I’m currently living in New [name]England[/name] in the U.S.(though I’m not a native) and I’m just discovering there are certain names I like but the local accent just ruins the pronunciation! People here tend to famously drop the “r” at the end of some words but add an “r” where there isn’t one at the end of others! Also, the “or” letter combo tends to get pronounced “aw”. It’s driving me nuts and wreaking havoc on my love for names!
For example:
[name]Nora[/name] = Nawra
[name]Leta[/name] = Leter
[name]Marlow[/name] = Maaaahlow
[name]Xavier[/name] = Zavyah
Yuck. To be fair, it seems like older generations have heavier accents than younger ones so there may be hope!
Have any names been ruined by the accent in your area?
I have lived on the outskirts of Liverpool all my life. I don’t have a Scouse accent myself but about 80% of the cities population seem to. Nothing sounds nice in that accent. Absolutely nothing. I loathe hearing it. Any fellow [name]Brit[/name] will know what I’m talking about "-_-
I’m there with you on the New [name]England[/name] accent. I have one myself even though I live in the area of the US with the least amount of an accent.
My fiance is [name]Martin[/name], which comes out as Mawtin.
My grandmother was telling me a story about her aunt [name]Maude[/name] one day. Whenever one of the family got mad at her they’d call her [name]Maudie[/name] Awrilla (Awrilla rhymes with “gorilla”). I was quite horrified one day when I looked up her name and found out it was [name]Maude[/name] [name]Aurelia[/name]. WHY would you pronounce the beautiful [name]Aurelia[/name] to rhyme with gorilla?? Gotta love those thick Southern drawls.
My grandmother’s father, aunts, and uncles called one of her aunts [name]Maudie[/name] [name]Aurilla[/name] (rhymes with “gorilla”) when they were mad or frustrated at her. I looked up her name one day and found out it was [name]Maude[/name] [name]Aurelia[/name]. WHY would you pronounce the beautiful [name]Aurelia[/name] to rhyme with gorilla?? Gotta love those thick Southern drawls…
I live in the western US and the older generation here tend to flatten there ‘a’ sound, I don’t really know how to describe it, but names like [name]Hannah[/name] tend to be nasally sounding kind of like hay-nah
I recently moved to GA after a brief stint in VA, but grew up in Western NY.
I don’t know if the accent is exclusive to GA, but damn…think of [name]Paula[/name] [name]Dean[/name] pronouncing some of your favorite names. >_< (Her saying “oil” always springs to mind…“oooh-al”.
Lol, though I have been pegged as a northerner many times since moving so I’m sure I sound funny to them, too.
I don’t know if it’s local or all over, but the -aylee names are pronounced differently all over where I am in [name]Denver[/name]. [name]Haley[/name], [name]Kaylee[/name], [name]Bailey[/name], etc. are all said differently. Some say, “HAIL-ee” “[name]KAEL[/name]-ee” “[name]BAIL[/name]-ee” while others say, “HAY-lee” “[name]KAY[/name]-lee” “[name]BAY[/name]-lee.” It drives me insane.
No names are really ruined for me by our accents. If I liked the popular -enley names I would be disappointed. Our accent makes “en” sounds, sound similar to “in.” [name]Denver[/name] is pronounced “Dinver.” So, [name]Kenley[/name], [name]Henley[/name], [name]Tenley[/name], etc. are all [name]Kinley[/name], Hinley, and [name]Tinley[/name].
Oh, the Midwest. Parts of my state have what I call a “[name]Fargo[/name]” accent, and the “a” sound in names like [name]Anne[/name] comes out nasally. [name]Anne[/name] can sound like [name]Ian[/name] (with an emphasis on the “y” sound in [name]Ian[/name]). Hard to explain!
I live in New [name]England[/name] too, and find I wish I lived in [name]Britain[/name], if only for the accents! I love love love [name]Lotta[/name], yet every time I say it casually, it sounds like Lodda. Gross. I can’t think of any others right now, but I know there are lots that are butchered.
[name]Luke[/name] always sounds like look to me when said in the local accent where I live. It drives me mad because [name]Luke[/name] is one of my favourite boys names, but I just won’t consider it for that reason.
[name]Sian[/name] is pronounced [name]Shan[/name] here for some reason, whereas I think it should be more of a Shaaan sound. Longer A.
