[name]Hi[/name]. I just have a quick question for any of you willing to help. We have a two syllable last name and are finding that most of the first names that we like are also two-syllable. I know that ideally you should go with a 3-1-2 syllable order. But if we can’t do that, is it better to have a 2-1-2 or a 2-2-2? Or does it depend on the names?
Thanks for your help!
I think it depends on the names but 2-1-2 would probably sound a little better than 2-2-2.
It’s nice to have names with varying syllable counts adjacent to each other. In general, 2-3-2 names will sound nicer than 2-2-2 names, which will have a very choppy-sounding cadence.
However, that’s a decently flexible ‘rule.’ The one phonetic rule that really is inflexible is placing two stressed syllables next to each other.
For example-- [name]Joseph[/name] [name]Thomas[/name] [name]Gordon[/name] is a 2-2-2 name, which sounds choppy (rise-fall rise-fall rise-fall), but it still works because in each of those names the first syllable is stressed. Contrast that with [name]Joseph[/name] [name]Christophe[/name] [name]Gordon[/name] [[name]Jo[/name]-seph chri-STOPHE GOR-don]. Can you hear how the cadence literally stops between STOPHE and GOR?
Since, obviously, all 1-syllable names receive the stress, those names do serve to break up flow. It can be done to dramatic effect, because it will highlight that monosyllabic name. Try: [name]Joseph[/name] [name]Tate[/name] [name]Gordon[/name]. Hear how the ‘[name]Tate[/name]’ is really emphasized?
However, it’s even more pleasing to the ear to have a ‘break’ between stressed syllables of 2+ unstressed ones. Hear the difference: [name]Joseph[/name] [name]Dominic[/name] [name]Gordon[/name]. [[name]JO[/name]-seph [name]DOM[/name]-i-nic GOR-don].