I really like the phonetic sound of the name [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f], [name_m]ACE[/name_m]-lin. But I’m not keen on the correct pronunciation, [name_u]ASH[/name_u]-lin. [name_m]Just[/name_m] wondering other’s thoughts on choosing a name and intentionally pronouncing it differently than the accepted norm, especially since this spelling/pronunciation is not as common in US.
My friends have a daughter named [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f] and pronounce it ICE-lin so honestly whatever you tell people, they’ll pronounce it how you want. I also know a girl named Aislynn and pronounce it [name_m]ACE[/name_m]-lin so…I mean, I think it’s totally fine. There are plenty of names that can have multiple pronunciations (like [name_f]Anya[/name_f] can be ON-ya or [name_f]ANN[/name_f]-ya…of which I know people who pronounce it both ways) and I think it’s pretty normal.
If I saw [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f] in the US, I’d pronounce it AYZ-lyn and not [name_f]Ashlyn[/name_f], because I would assume the parent didn’t use the traditional pronunciation (American parents can be dumb about names sometimes). I would say it with the hard Z sound though since I went to high school with a girl who said it like that. I saw Acelynn in my studio’s dance recital which is another idea.
I would say [name_f]ASHlin[/name_f]. But I’m British so we’d use the Irish pronunciation. Americans will probably say Icelin.
I always thought it was ayz-lin
I think, depending on where you live (and you can’t know for sure where your kid will end up living someday), a lot of Americans know the correct pronunciation of [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f] and will side-eye you if you pronounce it wrong. Same as they would if you decided to pronounce [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] Sye-o-bahn. Or [name_f]Niamh[/name_f] as [name_m]Nye[/name_m]-am. It just looks ignorant.
I don’t fully agree…I think some names have hard and fast pronunciation rules like [name_f]Siobhan[/name_f] and [name_f]Aoife[/name_f]…but not [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f]. I think many Irish, Welsh, and Celtic names have been Americanized to the point where different pronunciations are accepted. I doubt many would think it was strange to meet a girl named [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f] pronounced phonetically in American English.
I’d go for [name_u]Ash[/name_u]-lyn, and wouldn’t think twice. I’d consider the parents quite ignorant or uneducated on the name if they picked [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f] and pronounced it incorrectly. Harsh, maybe, but true.
I agree with @eoxima. With names outside of my own culture, I’d either use the established pronunciation or not use it at all. I understand liking an incorrect pronunciation of a name (I think [name_f]Orlaith[/name_f] said phoentically in English would be gorgeous), but I’d very much feel like I was disrespecting the culture if I used it anyway, regardless of what country I lived in.
[name_f]Aisling[/name_f] used to be one of my favourite names, and I still really like it, pronounced [name_u]ASH[/name_u]-ling, so I’d be kind of disappointed to meet an [name_f]Aislinn[/name_f], only to find they say it [name_m]ACE[/name_m]-linn. I also think if I were to pronounce it phonetically, I’d say it AYZ-linn, with a hard z sound, rather than [name_m]ACE[/name_m]-linn, with a soft s sound.