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Help[Opinions] Names you mispronounced
Are there any names you mispronounced for a long time before hearing how they're actually said? If so, are there any whose incorrect pronunciation you prefer (or used to)?
I used to read lots of English books without talking to any English speakers as a child. So some names I read and how I used to pronounce them:
Phoebe (FOBE, which I found ugly - still do)
Abigail (A-bi-jail, which wouldn't be dreadful if jail didn't mean what it means)
Charlotte (shahr-LAWT - I was heartbroken when I learned this wasn't the standard English pronunciation! I now like SHAHR-lut, though [pretend the u is a schwa])
Levi (LEV-ee - I still prefer it to LEE-vie)
Isla (EES-la)
Any Greek name ending in E - I thought Persephone was PUR-su-phone, Antigone was AN-ti-gone, etc.
masculine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124079
feminine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124080
I used to read lots of English books without talking to any English speakers as a child. So some names I read and how I used to pronounce them:
Phoebe (FOBE, which I found ugly - still do)
Abigail (A-bi-jail, which wouldn't be dreadful if jail didn't mean what it means)
Charlotte (shahr-LAWT - I was heartbroken when I learned this wasn't the standard English pronunciation! I now like SHAHR-lut, though [pretend the u is a schwa])
Levi (LEV-ee - I still prefer it to LEE-vie)
Isla (EES-la)
Any Greek name ending in E - I thought Persephone was PUR-su-phone, Antigone was AN-ti-gone, etc.
masculine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124079
feminine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124080
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
Sean I always pronounce as SEEN before I knew the correct way to pronounce it.
Phoebe I used to pronounce as Phob.
The only pronunciation of Levi I knew of was LEE-vie.
Phoebe I used to pronounce as Phob.
The only pronunciation of Levi I knew of was LEE-vie.
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I used to pronounce Sean as See-ah, and assumed that Sean Connery’s name was spelled Shan or something similar. I also want to say Phoebe as Fobe, though I think the actual pronunciation is kind of ugly too. Levi is also pronounced Leh-vee in my first language.
I always pronounce Ciaran as “Ceearan “ and mispronounce a lot of Celtic names in my head.
I always pronounce Ciaran as “Ceearan “ and mispronounce a lot of Celtic names in my head.
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Solveig - As a child, I read it in a book and decided it was pronounced 'sole-veeg'. I still prefer it to the proper Sylvie
Parthenope - I used to say 'path-ah-NOPE'. Yes, 'par-THEN-oh-pee' is much prettier
Sean - I still reflexively pronounce it as 'seen', hence I much prefer the spelling of Shaun or Shaun
Micheal - This looks like 'mick-eel'
Parthenope - I used to say 'path-ah-NOPE'. Yes, 'par-THEN-oh-pee' is much prettier
Sean - I still reflexively pronounce it as 'seen', hence I much prefer the spelling of Shaun or Shaun
Micheal - This looks like 'mick-eel'
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There were two flowers whose names I turned out to be mispronouncing: Liatris and Linaria. I thought they were like Beatrice with an L, and li-NAHR-ee-uh, and thought they were both lovely names. Turns out they are lie-A-tris (with a stressed short-A) and lie-NER-ee-uh. So disappointed.
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Also, Phaedra.
And how could I forget Phaedra! The pronunciation history of that name is long and storied (https://www.behindthename.com/name/phaedra/comments), but my instinctive pronunciation is still FAY-druh (even though it's pretty much dead wrong).
And how could I forget Phaedra! The pronunciation history of that name is long and storied (https://www.behindthename.com/name/phaedra/comments), but my instinctive pronunciation is still FAY-druh (even though it's pretty much dead wrong).
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When I was a little kid I thought Stephen was pronounced “step hen”, haha.
