I’ve almost finished reading [name_u]Neil[/name_u] Gaiman’s, The Graveyard Book (very good btw) and, as well as loads of other names, I’m really crushing on [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m]. But there seem to be loads of different pronunciations. [name_m]Even[/name_m] I’m not sure how I say it :P. When I first saw it I instinctively said EF-raym but now looking at it EF-rum, EF-ram or EF-rem make sense as well. Or maybe EE-fra-im? I love the former pronunciations, but I haven’t a clue if they’re correct, or how everyone else say it.
I pronounce [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m] like EF-ra-eem. We know a little boy named this who spells it [name_m]Ephram[/name_m] and pronounces it Ef-rum. If you want it pronounced like that, I would leave out the “i”. But if you want it pronounced EF-ra-eem, I would be prepared to correct people who pronounce it Ef-rum a lot.
I say “EE-frum,” which doesn’t make too much sense. That’s the way [name_f]Pippi[/name_f] Longstocking pronounced it (her father’s name) so I guess that pronunciation stuck with me all these years! “EF-rum” and “EF-ra-heem” are both great too.
This is a common name in my religion and where I live its always said “Eee-frum” (I live in the [name_u]West[/name_u] US) so that’s how I would pronounce it