[name_f]Adah[/name_f] and [name_f]Ada[/name_f]. I prefer the one with the H, but whenever I see these names written down, I love them. The problem is pronunciation. I’ve looked around and even just asked some people how they would pronounce it and I always get a variety of answers: A-dah, [name_m]Add[/name_m]-ah, and Ay-duh (similar to [name_u]Aidan[/name_u]). I prefer the third pronunciation. Which is right? [name_m]How[/name_m] would you say these names? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you even consider them different names, or more of like a [name_f]Sara[/name_f]/ [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] situation?
[name_f]Adah[/name_f] and [name_f]Ada[/name_f] are different names. [name_f]Adah[/name_f] is Hebrew and pronounced [name_m]Ah[/name_m]-da, so if you want the Ay-da pronunciation, I’d take it off the list.
For [name_f]Ada[/name_f], there’s no one right pronunciation. It’s the short form of names staring in [name_m]Ad[/name_m]-. Nameberry says it’s origin is [name_m]German[/name_m] (which probably means Old High [name_m]German[/name_m]) and it’s the short form [name_f]Adelheid[/name_f] ([name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]). If you use that as a pronunciation guide, it would have to be [name_m]Ah[/name_m]-da, too. However, it is an international name, so more than one pronunciation is possible, just look at [name_f]Ida[/name_f], which Germans and most Europeans pronounce Ee-da while it is an established name in English, too, pronounced Eye-da.
So, considering that: You can pronounce it either as Ay-da (English) or [name_m]Ah[/name_m]-da (other languages) and probably also [name_m]Add[/name_m]-a.
I’d definitely pronounce [name_f]Ada[/name_f] as AID-uh (I think because of [name_f]Ava[/name_f] being pronounced AIV-uh and [name_f]Ida[/name_f] being pronounced EYE-da) and my first guess would be to pronounce [name_f]Adah[/name_f] the same way but I would be less confident about that. I didn’t know anything about their origins until opheliaflora’s post above - until that I would have assumed they were either a [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]/[name_f]Sara[/name_f] situation or else just a situation of someone trying to come up with a more cre8ive spelling of [name_f]Ada[/name_f].
Hmm. I always pronounce this name Ay-duh. Like [name_u]Aidan[/name_u]. The addition of the H does not change the prn for me. I prefer it without the H, but I can see how the H would give you more “ah-da” prns. I’m from the US. Obviously many names get variations in pronunciation depending on where the person is from and this is a very international name (like [name_f]Lucia[/name_f], with various legit prns). I do think [name_f]Aida[/name_f] is more subject to confusion ([name_f]Ida[/name_f], eye-ee-duh, a-ee-duh, are legit, bit it probably get several ay-duh prns too). That’s an aside and actually has nothing to do with what you’re asking, haha.
I would go with [name_f]Ada[/name_f] no H, if you’re going for Ay-duh prn. I think it’s a lovely name.