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Desiree: desire-EE
Zenobia: ZEH-no-bi-a
Helena: HEH-leh-na
Anne: AYN
Marie: pronounced the same as Mary lol
Anne-Marie: AYN-MA-ry
Margaux: MAR-ga-uhks
Juan: joo-AN
Sean: seh-AN
Giovanni: gee-o-VAH-nee (with a hard G)
Saoirse: sah-oh-EER-seh
María José: Maria JOH-seh
Ophelia: op-HELL-ee-ah
Estrella: es-TRELL-a
Sloane: slow-ANNE
Cheyenne: SHAY-enne
François and Françoise: fran-CHO-ees
Louis: the same as Luis
Keziah: ke-ZEE-ah
Shania: sahn-ee-ah
Heidi: hey-dee
Xochitl: KSOH-chee-tl
I agree with you, I've mispronounced Phoebe, Isla, Levi, Persephone, and Antigone the same as you did lol. Also isn't Charlotte pronounced as shahr-LAWT in French?
Oh, one thing I like to add:
America: Murrica!
Zenobia: ZEH-no-bi-a
Helena: HEH-leh-na
Anne: AYN
Marie: pronounced the same as Mary lol
Anne-Marie: AYN-MA-ry
Margaux: MAR-ga-uhks
Juan: joo-AN
Sean: seh-AN
Giovanni: gee-o-VAH-nee (with a hard G)
Saoirse: sah-oh-EER-seh
María José: Maria JOH-seh
Ophelia: op-HELL-ee-ah
Estrella: es-TRELL-a
Sloane: slow-ANNE
Cheyenne: SHAY-enne
François and Françoise: fran-CHO-ees
Louis: the same as Luis
Keziah: ke-ZEE-ah
Shania: sahn-ee-ah
Heidi: hey-dee
Xochitl: KSOH-chee-tl
I agree with you, I've mispronounced Phoebe, Isla, Levi, Persephone, and Antigone the same as you did lol. Also isn't Charlotte pronounced as shahr-LAWT in French?
Oh, one thing I like to add:
America: Murrica!
This message was edited 8/10/2022, 1:30 AM
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But Helena is pronounced like that. There are several ways to say it.
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Sorry I didn't know about that, I thought it's only pronounced as /ˈhɛlənə/ (or HEH-lən-ə).
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No need to apologize! I think we're all learning something new with this post d:
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I think this forum would greatly benefit from using IPA, tbh, because, as my keyboard doesn't have schwas, HEH-leh-na and HEH-lən-ə are near identical.
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You can install Gboard. It support so many languages, accent signs, including IPA.
How to change the language: https://www.theverge.com/22704840/gboard-keyboard-google-languages-android-how-to
How to change the language: https://www.theverge.com/22704840/gboard-keyboard-google-languages-android-how-to
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Thank you so much!! That's really helpful :)
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I am a native English speaker, but some names in books I read incorrectly.
Mavis - I thought it was MAH-viss, which is super ugly, but after watching Hotel Transylvania I realised it was MAY-vis, and now I love it!
Mavis - I thought it was MAH-viss, which is super ugly, but after watching Hotel Transylvania I realised it was MAY-vis, and now I love it!
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Silas is a big one. I first discovered it soon after I joined this site and it made it onto my top 10...until I found out it wasn't pronounced SEE-las (the Spanish way), but SIE-las. That immediately burst my bubble of excitement; it's not terrible but too much like stylus.
Other pronunciations I greatly prefer:
Aloysius = a-LOI-si-us
Anaïs = a-na-EE
Ceres = SAYR-eez
Lyra = leer-a
Esau = eh-SAU
Basil = BAY-zul
Cyril = SIE-rul
Bryony = BREE-a-nee
And a lot of Greek ones lol:
Circe = seer-say
Xanthippe = Zan-THEEP
Briseis = brih-SAYS
Hephaestus = heh-FAY-stus
Enyo = en-yo (although the correct way is much prettier)
Other pronunciations I greatly prefer:
Aloysius = a-LOI-si-us
Anaïs = a-na-EE
Ceres = SAYR-eez
Lyra = leer-a
Esau = eh-SAU
Basil = BAY-zul
Cyril = SIE-rul
Bryony = BREE-a-nee
And a lot of Greek ones lol:
Circe = seer-say
Xanthippe = Zan-THEEP
Briseis = brih-SAYS
Hephaestus = heh-FAY-stus
Enyo = en-yo (although the correct way is much prettier)
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Today I learned that's not the pronunciation... I think I have Disney to thank for this, though. Pretty sure the one time his name is said in Hercules, that's how it's pronounced.
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Ditto on Lyra (and many others), I think, I still prefer Lee-ra to LIE-ra...
