Help!

Boy Names
1

Hubby and I both loved [name_m]Zay[/name_m] for our boy, but now he has decided its too short. :woozy_face: He would like [name_u]Zaire[/name_u] with nickname [name_m]Zay[/name_m], but I worry no one will have any idea how to pronounce it! How would you pronounce [name_u]Zaire[/name_u]?

2

I would pronounce it to rhyme with hair like “zare” or if I said it slowly “zay-er”. But “zah-eer” or “zye-eer” wouldn’t surprise me either.

3

i would pronounce zaire like ‘zayr’ rhyming with claire or pair!

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4

Thanks Ladies! He knows a guy named [name_u]Zaire[/name_u] pronounced Zay-ear, now im wondering if theres a more intuitive way to spell it.

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5

Maybe Zayir? I think [name_m]Zay[/name_m] could also work as a nickname for [name_m]Isaiah[/name_m], [name_m]Zachary[/name_m], or Zane/Zayn too if you want more options.

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6

I’d say ZAIR, rhymes with hair. Both [name_m]Zay[/name_m] and [name_u]Zaire[/name_u] are cool!

For your pronunciation, Zayir feels like the most intuitive. Might you like [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u]? I feel like [name_m]Zay[/name_m] could definitely work as a nickname, alongside [name_m]Zeph[/name_m] or [name_f]Zee[/name_f].

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7

Agree that Zaire is ‘Zara’ whereas Zayir = ‘zay-ear’

Zayir nn Zay works really well!

Seconding this!

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8

It may not be your style, but my first thought was [name_u]Azazel[/name_u] nn [name_m]Zay[/name_m]

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9

I would pronounce it like zye-ear, like the former African country. At least that’s how I always thought that country was pronounced.

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10

I wouldn’t be sure and might guess it’s zare (rhyming with dare or care), but I recognised it as a place name, which is pronounced Zy-ih-uh/zy-eer.

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11

I’ve heard [name_u]Zaire[/name_u] pronounced zy-EAR (slight emphasis on the second syllable), so that would be my default! I honestly think [name_m]Zay[/name_m] could still be a cool nickname for [name_u]Zaire[/name_u] even with this pronunciation, it just might take a little more explaining/effort.

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12

I would pronounce it zy-ear, like the former country

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13

I would pronounce it either [name_m]Zair[/name_m] to rhyme with [name_f]Claire[/name_f] or Z-ay-ir. I wouldn’t be confident I would be saying it correctly either way :upside_down_face:

[name_m]Zane[/name_m] nn [name_m]Zay[/name_m]?

14

I would pronounce like the former name of the Democratic Republic of [name_m]Congo[/name_m] - same name. Another option is [name_u]Zion[/name_u].

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15

I would pronounce it with one syllable, rhyming with hair.

16

[name_f]My[/name_f] initial thought was to rhyme with hair, but I felt like that was wrong and took the time to search it up and found the pronunciations Zy-eer and Zay-eer, as others have pointed out, which I think is much more handsome. If you want a more intuitive spelling I think Zayir is the way to go! Zayir nicknamed [name_m]Zay[/name_m] is super cute and charming!

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17

[name_u]Zaire[/name_u] just sounds like the old name of the Democratic Republic of [name_m]Congo[/name_m] to me, and I’d pronounce it “zy-EAR”.
I prefer [name_m]Zay[/name_m] by itself - very original, and much easier to pronounce! :slight_smile:

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18

I’d pronounce it like the country name, too:

ZYE-eer