I know, sorry. But from what I know of international camp counselors and media, the t’s are always pronounced prettily. I wish they didn’t turn into a lump of d’s.
lol. I live in Pennsylvania. The only accents here are pretty much the Pennsylvania Dutch/Pennsylvania [name]German[/name] accents. And I can’t think of any names that accent ruins (besides the fact that it isn’t as widespread as any other regional accent!). I can only think of one word that sort of is affected by the accent–sauerkraut. They say it sort of like SAHHHHR-krahhh(t). The “T” on the end is like, half there. haha. I guess [name]Meyer[/name]/[name]Myer[/name] and [name]German[/name] names and such would be affected by their accent, but I really only know one Mennonite family, and I rarely see them anymore, so it wouldn’t really affect my choice.
I agree with @cupcakelove888 - I would love to live in [name]Britain[/name] for the accents! I’m sure they’re not all great but I’ve loved every single one I’ve heard. Although it does seem to ruin some lovely names ([name]Aya[/name]/Aia becomes “ire”; [name]Adah[/name] becomes like the American “oughta”, etc.)
I would also love to live in [name]Britain[/name] for the accents. :] I’ve always been fascinated with Great [name]Britain[/name], and especially because of the [name]London[/name] Olympics/the fact that the majority of my favorite actors/actresses are all British, I’d love to live there or at least visit! I love listening to all of the different accents.
I live in [name]Washington[/name] (state, not D.C.) which is pretty neutral in terms of accents ( or at least from personal experience) so names don’t get ruined for me, thankfully!
Hmm, not sure what that one is. I’ve never heard of [name]Aya[/name] so I’m not sure how to pronounce it anyway but I’d say [name]Ada[/name]/h like ‘aid-a’.
I am glad I’m not alone! I think we’ll pick the name we love no matter what but I still cringe when I think of our potential daughter being Nawra instead of the lovely [name]Nora[/name]. Oh well.
@cupcakelove888, I totally forgot about the “d” substitution! My favorite is hearing New Englanders say “potatos” or as they are more commonly known: “badaydas”.
I’m from Liverpool too and I love the accent. Admittedly, some “scallies” ruin it by missing the H of the beginning of words (my name becomes “Ayley”) but if people speak properly I like it
I don’t the way the “er” sound comes out in the accent though - rules out names like [name]Fern[/name] for me.
My partner is a [name]Geordie[/name] and that rules out a lot of names - he is incapable of correctly pronouncing names like [name]Daisy[/name] - they become Derzy. He pronounces my name as “Her-ley”. Very annoying
Well MY accent is a gorgeous thing of shimmering loveliness.
But my husband’s accent…! hahaha
He’s an Aussie.
No name ends in -er, they are all “ah.”
Any name that ends in -een is said through the nose, when they don’t develop an “oi” sound. I liked [name]Delphine[/name]… he handily destroyed it. “del-FEEEEEN? [name]Del[/name]-FOIIIIINE?”
Half the people around here say th’s as f’s. Sort of puts a rather different spin on [name]Lilith[/name], [name]Elspeth[/name], etc. I moved [name]Lilith[/name] to a middle name possibility only, because Liliff is terrible.
Oh, and we have had many battles over [name]Isaac[/name]. We both like it… but I like eye-zihk and he likes eye-zack.
Lol. I am from Pennsylvania too ([name]Philadelphia[/name] area) and let me tell you, there is such an accent! I never realized it until I moved away, but wow, it’s there. I’m trying to think of some names that you can hear it prominently. Hmm, take the name [name]June[/name] for example - my family in PA would say it like “Jewwwn” rather than all just one “Joon.” My nephew’s name is [name]Ronan[/name], and it’s pronounced like “ROWWWN-an” there is just so much emphasis on those sounds and they’re just so [name]Philadelphia[/name]. The [name]Ann[/name] and [name]Ian[/name] thing that another poster mentioned also reigns in [name]Philadelphia[/name]. Which would ruin those names for me. My family says my son’s name, [name]Oakley[/name], as OHHH-klee. Lol. Figured I’d mention that since I didn’t mention it earlier and you reminded me.
Although it does seem to ruin some lovely names ([name]Aya[/name]/Aia becomes “ire”; [name]Adah[/name] becomes like the American “oughta”, etc.)
