Baby Naming and Lack of Phonics Instruction

[Jenny in Florida]

Here is a name. La-sha. Many called her Lasha, and the mom would correct them and say "You gotta say the DASH!". Its Ladasha.......ok.

 

http://www.snopes.com/racial/language/le-a.asp

[Mom2J112903]

Here is a name. La-sha. Many called her Lasha, and the mom would correct them and say "You gotta say the DASH!". Its Ladasha.......ok.

 

I was telling my DH about this name earlier today. He said "yeah, there is a woman here in town that has that name". One of his co-workers knows her personally. I guess that is the south for you :tongue_smilie:

[texasmama]

Well now you have me skeered (lol, j/k)... how do you pronounce Jinnah (my screen name and dd's middle name)? It's an Indian version (as my ex-husband is Indian) of an American name, but it's pronounced a little differently. What does it look like to you?

 

Jin-uh (with the emphasis on the first syllable)

[Dobela]

My mom is Laura pronounced law-rah as well. I never knew people thought Laura could be pronounced lah-rah until I came to this board! The only lah-rahs I've ever known have spelled their names Lara. So funny, the distinctions people make.

 

QUOTE] I had a dear old great aunt in Tennessee who had this fabulous southern drawl. She is the only one would would call me Lah-ruh but it was more of a Laaaah-ruh LOL. My middle name is simply Ann and she would pronounce it A - yun. How I miss her :)

[katemary63]

I also say Lar-uh, not Lore-uh. When we briefly lived in the midwest I noticed everyone there pronouncing the au with an o sound. I do think this is regional.

 

:iagree: I'm from Wisconsin. My sister's name is Laura. (Lore-ah). No one EVER calls her Lar-ah, unless they are from out of the area. My dad married a woman from PA. She says Lar-ah. My sister just responds normally. I don't think anyone's ever mentioned it to her although I do think it's odd that she hears the entire family say it one way yet still chooses to say it another. I don't think my sister considers it a "different" name though, just an alternative way to say her name.

 

I might add that when my dad met his wife, we kids were all in our 20's and it was the first time we had EVER heard anyone say Lar-ah...EVER. In the midwest, Laura is Lore-ah period.

[melissel]

My mom is Laura pronounced law-rah as well. I never knew people thought Laura could be pronounced lah-rah until I came to this board! The only lah-rahs I've ever known have spelled their names Lara. So funny, the distinctions people make.

 

QUOTE] I had a dear old great aunt in Tennessee who had this fabulous southern drawl. She is the only one would would call me Lah-ruh but it was more of a Laaaah-ruh LOL. My middle name is simply Ann and she would pronounce it A - yun. How I miss her :)

 

You know, I just realized that my grandmother from Missouri pronounces my mom's name that way! I guess the regions and accents can make a big difference :001_smile:

[tex-mex]

Most people do, it seems. We use the Spanish pronunciation (eh-vah), which sounds more like "Ava".

:iagree: My mom's name was Eva -- most pronounced it "Ee-vah" -- but her mother and family pronounced it "EH-vah" in Spanish.

Edited December 30, 2010 by tex-mex

[tex-mex]

I was telling my DH about this name earlier today. He said "yeah, there is a woman here in town that has that name". One of his co-workers knows her personally. I guess that is the south for you :tongue_smilie:

Reminds me of the man who legally changed his name to "Captain Awesome" and writes his name like this:

 

[ -> ^_^ <- ]

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/captain-awesome-douglas-smith-jr-cut/story?id=12353814

[angela in ohio]

I would argue it's too MUCH phonics instruction! :)

 

For example, I know a Zachary whose name is spelled Zakaree.

 

 

Jessica

 

But that doesn't spell Zachary. Wouldn't that be ZAKE-A-REE?

[angela in ohio]

Was it Teamhair, which is Irish Gaelic?

 

Tara (TAR-ah, not TARE-uh)

 

Could have been. :001_smile:

 

I read Tara as TARE-uh, because that's how my best friend growing up pronounced it. I have to exert huge amounts of power over my brain and mouth to say TAR-ah when that is how someone tells me to pronounce it. I've only met one TAR-ah around here, though, luckily. TARE-uh must be the go-to pronunciation in the Midwest. :D

[katemary63]

Lar-ah, Lore-ra? Tar-ah, Tare-ah? What about Tanya?

 

Is it Tahn-ya? Or Tan-ya? I never know and just have to ask the bearer.

