Margo out of lurking Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 My kids and I say there are three syllables, Wil-li-am. Most people would say there are two syllables, Will-yum. In fact, we are the only three people I can find who say there are three syllables. Anyone care to join us? Note to those using SWR: This is what will happen to you and your children down the road, not that it's a bad thing. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Two. Unless when you say it then you actually say "wil-li-am" then three. But I don't know anyone who pronounces it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Well, my son agrees with you. I tend to lean toward the two syllable version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 All I can think of is Wil-lee-yum from an old Smiths song "...it was really nothing." :o So I guess my vote is 3 syllables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Two, because that's how I pronounce it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Three. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Will-ee-um. Three. (Brit version) Will-yum. Two. (Texas version) Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 (edited) Well I'm William, my dad is William, and my son is William. I say 3. The name is Wil-lee-um not Will-yum, although I'd entertain the argument that the ee-um sound is a diphthong technically making it two syllables. I think? But I've heard plenty of dissenting opinions, including those of my wife the English major. But I put my fingers in my ears :D Bill (really William :tongue_smilie:) Edited April 30, 2009 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I say three. The "i" is quick, but is distinct the way I say it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Two - I've never heard anyone say it with three distinct syllables. :) (obviously some do - it's prolly like a lot of words that way) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I say 2. But I also notice you are in Virginia. A native perhaps? I say this because my dear great aunt from there can stretch my first name into more syllables than anyone I have ever been around. Ann become A-un and my mom's Dorothy (we say door-thee) become Do-ruh-the). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I say three. However in AR, Land of Lazy Talkers, it sounds like two. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I say three. The "i" is quick, but is distinct the way I say it. I have a William but he goes by Will. If he's called William it's not usually a good thing. :tongue_smilie: And I say it both ways depending on how tired I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I've never heard that name said with three syllables and I can't even imagine how it would sound even with all the examples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 I say 2. But I also notice you are in Virginia. A native perhaps? LOL, no, grew up in Silicon Valley, then lived in Denver for 20 years before coming here. I think 'William' is one of those words that we've slurred over the years, along with 'wouldn't' and others that escape me right now. The reasons behind the 'William' responses are interesting to me. When we began discussing it (from an advice column in the paper!), I looked it up online. I do slur it together somewhat, but it comes out more like Will-yem, never Will-yum. It makes me wonder about the Joo-lee-uh/Jewel-ya name, but I won't start that here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 It makes me wonder about the Joo-lee-uh/Jewel-ya name, but I won't start that here! Joo-lee-uh Bill (whose son's other grandfather was also William) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Will "yum" doesn't sound right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy in Indy Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 According to Merriam Webster, it's 2. ˈwil-yəm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 It's 2 here. And I have a William. Who is named after a William. So I have credentials :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 I say three. I call my son Will ee um. But, I just asked him how many syllables his name has and he said "2, Will yum" :001_huh: I swear when he tells people his name it comes out as Will ee um. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pajama Mama Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Two. But I'm from South Philly and we mangle most words:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 utopia mania anemia dahlia India diameter liable tibia and Julia :) The "i" and "a" are said as separate sounds, so, phonetically, it should be three syllables, regardless of how we say it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 3 syllables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 My 9 year old suggests that you just say "dude" instead and avoid all syllabic confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 My 9 year old suggests that you just say "dude" instead and avoid all syllabic confusion. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 My 9 year old suggests that you just say "dude" instead and avoid all syllabic confusion. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyMcGillicuddy Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Note to those using SWR: This is what will happen to you and your children down the road, not that it's a bad thing. :D I'm married to a William and we use SWR so I guess around here it would be "think to spell" 3 syllables but we say 2 syllables (will-yum). :001_smile: Bonnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Well, if you have a son named Liam, I tend to think you'd say three..... Although some people do try to pronounce his name as a single syllable, which I find quite amusing.... I now understand perfectly why some old folks who carried that name were nicknamed "Lime" -never could figure that one out when I was growing up.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Will-yum is said here in the midwest. I have never heard it said any other way. So, I vote for 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 The first syllable we agree on--Will Every syllable has a vowel, but can have more than one, but in that case, the two have to be a digraph or a diphthong. An i followed by an a is neither, so each vowel is sounded separately, no matter how quickly. Violin is another instance of two vowels together where each is sounded separately because oi do not go together as either a digraph or a diphthong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 The first syllable we agree on--Will Every syllable has a vowel, but can have more than one, but in that case, the two have to be a digraph or a diphthong. An i followed by an a is neither, so each vowel is sounded separately, no matter how quickly. Violin is another instance of two vowels together where each is sounded separately because oi do not go together as either a digraph or a diphthong. :iagree: Of course ther only reason I know this is the Phonics Museum and lesson 137 which we did today. Have to say it was another banner day of hsing trying to teach dc syllibication. Not. :glare: Where's the drinking smilie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Dad, grandpa, uncle and cousin are Williams. Two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaTanya Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 (edited) Is this a regional thing? And where have I been? Just when I start to feel educated, I find out I don't know something this basic. :tongue_smilie: I'm thinking that it must be a Southern slurring. We tend to skim over the tops of sounds. I remember I met a man from England. Martin. No, not Martin. He couldn't understand why we didn't pronounce (stress, really) the 't' sound. MAR -Tin. We soften the sound so much it's almost a 'd.' Lazy tongues. :blushing: Hope I can still hang around even though I didn't know there was another way to pronounce WILL-yum. No wonder our kiddos have difficulties hearing vowel sounds. We don't even SAY all of them. Edited May 1, 2009 by BamaTanya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 My own vote is for two syllables. One reason is that I relate the English name "William" to the Germanic name "Wilhelm" (which has two syllables, I'm thinking). Other reason is that my mind also keys in to the Russian letter "Я" (which maybe won't be able to show up here), a sound rendered in English transliteration as "ya" or "ia". Third, and perhaps primary reason is that I never have heard the name pronounced with three syllables. Nonetheless, the case made for three syllables is persuasive ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 I'm thinking that it must be a Southern slurring. We tend to skim over the tops of sounds. I don't think it's regional - the four I mentioned grew up in Columbus, OH; Cleveland, OH (which as you OH afficiandos know is A LOT different than Columbus:D); NC; and GA, respectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 (edited) Two, because that's how I pronounce it. One of my son's name is William and we pronounce it will-yum, so I would say 2 syllables :D Edited May 1, 2009 by Quiver0f10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Will-yum is said here in the midwest. I have never heard it said any other way. So, I vote for 2. I am from MA, lived in NH for years, moved to Maine, where my will-yum was born, and now live in AR. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheilaZ Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 I don't think it's regional - the four I mentioned grew up in Columbus, OH; Cleveland, OH (which as you OH afficiandos know is A LOT different than Columbus:D); NC; and GA, respectively. I'm in GA and I say Will-ee-um, granted the 'ee' part is very quick and not very noticable. Most people I know pronounce it the same way. BUT...I balk when I hear my name pronounced, She-uh-la or Sheil-uh. In my ear, it's Shee-la. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaTanya Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 I am from MA, lived in NH for years, moved to Maine, where my will-yum was born, and now live in AR. :lol: If you've got a Will-yum, then I don't feel so bad! Give him a hug from all of us 2-syllable gals this morning! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 That names are important to people, and while you might be correct linguistically, I would always call a person what they call themselves. I someone introduces himself as Will-yum than his name is Will-yum. That rule of politeness would trump any rule of linguistics in my book, because truly there are few things more obnoxious than someone who insists on calling someone something other than what they call themselves because they have decided that you can't pronounce their name the way they choose. I have a friend named Ana. The first "a" is pronounced like "au" as in "autism." Once we had a student we hosted from England who was convinced that her name simply couldn't be pronounced that way because it wasn't standard English. Whatever. It was quite rude to hear him call here something other than what she chose. So I wouldn't force "Will-ee-am" down the throat of anyone who wanted to be Will-yum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Will-ee-um. Three. (Brit version)Will-yum. Two. (Texas version) THis works for me! LOL!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 THis works for me! LOL!! Husband (the Texan contribution) is outnumbered in the family - the boys and I all sound Brit. And then there's the question of syllables in 'zebra': is it 'zeb-ra' or 'zee-bra'. Again, it depends with whom you are talking. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 In my mind I think of it now as three, because we have a boy on our soccer team whose name is Willem, and I kept wanting to call him William; so I've been conscious of it since then. I do wonder if and how the names Willem and William are related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 (edited) I've never heard that name said with three syllables and I can't even imagine how it would sound even with all the examples. Here, on youtube, I recorded my ds and myself saying William. My dd didn't want to be left out. :) As you can see, my ds does say it normally with 3 syllables (very subtle!) but when he breaks it down into syllables, he says it in 2: Will yum. Edited May 1, 2009 by Jumping In Puddles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 BUT...I balk when I hear my name pronounced, She-uh-la or Sheil-uh. In my ear, it's Shee-la. This reminds me of a dear friend who taught me the difference between Lori and LAUrie. It took a while, but I finally get it! Another friend has a grandma Naomi - pronounced Nelma! And a lovely lady at church who is Mar-goT, even though I want to say Mar-gO. And more than once I've had people correct my pronounciation of my last name! I can never understand why someone would do that. It's our name; I would think others would defer to our pronounciation! (So Will-yem or Wil-li-am depends on which William you're talking to, I guess.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 In my mind I think of it now as three, because we have a boy on our soccer team whose name is Willem, and I kept wanting to call him William; so I've been conscious of it since then. I do wonder if and how the names Willem and William are related. I might be wrong about that though. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Isn't Willem a Dutch name? You know, we actually have a cluster of Dutch families living here, but this particular child belongs to a British family... we also have a Jurien, Tomas, etc. What I found funny, when my ds 11 is working on Logic Liftoff puzzles, he has to ask me what gender the kids are in the puzzle -- he's just not around enough kids with names like Greg, Gary, Meghan, etc. to know lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Husband (the Texan contribution) is outnumbered in the family - the boys and I all sound Brit. And then there's the question of syllables in 'zebra': is it 'zeb-ra' or 'zee-bra'. Again, it depends with whom you are talking. Laura I have a British friend - and i can hear him saying it that way in my head. I tend to pick up accents when i live with someone (college was interesting for this CA girl with roomies from Chicago, Long Island and Wisconsin!), so i'm pretty sure i'd not be sounding much like a Texan if i was your dh :tongue_smilie: On the zebra - gee, i think i say it both ways! LOL!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 http://www.behindthename.com/name/william Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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