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Help[Opinions] Name pronunciation?
I know I have posted many times in the past about the name Javan. It's the name DH and I have decided on. We really like it. And we like this spelling. It's the original spelling.
Looking at the name do you automatically know to pronounce it Jay-ven? That is how it is pronounced. But some people I know tell me it looks like Juh-vawn. And I don't like that. I don't want to have to correct people forever haha. Then I thought about spelling it Jayven. But I just like original spellings better.
Obviously some people will pronounce the name wrong over time. But do you think in general people will know how to pronoune the name? When I first seen this name I pronounced it correctly. Then in the BtN database it tells you how it is pronounced as well. But I just thought it was a given people would know how to pronunce it.
So when you seen Javan. Does it look more like jay-ven or juh-vawn? I understand that location has a big part in how to say a name. I guess I am just hoping the people around me would get it right lol. I don't want the name I chose to be a pain haha. Thanks!
Looking at the name do you automatically know to pronounce it Jay-ven? That is how it is pronounced. But some people I know tell me it looks like Juh-vawn. And I don't like that. I don't want to have to correct people forever haha. Then I thought about spelling it Jayven. But I just like original spellings better.
Obviously some people will pronounce the name wrong over time. But do you think in general people will know how to pronoune the name? When I first seen this name I pronounced it correctly. Then in the BtN database it tells you how it is pronounced as well. But I just thought it was a given people would know how to pronunce it.
So when you seen Javan. Does it look more like jay-ven or juh-vawn? I understand that location has a big part in how to say a name. I guess I am just hoping the people around me would get it right lol. I don't want the name I chose to be a pain haha. Thanks!
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Replies
I would say Jay-ven. The Jah-ven pronounciation never crossed my mind.
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I say JAY-vin, but mostly because I have a friend named Javan who spells it and pronounces it the same way. Sometimes people call him jah-VAWN, but mostly he gets called JAY-vin. I like it a lot. I say go with the name because it's something you love. If you have to correct people sometimes, it's not the end of the world. My name is Brynn and I often get called Bryan or Breanne, but I just correct them and people are usually good about remembering (and apologizing! :) ). It hasn't been too damaging :)
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Honestly, I've said JAH-van for years and just realized that is wrong. My sister even looked at it and said, "JAH-van?"
I think it's because it looks like the word "java."
My mom thought it was pronounced "JAV-an."
None of us came up with JAY-ven.
I knew the origin and meaning, but not the correct pronunciation.
Not trying to let you down, just letting you know it's not as easy as you may be hoping.
I think it's because it looks like the word "java."
My mom thought it was pronounced "JAV-an."
None of us came up with JAY-ven.
I knew the origin and meaning, but not the correct pronunciation.
Not trying to let you down, just letting you know it's not as easy as you may be hoping.
This message was edited 4/21/2010, 2:04 PM
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I would instinctively say JAY ven; juh VAWN makes no sense to me at all.
Would it help to spell it Javen? Then it could really only rhyme with Raven! And since Hebrew vowels needn't be written, you've got a certain amount of wiggle room for substitutions.
Would it help to spell it Javen? Then it could really only rhyme with Raven! And since Hebrew vowels needn't be written, you've got a certain amount of wiggle room for substitutions.
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actually
Jav-in
Like a harsh av
Jav-in
Like a harsh av
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I think the best way of writing how I would automatically pronounce the name is JAR-ven. That's what I thought it would be first, until I looked further into it and realized I was totally wrong!
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Sorry, but I'd pronounce it like the adjective JAH-vahn (from Java). Since it's a word name I think there will be some confusion, but people who know him will know after they hear it the first time. And I guess Jaden and the gang might help with the jay pronunciation.
This message was edited 4/20/2010, 1:29 PM
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I read it as Jah-van.
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I immediately thought juh-VAHN.
People who you know, however, will only need to be corrected once or twice when they first meet your child.
After that, you have to realize that strangers will mispronounce your baby's name. You have to decide if that's a big enough reason to use a different name.
People who you know, however, will only need to be corrected once or twice when they first meet your child.
After that, you have to realize that strangers will mispronounce your baby's name. You have to decide if that's a big enough reason to use a different name.
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I would pronounce it JAH-van.
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sorry, double post.
This message was edited 4/20/2010, 10:40 AM
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Actually, when I saw it, my impulse was to day it like javelin(the spear-thing that you throw in Olympic competition.), without the "l"However, now I know! It's good name, not at all overused.
If it's any help, my husband, who is from the Middle East, has a name which, though common there, isn't, in our small Canadian town. And at first people wondered how to say it. But now they know how, and he has no difficulity.
Many more people will hear your son's name, than see it written. Don't worry. you have chosen well.
If it's any help, my husband, who is from the Middle East, has a name which, though common there, isn't, in our small Canadian town. And at first people wondered how to say it. But now they know how, and he has no difficulity.
Many more people will hear your son's name, than see it written. Don't worry. you have chosen well.
This message was edited 4/20/2010, 10:38 AM
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It looks like ja-VON to me. Javen seems like a better spelling for the pronunciation you want. I don't have a problem saying JAY-ven once you point out that's what you want, though.
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i would probably guess Jah-Van, as in a person from Java, but i also wouldnt alter the spelling for the sake of pronunciation. Javan just looks better than Jayven, and i dont think having to occassionally correct people is worth the change.
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I'm sorry to say that I would have guessed the pronunciation to be jah-VAHN (mainly because I assumed it to be of arabic origin which turned out to be wrong ;) ). However, I don't think that I represent very well the people your son will meet everyday. I'm not American and I'm a namenerd.
Btw, I think you can almost pick a pronunciation. Since Javan is an ancient Hebrew name, probably neither JAY-vən nor jah-VAHN could be the correct pronunciation but I think JAY-vən is the one that makes more sense to an (American) English speaker.
