Berenice Pronunciation

See the results of this poll: How do you pronounce Berenice

Respondents: 39 (This poll is closed)

  • “Behr-reh-NY-see” : 2 (5%)
  • “Behr-reh-nees” : 35 (90%)
  • Other in comment: 2 (5%)

[name_m]Baron[/name_m]-nees or Baren-nees?

Here is my inference or understanding: “behr-eh-NIGH-see” is the more “academic”, traditional pronunciation, e.g. used when referring to the historical figure (the 3rd-century BC Egyptian queen): https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/berenice. [name_f]Berenice[/name_f] is a Greek name, like [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Ione[/name_f], Antiope, [name_f]Eurydice[/name_f], etc, and as a general rule the letter I is pronounced as a long I sound (as in hi or sigh) and the final letter E is pronounced as a long E.

When used as a given name, I think “behr-eh-NEES” is now the more accepted or usual English pronunciation, likely influenced by the [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation (of Bérénice). Likewise, an older English pronunciation of [name_f]Irene[/name_f] is “eye-[name_f]REE[/name_f]-nee” but over time it was simplified to “eye-REEN” (the former is still used though).

I’ve never come across this before but I instinctively said Ber-reh-niece

I personally pronounce it “Behr-reh-nees," although I volunteer at a retirement home and there are two women there named [name_f]Berenice[/name_f] who pronounce it just like [name_f]Bernice[/name_f], even though it is spelled [name_f]Berenice[/name_f]. It’s such a sweet, vintage name!

I say [name_u]Bay[/name_u]-ray-NEES. Influenced by the fact that I speak [name_m]French[/name_m] and have only ever come across this name as Bérénice in [name_f]France[/name_f].

I would have initially pronounced it “behr-ren-niss”, but given it’s similarity to [name_f]Bernice[/name_f], I’d say your pronunciation of “behr-ren-neece” is on the money

I know a girl called [name_f]Bernice[/name_f] and thought this was [name_f]Bernice[/name_f] at first glance, so I’d pronounce it similarly. Like beh-reh-niece.