See the results of this poll: Elizabeth’s pronunciation: POLL!
Respondents: 61 (This poll is closed)
- ee-LIH-zuh-beth: 10 (16%)
- el-LIZ-uh-beth: 14 (23%)
- uh-LIZ-uh-beth: 23 (38%)
- ih-LIZ-uh-beth: 14 (23%)
Respondents: 61 (This poll is closed)
I voted uh-[name]LIZ[/name]-uh-beth, but I think that’s because I’m a [name]Brit[/name]. A lot of our vowels come out as soft ‘uh’ sounds in many of the regional accents.
Take my family:
[name]EL[/name]-uh-nuh ([name]Eleanor[/name])
muh-[name]RAN[/name]-duh ([name]Miranda[/name])
uh-[name]LAYN[/name] ([name]Elaine[/name])
[name]DAY[/name]-vud ([name]David[/name])
Thanks for your answer, [name]Elea[/name]! (I really enjoyed your blog.) You and your siblings have great names!
I know I said I pronounce it with the ih sound, but it may be closer to uh. Hmm…
Take care!
I pronounce it uh-liz-uh-beth. I’m from Southwestern PA and we say somethings weird so it may just be me.
Thanks, [name]Victoria[/name]! I appreciate your reply!
Take care!
Thanks, [name]Jill[/name]!
The last two are my parents But I think our names all fit together quite nicely lol
I have read that when it comes to regional accents, it’s mostly the vowels that change and not the consonants. Which makes sense if you think of the whole ‘tom-AY-to’ / ‘tom-[name]AH[/name]-to’ line
I voted el-[name]LIZ[/name]-uh-beth but I had a really hard time deciding if I say it like that or the ih-[name]LIZ[/name]-uh-beth… I’m pretty sure it’s the first when I say it, but I could be wrong! My husband says I say a lot of things weird…haha!
PS- I’m from Wisconsin (and we all say things weird, apparently
I voted Uh-liz-a-beth, but I have to say it varies, depending on the [name]Elizabeth[/name]. I think mostly it’s Uh-liz-a-beth in the abstract. I don’t know anyone with that name who doesn’t go by [name]Liz[/name] or [name]Beth[/name] ([name]Ah[/name]'m Old-ish!). If I think about a particular [name]Elizabeth[/name], like [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Barrett[/name] Browning or [name]Queen[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name], I think I say Ee-liz-a-beth or [name]El[/name]-iz-a-beth. The Ih-liz-a-beth comes out sometimes, not sure. I would say all 4 come out of me at some point or other. I tried them and they all sound natural to say, so I vary depending on how I feel about time for clarified diction and all.
[name]EDIT[/name]: I’m from NY State from NYC (Bronxy/Brooklyny) parents not that far upstate, but I’ve accumulated some bits of accent from Western NY (slightly Wisconsin-ish?) as well as [name]Boston[/name] where I live now, even though most people I’ve met in the last 4 years here come from somewhere else and don’t have a local accent. My parents can hear the difference in how I talk, but I can’t.
I pronounce it Uh-[name]LIZ[/name]-uh-beth as well. I was born and raised in the [name]Pacific[/name] Northwest of the US ([name]Washington[/name], Oregon and Alaska), but no, I don’t have an accent like [name]Sarah[/name] [name]Palin[/name]!
if I just say the name, I pronounce it uh-liz-uh-bith, but when I say my full name ([name]Marianne[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]), i pronounce it ee-liz-uh-bith, which I think is kind of interesting. [name]Both[/name] ways though, I pronounce it more with a ‘bith’ ending rather a ‘beth’ ending.
Come to think of it, I pronounce the beth part of [name]Elizabeth[/name] something like bith also. If I’m calling someone [name]Beth[/name] or [name]Bethany[/name] or such, [name]Betty[/name] or [name]Betsy[/name], you get the idea, it’s definitely that short e sound, but if I’m saying the whole name it’s -bith at the end, no matter how the first vowel E sound comes out of me.
Now that I think about it, I, too, say “bith” for the “beth” part of the name.
I can’t thank you all enough for posting! I think this is so interesting!
Have a great night!
I say eh-[name]LIZ[/name]-uh-beth. I am from L.A. But people here say it all different ways, I think. That’s because people in L.A. are from all over the world.
Hmmm now I’m saying it out loud and people are looking at me funny:) lol I’m not sure I say it quite like any of the options. EE-liz-a-bith is the most accurate way I can describe my mutated accent, it’s kind of a mix between kiwi and aussie so it’s all over the place:)
Interesting topic [name]Jill[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] is also one of my all time favourite names!
I say UH-liz-a-bith and I’m from [name]Georgia[/name]. I was surprised that was the most popular pronunciation though, LOL, I thought other people would pronounce it more “proper” or something.
Well, I have a lifelong-best-friend called [name]ELizabeth[/name] (and my own name, [name]Ailsa[/name], is the Gaelic translation of it), and maybe it is a Welsh thing, but we tend to say ee[name]LIZabeth[/name] (with a definite “ee” sound at the beginng)!
Thanks, everyone!
I pronounce my spelling ([name]Elisabeth[/name]) as ih-LISS-ah-beth (but the ‘beth’ part sounds more like ‘buth’).
I pronounce [name]Elizabeth[/name] as ih-[name]LIZ[/name]-ah-beth (buth).
Thanks, [name]Elsa[/name]!
I guess my e’s must be pretty indistinct 'cause I vary in how I say it, now that you mention it. I think the “uh” is the closest, hmm…