Hello!
[name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Marlena[/name_f], pronounced Mar-LAY-neh. Constantly, people assume my name is pronounced mar-lee-nah, and it’s all the time! I am soon to publish a book and I am wondering if I should use an É (the “ey” sound) to clarify the pronunciation of my name as an author. However, it doesn’t have an accent character on my birth certificate, and I’m not sure if Marléna looks awkward.
Which do you prefer?
Many thanks!
[name_f]Lena[/name_f].
Since this is not a legal change, and just as your pen/published name, I don’t think it would be weird if thats what you want to do.
I’d not do that as the é doesn’t actually make the “ay” sound and as it’s not a character native to the [name_f]English[/name_f] language, it’s likely to be spelled without the accent in many cases anyway.
I’d stick with [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] - purely because I think people would still sometimes say Mar-lee-nuh even with the accent
Keep it normal, no accent
– someone who once had an apostrophized last name like O’Brien… don’t do it. So confusing for everyone. So so happy to leave that name behind, even though it was prettier with the punctuation! Don’t do it!
[name_f]Marlena[/name_f].
Some people will pronounce your name right regardless of the accent marker, and similarly… some people will pronounce your name wrong regardless of the accent marker! I’d just leave your name as it’s regularly spelled, myself.
That symbol confuses me more as to how to pronounce it. I’d instinctively say Mar-lay-na but you signing your name [name_f]Lena[/name_f] makes me
think you’d pronounce it Lee-na!