pronunciation of Clara?

Would you say Clah-ra, or [name_u]Clair[/name_u]-a? I prefer it to sound like [name_f]Claire[/name_f], but with two syllables. Would you spell it any differently to get the long A sound? I usually like to stick with traditional spellings, but I’m just curious about how others see it.

The default is definitely Clah-ra. I’ve never heard anyone pronounce it [name_f]Claira[/name_f] in the US. But if you want that pronunciation, you should spell it [name_f]Claira[/name_f].

I say CLAH-ruh myself, though I have heard it said both ways here and there. I think with either pronunciation, spelling it [name_f]Clara[/name_f] is still your best bet - all it takes is a quick, simple correction afterall…

[name_u]Clair[/name_u]-uh, definitely. Clah-ruh sounds weird to me. I’m from Kansas and I could never in a million years picture anyone here saying clah-ruh. My dance studio does the Nutcracker every year and I’ve never heard clah-ruh.

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I am from the southwestern part of the USA. I love the name [name_f]Clara[/name_f] (pronounced ‘[name_u]Clair[/name_u]-a’). I’ve never known [name_f]Clara[/name_f] to be pronounced or spelled any other way.

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I definitely pronounce it Clah-ra as do most people here in Australia. I associate the [name_u]Clair[/name_u]-a pronunciation with the US.

I have an extended family friend who is named [name_f]Claira[/name_f], and her name was spelled that way so it was said as [name_u]Clair[/name_u]-a.

This is interesting… I would have said the opposite. In Aus, I find people say [name_u]Clair[/name_u]-a and I assume the US say clah-rah. Huh:confused:

Oh ok, maybe I misspoke! I had thought most Aussies would go with the British pronunciation, but I could be wrong of course! I guess I should say my family and people I know would say Clah-ra, while my American father says [name_u]Clair[/name_u]-a.

I’ve only ever heard it [name_u]Clair[/name_u]-ah here; it may be an east coast/mid-atlantic thing. Clah-ra I’ve always associated with the UK and Australia (names always seem to sound so much better in their accents!).

I’m in the U.S and know three different Claras. I’ve only heard it pronounced claira and spelled [name_f]Clara[/name_f].

[name_f]Claire[/name_f]-ah. The Clah-rah pronunciation seems to be exclusively in the UK and Australia. I haven’t heard it pronounced that way anywhere else.

Yep it’s [name_f]Clara[/name_f] pronounced [name_f]Claire[/name_f]-uh in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] too!

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[name_u]Clair[/name_u]-a is the only way I’ve ever heard it pronounced in the US

I’m from the UK and I think everyone here says CLAH-ruh. [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] name, but I don’t like [name_u]CLAIR[/name_u]-ah.

I say CLAH-ruh, and it’s definitely the best pronunciation in my opinion. I live in the UK and that’s the only way I’ve heard it. But I don’t think it would be too difficult to get the pronunciation you want.

Clah-ra, I’ve never met one though

This name WAS on my list until I noticed that I switch between the two pronunciations depending on the other words in the sentence. Sometimes I feel like I’m faking a British accent when I say Clah-rah so I revert to [name_f]Claire[/name_f]-ah. I’m from NJ, if that matters. My husband is from [name_m]Boston[/name_m] and consistently says Clah-rah (but can you really trust how a Bostonian speaks? [name_u]Ever[/name_u]? :slight_smile: )

I always say Clah-ruh, but the first time I ever took notice to this name was [name_m]Doctor[/name_m] Who. I know in the US most people say [name_u]Clair[/name_u]-ah, so if you live here and you prefer that pronunciation, I think most people would say that.

I’m from the UK and the only [name_f]Clara[/name_f] I know pronounces her name ‘claire-ah’. You might get pronunciation issues (I know she has to correct people sometimes) but I get that with my common, ‘say-it-how-its-spelt’ name.

I am from the south and it is firmly [name_f]Claire[/name_f] uh. I have my own little [name_f]Clara[/name_f]! I do want to also point out that in movies like [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] and the Nutcracker, they always say [name_f]Claire[/name_f] uh.

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