Names which you mispronounced for years, before eventually realising...

Secret option 3: Properly educated.

Well...the most properly educated person in the world isn't going to magically be able to pronounce names like Saoirse, Rhun, Pwyll, Sadhbh, Angharad, Senghennydd, Thibault etc etc the first time thy hear them. I assume you know how pronounce all of these correctly? :colonhash:

It's not because they're uneducated that people can't pronounce these. If you have no connection with the culture/language that the name originates from and don't know anyone with that name, there's no reason why you should be able to. :dontknow:

Reply 581

Lewis :D

3

Original post by Dusty12

Well...the most properly educated person in the world isn't going to magically be able to pronounce names like Saoirse, Rhun, Pwyll, Sadhbh, Angharad, Senghennydd, Thibault etc etc the first time thy hear them. I assume you know how pronounce all of these correctly? :colonhash:

It's not because they're uneducated that people can't pronounce these. If you have no connection with the culture/language that the name originates from and don't know anyone with that name, there's no reason why you should be able to. :dontknow:

Angharad

I love that name!

Reply 582

username853479

14

I thought Sinead was see-en-ade rather than Shen-ade

Reply 583

Tiger Rag

22

I must learn to read the thread title. My last post is obviously not a name! (still do say it wrong though)

Reply 584

I<3GraphicNovels

Original post by inadilemma

How do you pronounce Matt Groening's last name? :/

Grain-ing.

Reply 585

inadilemma

12

Original post by I<3GraphicNovels

Grain-ing.

Ta

Reply 586

amison

13

Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox

Caoimhe

..and I'm sorry, but can I be blamed? How on Earth does "kaym-he" equal "kee-vah"? *Cry*

It's my middle name :cool:

Combine it with a surname that looks like it should be pronounced "white-ar" and is, instead, pronounced "whit-e-arr" and you're looking at the source of several disagreements with teachers/receptionists/anyone.

Reply 587

StarsAreFixed

13

Original post by gypsyclimber

Siobhan - still don't quite understand how that can be pronounced shi-vorn

Also my friend Ieuan - pronounced 'yi-un'.

It's not in English, it's in Irish so it's much like you wouldn't expect to automatically be able to pronounce other names in foreign languages.

Sio (also seo) makes a 'shuh' sound. Bh substitutes for 'v', there is none in Irish. There is an accent on the a- Siobhán which changes the a into an aww sound. The n is pronounced as normal. So shuh-vawn. Or shove-awn if that's easier? Not shi-vorn, no r's! Anyway that's the explanation which makes perfect sense to me and probably only to me... :smile:

Sinéad is shi-nade, not she-nade though it will sound that way in some accent. (Not you, someone else..)

Reply 588

No Man

15

I always thought the a in Caleb was pronounced like the a in cat until recently.
I also thought this guy called Kareem was called cream when I was about 10.

And I thought Caolon was pronounced colon.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 589

SweetChilliSauce

Mainly Asian names for me, since I'm not used to them lols.

Reply 590

username91207

16

Original post by I<3GraphicNovels

Grain-ing.

I've always said "groan-egg" for some reason :erm:

Reply 591

philistine

OP

14

Original post by snowyowl

I've always said "groan-egg" for some reason :erm:

Isn't that what you get if you order eggs at a seedy diner?

Reply 592

hannahhaworth

15

Whilst reading James Frey's A Millikon Little Pieces, I always read the name Leonard in my head as Leo - nard, I was furious when I found out it was actually Len-nard

Reply 593

username306617

14

O'Brien.
I know that it's meant to be O'Bryan but my brain/mouth insists on saying O'Brain every time.

Reply 594

Disenchanted

15

Niamh, I actually thought it was nee-am for ages until I heard a TV character with said name being pronounced completely differently!

Reply 595

weirdnessandcoffee

15

Island
I used to say 'Ezz land'

Reply 596

PhoenixTear

1

Hugh, I used to think it was huh!

Reply 597

rosieoconnor

Siobhan - I pronounced it Sib-han until I was about 13 or so.
Hagrid - I used to pronounce it Hay-grid
Lucian - I used to pronounce it Loo-shee-un
Marseille - Before I went there, I pronounced it like Marcel

tehehe

Reply 598