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I read Liam an Lie-am and Seamus as See-miss. And I thought the Y is pronounced like the english J, so I wrote Yamie on my list for favourite boy names.
(I am from Germany)
(I am from Germany)
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I also mispronounced this name this way, although I like the Ashlyn pronunciation better. Basically any Irish name I can’t pronounce which is sad because that is my predominant heritage.
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Sidney. It's the last lingering dying thread of my childhood speech impediment and one of only 3 words I still have trouble pronouncing left.... as a result I just avoid using it altogether.
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Athena- thought for the longest time it was Uh-then-uh
Xanthippe- Though FOREVER it was pronounced Zan-thip which I though was gross. (Still don’t really like zan-Tip-ee)
Alejandra- for a little bit I thought this name was pronounced Al-uh-jan-druh
Rowena- Thought Row-en-uh for a while. Learned it’s more commonly Row-een-uh. I like what I thought WAY better.
Persephone- Per-suh-phone
Thais- Thought I was thay-ice
Lyra- Just learned that it is pronounced Lie-ruh and not Leer-uh (so disappointed like what I thought better)
Xanthippe- Though FOREVER it was pronounced Zan-thip which I though was gross. (Still don’t really like zan-Tip-ee)
Alejandra- for a little bit I thought this name was pronounced Al-uh-jan-druh
Rowena- Thought Row-en-uh for a while. Learned it’s more commonly Row-een-uh. I like what I thought WAY better.
Persephone- Per-suh-phone
Thais- Thought I was thay-ice
Lyra- Just learned that it is pronounced Lie-ruh and not Leer-uh (so disappointed like what I thought better)
This message was edited 8/13/2022, 5:26 AM
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I also prefer ro-EN-a to ro-EEN-a! Forgot about that one, it's also how I initially pronounced it.
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Same here. (:
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Henri. For the longest time, I'd honestly assumed it was pronounced just like 'Henry' and 'Isaias' I'd always said it similar to Isaiah. Color me rather surprised when hurricane Henri and hurricane Isaias burst onto the scene. 🤯🌀🌪️
I'm fine with Henri pronounced separately from Henry, but I far prefer Isaias said as I-zay-es
I'm fine with Henri pronounced separately from Henry, but I far prefer Isaias said as I-zay-es
This message was edited 8/11/2022, 8:03 PM
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Charlotte as char-LOT.
Levi as LEH-vee.
Isla as EES-la (it is a word in my language).
Muriel as MUR-ee-el (this pronunciation was listed alongside MYUWR-ee-el but got removed).
Margot as mar-GOT.
Jasmine as jas-MEEN.
Gwendoline as gwen-do-LEEN.
Mireille as mee-RAYL.
Louis as LWEES.
Chantal as chan-TAL.
Aaliyah as a-LEE-yah.
Cillian as CEE-lyan.
Graham as GRAH-ham.
Sheila as SHAY-la.
Levi as LEH-vee.
Isla as EES-la (it is a word in my language).
Muriel as MUR-ee-el (this pronunciation was listed alongside MYUWR-ee-el but got removed).
Margot as mar-GOT.
Jasmine as jas-MEEN.
Gwendoline as gwen-do-LEEN.
Mireille as mee-RAYL.
Louis as LWEES.
Chantal as chan-TAL.
Aaliyah as a-LEE-yah.
Cillian as CEE-lyan.
Graham as GRAH-ham.
Sheila as SHAY-la.
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Wait, is Aaliyah not a-LEE-yah??
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It's a-LEE-a, not a-LEE-yah.
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Huh, those are identical in my accent.
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I used to instinctively say Levi as LEH-vee too. Sometimes I still do.
I used to say Isla as EYES-la.
One of my favorite names, Rainer - I completely made up inside of my head and thought it was said like RAIN-er. I look at the pronunciation to see it’s like RIE-nu.
Sometimes I say Beatrix as both BEE-triks and BEE-AH-triks.
I used to say Isla as EYES-la.
One of my favorite names, Rainer - I completely made up inside of my head and thought it was said like RAIN-er. I look at the pronunciation to see it’s like RIE-nu.
Sometimes I say Beatrix as both BEE-triks and BEE-AH-triks.
This message was edited 8/9/2022, 1:17 PM
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