 

No one ever misprounces my name, Lisa. But over the last few years, they have started to ask me how to spell it??? I've never heard of or seen an alternative spelling. But I guess these days, more and more people are taking nothing for granted.

[springmama]

Here is a name. La-sha. Many called her Lasha, and the mom would correct them and say "You gotta say the DASH!". Its Ladasha.......ok.

 

Wow, another one? I posted a few pages back in this thread about a girl who was named "La-A" pronounced "Ladasha"

 

Seriously. What is up with that?

 

 

I wonder if these mothers know that a - is not a dash. Those girls should have been called Lahyphensha,:lol:

[zaichiki]

When DS#4 came along we named him Joaquim...thinking the biblical spelling Joachim would cause problems. We were wrong..we have gotten Ja-qualm,Wakeem and one teacher that spent all year calling him Joke-em.

 

I think I've seen this as a popular Portuguese name pronounced "Wa-keem."

[EthiopianFood]

I think I've seen this as a popular Portuguese name pronounced "Wa-keem."

 

:iagree:How else would it be pronounced?

[Crimson Wife]

:iagree:How else would it be pronounced?

Isn't it typically ZHO-a-keem?

[Trish]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that phonics rules do not or do not have to apply to proper names. I wish I could remember where I read that, but I've read tons of books on phonics, and cannot recall where I read it.

 

I've seen some names with crazy spellings. With some of them it's plain that the parents just could not spell. Most of the time I can tell when a name is foreign or a made up spelling. I know some people that assume that all names that are spelled differently than they believe it should be were written by people that cannot spell.

 

I've known both Dwayne's and Duane's. Dwayne is actually a very common spelling of that name.

 

Like that Irish name, Siobbhan. Not pronounced anything like how it looks to the American eye.

[EthiopianFood]

Isn't it typically ZHO-a-keem?

 

I've never in my life heard that, but now I"m hoping to come across it! :D

[zaichiki]

I just searched around the internet a bit and found native voices pronouncing Joaquim in Catalan (Spanish) and Brazilian Portuguese. Sure sounded like Zho-ah-keem! One sounded like Joe-ah-keem. I also found wa-KEEM. Very interesting!

 

ETA: And then there's Joaquin Phoenix -- I remember thinking that his name was "walking" when I heard it pronounced.

Edited December 30, 2010 by zaichiki

[cathmom]

I just searched around the internet a bit and found native voices pronouncing Joaquim in Catalan (Spanish) and Brazilian Portuguese. Sure sounded like Zho-ah-keem! One sounded like Joe-ah-keem. I also found wa-KEEM. Very interesting!

 

ETA: And then there's Joaquin Phoenix -- I remember thinking that his name was "walking" when I heard it pronounced.

 

FYI, Catalan is not Spanish and if you call it that, you will most likely offend many Catalonians! :001_smile:

[dakarimom5]

We actually pronounce it Joe-a-quim...or just like it is spelled. We really thought we would have more problems with the biblical spelling (Joachim) being mispronounced then this way...we were wrong.

 

My daughter's name is Liliana..pronounced Lily-on-a...not Lily-Anna.

[DarlaS]

This is simple marketing. Nothing in advertising is by accident.

 

No kidding. And why be bothered by that when they call it LUVS? :001_huh:

[DarlaS]

That was probably a good ten years ago, and at that point I had only seen it spelled with a "vowel" in between the D and W, i.e Dewayne.

 

Not a big deal on any account, but since the OP was questioning phonics instruction. . .by the rules of our language there should be at least one vowel in each syllable :)

 

Dwayne has one syllable--at least here in Michigan.

 

Okay, so haw many syllables in Dwight, dwarf or dwell? Now I'm curious.

[MarinesWife]

My mom is Laura pronounced law-rah as well. I never knew people thought Laura could be pronounced lah-rah until I came to this board! The only lah-rahs I've ever known have spelled their names Lara. So funny, the distinctions people make.

 

When I was growing up, I could never believe the number of people who tried to spell my name Mellisa. I have never, ever met someone whose name was spelled that way, yet so many people assumed that's the way it was spelled. Wouldn't that be "mel-leesa," and not "mel-issa"?

I'm Melissa also but always wondered why it wasn't spelled Muhlissa. LOL Because we don't say mel issa. Anyway. It's either Mellisa or Melisa or something weird or I'm just called Michelle. Mostly Michelle. :glare:

[MarinesWife]

This thread has cracked me up but especially "the dash isn't silent!"

