Pronunciation Questions

I have heard of a lot of [name]Leslie[/name]'s/[name]Lesley[/name]'s that really dislike their name pronounced with a “z” instead of an “s” sound, but I am definitely not one of them!! My name is [name]Lesley[/name], and I phonetically prefer to be referred to as ‘Lezz-ley’ than ‘Less-ley’…the only person I usually don’t cringe at who calls me “Less-ley” is my father (who also calls me “[name]Les[/name]”–and I say: “[name]Les/name is more, Pops!!”) haha. My mother, however, uses more of the “z” sound with my name, as does my older brother. To each their own, I suppose!! :slight_smile:

wow, it made her cry? Seems like such a small pronunciation difference. I have a friend named [name]Lesley[/name] and she pronounces it lezz-lee.

Yeah. Growing up, kids would say “lezzzz” and “lezzie,” with the sole purpose of bothering her. (It was around the age when kids first learn the term “lesbian,” and it was an offshoot of that.) She was only a little girl still in elementary school, and it drove her crazy. :frowning:

aw, poor kid. I remember when I was about 9, and I didn’t know the word lesbian. And I was with my best friend and her mom and her mom bought me a lizard beanie baby and she asked me what I was going to name it, and I said “Lezzie, Lezzie the Lizard”… and she told me that that wasn’t a good name, and I should just name her [name]Lizzie[/name]. I didn’t understand why at the time, haha.

That lizard story cracked me up! :slight_smile: Hearing my friend teased like that is one of the reasons I’m so concerned about the teasing potential of any name. (I also listened to another friend, who was the only [name]Maxine[/name] under the age of 60, be tormented with “maxi pad” jokes.)

Okay. New name! [name]Helena[/name]. I love [name]Helena[/name], but would be afraid to use it due to the various pronunciations.

I pronounce [name]Helena[/name] “hel-len-uh,” but I’ve heard “huh-[name]LAY[/name]-nuh” and “heh-[name]LEE[/name]-nuh” too.

[name]How[/name] do you pronounce [name]Helena[/name]?

hel-len-uh for me!

As for [name]Helena[/name], it’s hel-len-uh for me, too.

There are two pronunciations for [name]Genevieve[/name], zhahn-vee-EV and [name]GEN[/name]-uh-veev. The [name]Genevieve[/name] I know says zhahn-vee-EV, but she lives in Montreal. I prefer zhahn-vee-EV anyway. Which one do you guys like?

I’m in the [name]Gen[/name]-eh-veev boat :slight_smile:

I pronounce [name]Lettice[/name] Lah-[name]Tish[/name].

Yea! Some fellow “hel-len-uh’s”! :slight_smile: I’m a “jen-uh-veeve” person, too, and absolutely love the name.

[name]Helena[/name] - I instinctively say heh-[name]LAY[/name]-nah, so I’m the odd one out :slight_smile:

[name]Genevieve[/name]- I too instinctively say [name]JAHN[/name]-vee-ev, because that’s what I’m used to. I have a handful of relatives in [name]France[/name] with the name, and I adore it. I’m not particularly fond of the english prn.

[name]How[/name] about another French name? My middle name - [name]Anais[/name]? I’ve seen an alternate prn of it and it grates me :frowning:

I’ve always wondered how [name]Kate[/name] [name]Moss[/name]'s daughter’s name is pronounced.

[name]Lila[/name]

Is is [name]Lee[/name]- la or [name]Lil[/name] - la?

[name]Lila[/name] is pronounced Lie-la

[name]How[/name] do you say [name]Nevaeh[/name], anyway? I hate that “name” with a passion…

[name]Helena[/name]: I also say hel-[name]LAY[/name]-nuh

[name]Genevieve[/name]: I use the English pronunciation unless it’s spelled with the accent mark – Genevi”ve – which signals the stress on the last syllable.

[name]Lila[/name]: Ditto [name]Lyndsay[/name]. LYE-luh is the only way I’ve heard it.

[name]Leslie[/name]: I think I use some combination of an “s” and a “z.” I actually know a woman in her 50s whose name is [name]Lezlie[/name]! Atrocious spelling, but pronunciation problem solved!

[name]Nevaeh[/name]: I really hate this name. I think people pronounce it “[name]NEV[/name]-ee-ah,” which makes no phonetic sense. “[name]NEV[/name]-ay” would kind of make sense, but the name itself still looks so forced and contrived. Why not just name her [name]Heaven[/name]? What does spelling it backwards actually accomplish? I’ve even come across [name]Neveah[/name] before, and I sincerely hoped that the misspelling was intentional.

[name]Ana[/name]”s: I spell it with the umlaut, and pronounce it the French way: ah-nah-EES. Is that how you pronounce yours? I love it as a middle name!

I don’t say it. I just make a gagging noise. :slight_smile:

I don’t say it. I just make a gagging noise. :-)[/quote]

Ha! [name]Jill[/name] that nearly made me spit out my tea (sorry, I know that’s gross) - it was hilarious :slight_smile: now hubby is looking at me like I’m nuts…

[name]Emma[/name], yes! that’s how I pronounce it. I use the umlaut too, but I’m too lazy to type it. Somehow, I’ve heard many people pronounce it [name]Ah[/name]-nay, which bugs me to all end!!

I pronounce [name]Nevaeh[/name] neh-VAY as well. I’m lucky to have never heard this ‘name’ bestowed on an actual human being down here in Australia, only seen 1 birth announcement.

Funniest thing I’ve heard all day, [name]Jill[/name]. :slight_smile:

[name]How[/name] would you pronounce these names (these are some names that I like but have heard pronounced in different ways)?

Boys: [name]Lucian[/name]
Girls: [name]Kirsten[/name], [name]Lara[/name]

[name]Joaquin[/name] is pronounced wah-[name]KEEN[/name]. I forget what a tongue-twister that is at first (I grew up in the San [name]Joaquin[/name] [name]Valley[/name] so that’s something of its appeal to me).

The only way I have heard [name]Nevaeh[/name] pronounced is [name]Nev[/name]-AY-uh (from a couple gals with the name), and I actually find the pronunciation quite appealing. I thought it was cheesy once I heard the explanation but as far as the sound itself, it’s unobjectionable to me.