books is pronounced with a hard G according to Ursula Le Guin.
Every other Jed or Ged I know has a soft G, so I find it really difficult to pronounce it any other way!
lazylinguist · 28/05/2020 11:46
No. Correct pronunciation is a big thing for me because I'm a languages teacher. I'm also very particular about pronouncing my pupils' names right, especially if they are foreign or unusual ones! It would really annoy me to be pronouncing a book character's name wrongly, but I'm probably unusually bothered by it because of my profession! I read a lot of fantasy too though, and it's not always clear how some names should be pronounced.
Xylophonics · 28/05/2020 13:07
As a child I pronounced Alicia (from Mallory Towers ) A-liss-ia, my children tell me it's pronounced Aleesha.
rosegoldwatcher · 28/05/2020 16:06
@Xylophonics - your children (if in the UK) are wrong! I have known an Alicia (A-liss-ee-ah) since she was a tot.
The American pronunciation is Aleesha I think - eg Alicia Keys?
Soubriquet · 28/05/2020 16:32
I think it all depends on personal preference too
I would have said Al-ee-sha but Ah-liss-sia works too
Another one in my book is Aedion. I hate thinking Ay-dee-un so I think Ay-dun
thefuriousfuggler · 28/05/2020 16:40
I read a bok as a child and wondered why the main character had such an odd name. It was many years later that I found out that "ghee-off" was not the correct way to pronounce Geoff 
overnightangel · 28/05/2020 16:42
I read the first 4 Harry Potter books saying “Herr-me-own” in my head, I’d never heard the name Hermione in my life (I was 21)
Isadora2007 · 28/05/2020 16:43
Gwendoline was always “Gwen doh lean” to me as a child and Hermione was “Hermay owny” as well...
I still read the word “yacht” as yakt too- and Sean as Seen.
PerspicaciaTick · 28/05/2020 16:45
I don't sound the names when I read silently. I just know that a particular set of letters represents a certain character. Which trips me up when I'm trying to talk to someone about the book and realise that I don't have any clear idea how to say the more unusual names.
thefuriousfuggler · 28/05/2020 16:52
A book, I read a book, not a bok obviously
Lima45 · 28/05/2020 16:53
Off topic but OP you just confirmed that I know exactly what books you're talking about!
In my young brain Alicia was Alec-uh. I was corrected by my teacher and now pronounce it A- liss-sia (year 4 teacher in UK)
CakeCakeCake21 · 28/05/2020 16:58
In my young brain Alicia was Alec-uh Me too!
I pronounced Draco with dra as in dragon, instead of Dray-ko, until the Harry Potter films came out .
Soubriquet · 28/05/2020 16:59
I’m re-reading them for the xth time. Those and court of thorns and roses are my two favourite series
Gutted because the next book for COTAR was supposed to be out in May but it has been postponed
mudpiemaker · 28/05/2020 17:13
Yes because I read fantasy books so no Johns, Peters or Pauls. Sometimes I don't know what the author is aiming for so I just read it the way I want to read it unless I know different.
My two sons and I all read the same book at different times. We read the name of Sonea two different ways, I read it as So knee a but Ds2 read it as Son eeee a.or Sunnier. I still don't know which way it is meant to be read but I still love the books!
I figure unless I am reading it aloud to someone, what does it matter?
Soubriquet · 28/05/2020 17:17
It also annoys me that the surname Ashryver is pronounced Ash-river not ry(to rhyme with why)
Microwaveoven · 28/05/2020 17:18
All the bloody time. I am dyslexic and always look up words I can't read properly but names just get changed to whatever I think they sound like!!
Hermione was always Her-Mon. 😂
Lima45 · 28/05/2020 17:34
Most of the time now if I'm having trouble I get the audiobook.
So I know that Sonea is So-knee-ah due to that.
Sometimes this backfires though. I'm sure some narrators make up pronunciations as they go along.
Love most of the books referenced by various pps on this thread ♥️
Lima45 · 28/05/2020 17:35
Also very relieved that I'm not the only one who got Alec-uh for Alicia lol
ArtichokeAardvark · 28/05/2020 17:38
OP I love that series too and definitely read her name as Suh-lee-na!
I however have no idea how Fayre should be pronounced. I say Fair, but is it Fay-ruh? Fay-ree?
Soubriquet · 28/05/2020 17:45
It’s supposed to be Fey-ruh
I just say Fey-er
CakeCakeCake21 · 29/05/2020 10:44
I have thought of another one actually - Professor Bhaer in Good Wives/ Little Men/ Jo's Boys. He is always Professor Bay-er to me, and it only occured to me in my 40s that it is supposed to be pronounced "bear", hence the hilarity of Jo calling herself "Mother Bhaer" and her son "Teddy Bhaer."
CakeCakeCake21 · 29/05/2020 10:45
Jo would have got short shrift on the Baby Names board for saddling her youngest with that name, even if it is short for Theodore.
PorpentiaScamander · 29/05/2020 10:49
Felicity will forever be Flick-uh-tee to me
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.