[Corraleno]

We actually pronounce it Joe-a-quim...or just like it is spelled. We really thought we would have more problems with the biblical spelling (Joachim) being mispronounced then this way...we were wrong.

I think most Americans would be more familiar with the Spanish version, Joaquin, which is pronounced "wa-keen," so they would assume that Joaquim must be "wa-keem." Merriam-Webster pronounces Joachim as "yo-AH-kim," which is how I've always heard it.

 

Jackie

[Jumping In Puddles]

I worked in NYC with a girl named Merry. She was from Chicago where apparently Mary and Merry are homophones! :eek: ;)

 

In NY, everyone called her Merry, as in Merry Christmas with a short e until they were corrected. That must have been kind of annoying.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I worked in NYC with a girl named Merry. She was from Chicago where apparently Mary and Merry are homophones! :eek: ;)

 

In NY, everyone called her Merry, as in Merry Christmas with a short e until they were corrected. That must have been kind of annoying.

 

In IN Merry and Mary are homophones. Not sure how they would be pronounced differently. My only contribution to this conversation is that I spelled my kids names 'traditionally' and no one can spell them because they are expecting some creative spelling.:glare:

[Jumping In Puddles]

In IN Merry and Mary are homophones. Not sure how they would be pronounced differently. My only contribution to this conversation is that I spelled my kids names 'traditionally' and no one can spell them because they are expecting some creative spelling.:glare:

 

In NJ/NY, Mary rhymes with hairy but Merry does not. :tongue_smilie: Short e on Merry... like berry, Kerry, very.

[LidiyaDawn]

I worked in NYC with a girl named Merry. She was from Chicago where apparently Mary and Merry are homophones! :eek: ;)

 

In NY, everyone called her Merry, as in Merry Christmas with a short e until they were corrected. That must have been kind of annoying.

 

They both sound exactly the same to me.. :001_huh:

[LidiyaDawn]

In NJ/NY, Mary rhymes with hairy but Merry does not. :tongue_smilie: Short e on Merry... like berry, Kerry, very.

 

THOSE all sound the same to me. :tongue_smilie:

[flyingiguana]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_r

 

Lots of info on the merry, Mary, marry sounds.

 

When I listen to the North American pronunciations at the Oxford English dictionary website, merry, Mary, and marry all sound the same to me. They seem to think that is the standard in North America, although the British pronunciation differs. Oddly, though, the written phonetic pronunciations given are the same for "marry" in both North Am and British, but the sound files they give are obviously very different. The written phonetic pronunciation for merry and Mary are different, even though they sound the same to me. This could be that my ear isn't picking it up, but the lack of correspondence with the marry pronunciations makes me wonder if these written out versions are just wrong. )

Edited December 31, 2010 by flyingiguana

[flyingiguana]

I just searched around the internet a bit and found native voices pronouncing Joaquim in Catalan (Spanish) and Brazilian Portuguese. Sure sounded like Zho-ah-keem! One sounded like Joe-ah-keem. I also found wa-KEEM. Very interesting!

 

ETA: And then there's Joaquin Phoenix -- I remember thinking that his name was "walking" when I heard it pronounced.

 

Not to mention the San Joaquin Valley. Coming from California, I never would have imagined Joaquim to be pronounced Joe-a-keem.

[Jumping In Puddles]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_r

 

Lots of info on the merry, Mary, marry sounds.

 

When I listen to the North American pronunciations at the Oxford English dictionary website, merry, Mary, and marry all sound the same to me.

 

What about songs that include

? Does it sound to you like they are saying Mary Christmas?? I hear merry, not Mary. :D

[LidiyaDawn]

What about songs that include

? Does it sound to you like they are saying Mary Christmas?? I hear merry, not Mary. :D

 

YES! :laugh:

 

mary/very/merry/dairy/carrie/kerry/hairy/ferry/fairy/harry/ = all perfect rhymes for each other.

[cathmom]

In NJ/NY, Mary rhymes with hairy but Merry does not. :tongue_smilie: Short e on Merry... like berry, Kerry, very.

 

Yep, I'm from southern NJ, my mom's from NY, and Mary and merry are different for me.

[Jumping In Puddles]

YES! :laugh:

 

mary/very/merry/dairy/carrie/kerry/hairy/ferry/fairy/harry/ = all perfect rhymes for each other.

