Australian Pronunciation of Eleanor

Girl Names
1

Hello! I am very much loving the girl name [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], and have for a while.

I know that the British pronunciation is normally el-en-er (or similar), and the American is el-ah-nor. I have never met an [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] in Australia, where I live, so my only experience with the name has been through the television (which is largely American-dominated, hence why I didn’t know of the British pronunciation until a year or two ago). I was wondering if anyone would have a clue to the Australian pronunciation of [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]?

Anything would be gladly appreciated. Thank you!

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El-eh-nor. Last syllable rhyming with the end of [name_m]Theodore[/name_m].

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Agreed. I am an [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] and it’s pronounced [name_f]Elena[/name_f] in [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_f]Ell[/name_f]-ah-nor in Aus and NZ too.

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I have an Australian cousin called [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] and they asked we (Brits) pronounce it their way, which is [name_f]El[/name_f]-ah-nor. I personally much prefer this way of saying it! She gets called [name_f]Nora[/name_f] occasionally :relaxed:

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Thank you so much for your replies!

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We say ellen-or

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I think the ‘nor’ pronunciation dominates in Australia (I’m Aussie too), but you would come across both ways here. [name_f]My[/name_f] great-grandmother [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] (in Tasmania) was pronounced the [name_f]English[/name_f] way, but I have come across a little [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] here pronounced the American way. [name_f]My[/name_f] feeling is that there is a generational factor and that now the pronunciation is changing more to the American, for reasons you have given such as television.

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Ditto everyone, [name_f]El[/name_f]-eh-nor predominate here

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9

-nor seems to be the dominant pronunciation where I am in Australia … Sounds like -aw though as you’d know.

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Thank you again to everyone who has replied - it’s really interesting to hear how Australian pronunciation has been influenced over time.

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I think it’s a bit different depending on which part of Australia? I’ve heard it mostly [name_f]Elle[/name_f]-[name_f]Anna[/name_f] / [name_f]El[/name_f]-[name_f]Lena[/name_f] more than [name_f]Ellen[/name_f]-or.

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12

I know this was from a while ago, but I’m Australian and say it Ellen-uh, however, I know others who say it like Ellen-or.
Likewise, I knew an [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] who pronounced it Ellen-uh, and I know an [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] who pronounces it Ellen-or. While I think the Ellen-or pronunciation is slightly more common, you would be able to get away with using the Ellen-uh pronunciation if you wanted, although it might require occasional correction.