Btw, I think you can almost pick a pronunciation. Since Javan is an ancient Hebrew name, probably neither JAY-vən nor jah-VAHN could be the correct pronunciation but I think JAY-vən is the one that makes more sense to an (American) English speaker.
This message was edited 4/20/2010, 10:01 AM
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I'm inclined to say it JAH-vun. Like, someone from Java? heh
This happened to me strongly the first time you posted it, and I was confused and irritated by trying to think of it as Jayven. It seemed phoney, just another "-ay-en" name dug up out of history strictly for the sound.
The second time I saw it I struggled to correct myself.
The third time I saw it I corrected myself pretty easily.
The fourth time, here, I read it off as Jayven in my mind.
So I think queenv is right. It would throw a few people at first but once they are used to it, which happens pretty quickly (like, saying or hearing it a handful of times), it'd stick and seem natural. Besides, if a significant number of people automatically get it right, then those who don't will be more ashamed of having gotten it wrong than they are annoyed that it doesn't sound like they thought it "should."
My daughter's name gets two (or three, since some people are apparently dyslexic =P) different pronunciations also. I guess I'm more deserving of guilt about it because her name is semi-made-up, but it's probably not actually more uncommon than Javan, and it's not more difficult. Anyways ... once people deal with the actual person, they're motivated, they don't care about the letters, they just get it right. They sometimes have to be corrected at first, but whatever. They do get it. And it's not like Javan is hard to enunciate. It's natural for English speakers to say. So I don't think you should worry about it.
This happened to me strongly the first time you posted it, and I was confused and irritated by trying to think of it as Jayven. It seemed phoney, just another "-ay-en" name dug up out of history strictly for the sound.
The second time I saw it I struggled to correct myself.
The third time I saw it I corrected myself pretty easily.
The fourth time, here, I read it off as Jayven in my mind.
So I think queenv is right. It would throw a few people at first but once they are used to it, which happens pretty quickly (like, saying or hearing it a handful of times), it'd stick and seem natural. Besides, if a significant number of people automatically get it right, then those who don't will be more ashamed of having gotten it wrong than they are annoyed that it doesn't sound like they thought it "should."
My daughter's name gets two (or three, since some people are apparently dyslexic =P) different pronunciations also. I guess I'm more deserving of guilt about it because her name is semi-made-up, but it's probably not actually more uncommon than Javan, and it's not more difficult. Anyways ... once people deal with the actual person, they're motivated, they don't care about the letters, they just get it right. They sometimes have to be corrected at first, but whatever. They do get it. And it's not like Javan is hard to enunciate. It's natural for English speakers to say. So I don't think you should worry about it.
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Looking at it, I'd pronounce it JAV-in... kind of like a contraction of javelin. I think some people will pronounce it right, but since even I'd never heard of it until you brought it up, I don't think the vast majority of people will have heard of it.
To be honest, whether I'd pronounce it JAY-vin or juh-VAWN would depend on the ethnicity of the person. But once people know it's JAY-vin, they won't need to be told again. It shouldn't be a terribly huge deal for you or him.
To be honest, whether I'd pronounce it JAY-vin or juh-VAWN would depend on the ethnicity of the person. But once people know it's JAY-vin, they won't need to be told again. It shouldn't be a terribly huge deal for you or him.
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I'd say it looks more like it's said as JAH-van.
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I see it as Ja-ven. I have a student this year named Kavan, and that's how he pronounces it, so it looks like that but with a J to me.
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I only ever thought it was pronounced Jay-ven. It would never occur to me to pronounce it Juh-vawn. Well, that's me. I don't know about anyone else and you say you know people who assumed it is Juh-vawn.
Even if some people do assume it's Juh-vawn, I would think that all it would take would be one correction and they'd pronounce it Jay-ven. This type of thing can happen with all sorts of names. I remember a Cynthia I knew in high school who absolutely positively did not want to be called Cindy. Some people would automatically call her Cindy and she'd have to correct them. Something sort of similar happens with my name, Janice. Some people hear it as Janet and start calling me that. Ninety-five percent of the time all it takes is one correction, but there have been a couple of people whom I've known who can't get it straight and continue to call me Janet! And I far far prefer Janice to Janet. But apparently my parents didn't think "No, we can't use Janice because some people will think it's Janet."
Anyhoo...just a long-winded way of saying that I don't think you should worry about it too much if you really love Javan. I think it's a nice name, by the way.
Even if some people do assume it's Juh-vawn, I would think that all it would take would be one correction and they'd pronounce it Jay-ven. This type of thing can happen with all sorts of names. I remember a Cynthia I knew in high school who absolutely positively did not want to be called Cindy. Some people would automatically call her Cindy and she'd have to correct them. Something sort of similar happens with my name, Janice. Some people hear it as Janet and start calling me that. Ninety-five percent of the time all it takes is one correction, but there have been a couple of people whom I've known who can't get it straight and continue to call me Janet! And I far far prefer Janice to Janet. But apparently my parents didn't think "No, we can't use Janice because some people will think it's Janet."
Anyhoo...just a long-winded way of saying that I don't think you should worry about it too much if you really love Javan. I think it's a nice name, by the way.
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I would definitely say JAY-ven. Juh-VAHN would not even cross my mind.
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I would say jay-ven. Jayven doesn't look right but it might be easier, if you find that a lot of people are getting the pronouciation wrong.
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I wouldn't have know that it was pronounced jay-ven. Neither would I pronounce it juh-vawn. I would have said jah-vahn / juh-vahn or sometihng like that.
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I'm sorry to say that my first (and only) thought was to pronounce it juh-VAWN.
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