 

:eek:

 

Ok, last one... clearly they are saying p E rry (e like dead)

Right? :lol:

 

At about 1:15 in, Candace rhymes Perry with Larry (not rhymes, LOL) but they say Perry and Larry together a few times and it's so apparent that they are pronouncing it differently!! EDIT: She does rhyme prairy and Larry, scary, dairy, and all of those don't sound like Perry. OMG, maybe it is me?!?! :lol:

Edited December 31, 2010 by Jumping In Puddles

[*Jessica*]

In NJ/NY, Mary rhymes with hairy but Merry does not. :tongue_smilie: Short e on Merry... like berry, Kerry, very.

Not in my NY! :tongue_smilie: They all sound the same to me. I can't imagine another way to pronounce them, unless we're rhyming them with Murray?

[Laura Corin]

Not in my NY! :tongue_smilie: They all sound the same to me. I can't imagine another way to pronounce them, unless we're rhyming them with Murray?

 

I pronounce 'Mary' as 'mare-ee'. 'Merry' has a short 'e' like 'bed'.

 

But then, I pronounce paw, pour, pore and poor exactly the same.

 

Laura

[texasmama]

In NJ/NY, Mary rhymes with hairy but Merry does not. :tongue_smilie: Short e on Merry... like berry, Kerry, very.

 

All of these are pronounced exactly the same in Texas.:tongue_smilie:

[kokotg]

In NJ/NY, Mary rhymes with hairy but Merry does not. :tongue_smilie: Short e on Merry... like berry, Kerry, very.

 

They all sound the same to me, too. I think we're not very careful with our vowels in the south. I was in high school before I realized that pin and pen aren't homophones. And I went to the University of Georgia, where they spell the mascot "dawgs" to somehow emphasize that it should be given a certain pronunciation that still sounds pretty much exactly like the regular pronunciation of "dogs" to me. Oh! Except one time when I worked at a movie theater I kept seeing a trailer for the Tom Berenger/Barbara Hershey movie, "Last of the Dogmen" and the narrator said both "dog" and "men" with such exaggerated pronunciation that I finally understood the difference (with dog; I had already figured out about e's vs. i's way back in high school :D).

[texasmama]

They all sound the same to me, too. I think we're not very careful with our vowels in the south. I was in high school before I realized that pin and pen aren't homophones. And I went to the University of Georgia, where they spell the mascot "dawgs" to somehow emphasize that it should be given a certain pronunciation that still sounds pretty much exactly like the regular pronunciation of "dogs" to me. Oh! Except one time when I worked at a movie theater I kept seeing a trailer for the Tom Berenger/Barbara Hershey movie, "Last of the Dogmen" and the narrator said both "dog" and "men" with such exaggerated pronunciation that I finally understood the difference (with dog; I had already figured out about e's vs. i's way back in high school :D).

 

I concur.:D

 

People from the Northeast pronounce my name (Carol) with a short a sound that you could drive a truck through.:tongue_smilie: Here in the south, I am Care - ul.

[Guest]

JIN-uh?

 

It's interesting to hear you say that, because my great-grandmother, mom and oldest sister are all named "Ninnah", a name I'd never seen anywhere else before (and of course is also mispronounced, most often as "Nee-nuh".) They pronounce it NIN-uh.

 

We were told that it's an Indian name that means "princess". What were you told about the meaning of Jinnah?

 

One well-known name spelling that's always bugged me is Jinger Duggar. I always want to give it a hard "g" in the middle, like "jingle": JIN-gur....

 

I know they were doing the whole "J" thing, but it still bugs me... LOL

 

Yes! It's just like Ninnah, but with a "J".

 

Honestly, I have no idea what it means, lol. I first read it in one of the books in the Left Behind series (there was an Indian character named Jinnah). I asked my then-husband if he's ever heard it before. He hadn't, but knew it was Indian and liked it, so we used it.

 

Jin-uh (with the emphasis on the first syllable)

Edited December 31, 2010 by Jinnah

[my2boysteacher]

May I throw this in?

How would you pronounce 'Aislyn'?

 

I *thought* I spelled it so it would pronounced correctly, it seemed obvious to me, after all. :lol:

[Laura Corin]

May I throw this in?

How would you pronounce 'Aislyn'?

 

I *thought* I spelled it so it would pronounced correctly, it seemed obvious to me, after all. :lol:

 

Laura

[Crimson Wife]

I pronounce 'Mary' as 'mare-ee'. 'Merry' has a short 'e' like 'bed'.

 

But then, I pronounce paw, pour, pore and poor exactly the same.

 

Pour, pore, and poor all sound the same to me. But Mary has almost a long "a" sound, marry has a short "a" sound, and merry has a short "e" sound.