Pronunciations of names that make no sense to you:

This! I read it, then have to read it again and figure it out every time, never seems to stick :joy:

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I know [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] is “eh-LOW-en” but my brain always tries to read it as “EL-oh-wen” first!

And I’m still not sure which syllable is stressed in [name_u]Augustine[/name_u]… AW-gus-teen? AW-gus-tin? aw-GUS-tin? uh-GUS-ten? :exploding_head:

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So do I. I think it’s a local difference rather than being “wrong”.

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Isla. If you think of it like the word [name_u]Island[/name_u]( as that is literally what it means) it helps you to better understand the pronounciatuon I think.
Mine is [name_m]Elijah[/name_m] I really like this name but I pronouce it as E-ly-jah (soft JJ sound) and I’ve heard it pronounced with the hard g. I’m not even sure if I can describe this properly lol may have to do a voice note.

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Wait, I thought it was EL-oh-wen. :rofl:

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I say it like that as well. :slight_smile:

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Most people on nameberry pronounce it ELL-oh-in, but the actual Cornish pronunciation is how @katinka said it, like elle-[name_u]Owen[/name_u]

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Thank you! I never knew if it was “[name_u]Skyler[/name_u]” but half the people mispronounce it as “Schüler”, or “Schüler” and half the people mispronounce it as “[name_u]Skyler[/name_u]”!

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A name that always stuffs me up is [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]/Beatrix. I never know if I should pronounce it Beer-triss, [name_f]Bee[/name_f]-triss or [name_f]Bee[/name_f]-uh-triss. And I have no idea which one I prefer :joy:

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Horatio. I used to pronounce the T, don’t understand why it becomes sh.

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I agree that the pronunciation of the “anglicized” versions of Greek mythology names make no sense. Because they’re usually nothing like the Ancient Greek pronunciation, and on top of that [name_f]English[/name_f] isn’t my first language (or even my second :sweat_smile:). I find the way I pronounce the Greek mythology names instinctively in my own language or accent is closer to the original and modern Greek pronunciation (like ehn-dyh-MEE-on rather than ehn-DYH-mee-un for [name_m]Endymion[/name_m]). But correct me if I’m wrong, because I’m no expert on Ancient Greek :slightly_smiling_face:

Edit: by chance I saw Stephen Fry’s book Mythos on my coffee table as I was writing this reply, and I’d like to quote him on the pronunciation of Greek mythology names:

Modern Greeks pronounce it one way, English and American academics their ways and common usage, insomuch as there is common usage, goes its way. Anyone who tells you that there is a definitive right or wrong can be doubted, in my opinion.

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Malachi… I always want to say “mal-a-chee,” even though I know better.

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They’re kal-yo-pee and an-tee-go-nee in Greek so I get tripped up over these too!
Also: [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] (LEE-san-der, not LIE-san-der), [name_f]Athena[/name_f]/ (ah-thee-NAH, not ah-THEE-nah), [name_u]Calypso[/name_u] (kah-lee-PSO not kah-LEE-pso), [name_f]Thalia[/name_f] (THAH-lyah, not TAH-lee-ah) and many, many others lol.

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In my accent, it’s literally impossible to pronounce it right. I’ve TRIED. It’s like a British person trying not to say beer-triss when pronouncing [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]. :confused: (I say it as kal (K + first syllable of [name_m]Alan[/name_m])-ee-oh-pee if anyone is curious — It’s the closest I can get! :rofl:)

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It’s the same as the word ratio. And there are a bunch of words in [name_f]English[/name_f] that end in -tion that have the same “sh” sound for the t so this is really more a problem with [name_f]English[/name_f] which I’ve heard has many problems. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Beat-rice all the way!

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Lila I feel it should be [name_f]Lil[/name_f]-uh not Lie-luh. I suppose [name_f]Lilla[/name_f] fixes that problem but it still bothers me
I’ve seen people say [name_u]Anne[/name_u] as if it were [name_f]Annie[/name_f] and that bothers me too

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This isn’t a pronunciation that makes no sense, but when I see [name_m]Reuben[/name_m] I want to say ROY-ben instead of ROO-ben.

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Same here! Haha!

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Ommgggg- This & say-oh-rise!