See the results of this poll: Which Pronunciation?
Respondents: 55 (This poll is closed)
- VEE-o-la : 5 (9%)
- vee-O-la : 14 (25%)
- VYE-o-la : 11 (20%)
- vye-O-la: 25 (45%)
I pronounce it vee-OH-la, too. I guess that’s the prettiest way to say it. I’m from the southwestern US. The name is nice, although it’s a little too operatic for my tastes.
I know someone with this name, it’s pronounced VYE-o-la, or I think actually they might not say the o part very strongly so it’s more like VYE-la. Basically it’s [name_f]Violet[/name_f] with the -et chopped off and an -a added on. This is also my favorite way to pronounce it. I don’t really like the vee-O-la pronunciation. Like the instrument. I don’t know anyone else with this name so I wouldn’t say there is any common way of saying it in my area. I live in the midwest US.
In [name_f]Russia[/name_f] it’s pronounced Vee-OH-lah, so this is how I’m used to pronouncing it. I like Viy-OH-lah better, though.
I pronounce it vye-oh-la. This is the most natural pronunciation for me and also me favorite. I grew up in southern Germany but currently live in [name_m]Washington[/name_m] DC.
To me it’s vye-OH-lah - but I’d say that there’s stress on the first syllable too like VYE-OH-lah. I’m in the UK; I don’t know anyone called [name_f]Viola[/name_f], but my English teacher always said the name this way and I’ve only heard it in plays this way too.
[name_f]My[/name_f] music teacher on the other hand, is Scottish and refers to the instrument as a vee-oh-lah. So I don’t know… is it a different pronunciation, or is it just her accent?
I pronounce it VYE-oh-la… like in [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] in [name_u]Love[/name_u] 
Pronounced that way, I think it’s stunning!
I’ve always pronounced it vie-O-lə. I’ve seen vee-O-lə before though.
[name_f]My[/name_f] understanding is the musical instrument is a vee-oh-lah.
And the flower and Shakespearean name is vye-oh-la. Violas having the same vye sound as violets. Violets being part of the viola family, actually, along with pansies and heartsease and so on.
So that’d neatly explain the gulf between your English teacher and your music teacher, but as far as meeting a baby [name_f]Viola[/name_f] I would still check the parent’s intent.
I found this out because I (a gardener) was squabbling with my DH (a musician) and we’ve declared it a tie/draw and we’re both right. 
It’s interesting how one name/word can have so many different pronunciations.
I believe the Shakespearean [name_f]Viola[/name_f] was a VYE-o-la (which sounds forced when I say it).
[name_f]Violet[/name_f] was derived from [name_f]Viola[/name_f], so anything that has to do with flowers seems to be vye-O-la.
From what I’ve seen it doesn’t look like the “i” existed as an “eye” in Latin and that’s where my confusion and I believe all the different pronunciations come from (as the words/names were anglicized).
I do like vye-O-la but still prefer vee-O-la, also due to this pronunciation being the more common one internationally.
I don’t think it would be to hard to get people to pronounce the name differently than they might do intuitively, what do you think?
[name_m]How[/name_m] do you view the names pronounced as vee-O-la?
This is what I’ve always thought as well - I say [name_f]Viola[/name_f] (the name) like VYE-uh-luh but you can hardly hear the middle ‘uh’ sound as the first one is so emphasized. Does that make sense? I’m probably wrong, but I have met 3 Violas who all pronounced their name like this.
So they pronounced it VYE-la?
I say vee-OH-la, but sometimes I say VYE-oh-la, too (I think? Maybe it’s vye-OH-la?).