Margo out of lurking Posted May 2, 2009 Author Share Posted May 2, 2009 So I wouldn't force "Will-ee-am" down the throat of anyone who wanted to be Will-yum. Oh, no, my original question was really within the context of what is phonetically correct, not how the people speak the name out loud. It snowballed out of that with many posting opinions. That's obviously fine, but I enjoyed reading the reasons behind why people thought the name is two or three syllables. I'm surprised by the number of responses in the thread, but names are so interesting! I didn't want you to think that I was trying to force someone to pronounce their own name differently. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Three. Wow, what a question! I asked my family, and now the kids are all running around, laughing and shouting, "Will-EEEE-Um, Will-EEEE-Um." My husband is shaking his head. His favorite answer if from SpyCar. This question is fun. Thanks for the laugh this morning. We needed it. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 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:) This reminds me of a family for which I used to babysit... WAY back then, in the teen days. The little boy's name was Ian. His father's name was Ian. His father's father's name was Ian. His mother's father's name was Ian. His mother's brother's name was Ian. His father, both grandfathers, and an uncle were all Ians, and it was a bit confusing, because none of them had nicknames... just "Ian." Drove me crazy. Thanks for the laugh, Bill (really Will-i-am). You made my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 How do y'all pronounce onion? or the famous OIL? :D the sounds of i= i, I, y, E [yeah,i know, SWR insists it doesn't say E!] tin tine onion/ William machine the sounds of y= y, E, I, i you happy psychologist myst I tell the guys to hum the word. if it hums three times, you got 3 syllables. it tends to be a bit easier to notice the stops between syllables w/ humming. where does the air "stop" when you try to hum it? since i am pronouncing the 'i' as a /y/, it is easy enough for me to hum will-yem. If one pronounces the 'i' as an /E/ then it is easy enough to hum will-EE-em. remember that syllbication rules don't necessarily go by what letter we're looking at, but the sound being produced. I do think that "officially" i would count William as two syllables, but encourage 3 syllables for aesthetic means at times [poetry/ personal preference]. *and yeah- personal names get to break any pronunciation rules ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 I vote for 2.5 syllables. I have a William, whom I named after another William. Most of the time we say Will-yum, maybe more like Will-yem, but sometimes, mostly when I am yelling for him, it's Will-lee-um. Then again, I often call him Bubba. I was born and raised in the southwest, so I have no idea where that came from. I'm the only one who does it (and the only one he allows). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 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! Bless you for getting it! Signed, LAUra who is all too often called Lora Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melhouse Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Bless you for getting it! Signed, LAUra who is all too often called Lora Laura is one of my all-time favorite names, but I hesitate to use it because some people in my family (who live in the same house; not extended relatives) won't say LAUra and not Lora. I'm thinking about using Lorelei now because the /or/ sound doesn't bother me there. The /or/ sound doesn't bother me in the name Lora; I just happen to like Laura better. This has been a fun thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 This reminds me of a family for which I used to babysit... WAY back then, in the teen days. The little boy's name was Ian. His father's name was Ian. His father's father's name was Ian. His mother's father's name was Ian. His mother's brother's name was Ian. His father, both grandfathers, and an uncle were all Ians, and it was a bit confusing, because none of them had nicknames... just "Ian." Drove me crazy. Thanks for the laugh, Bill (really Will-i-am). You made my day. Shall I make matters worse? My Mother? Carol The wife? Carole Grandfather? Carroll Are you seeing a pattern? Uncle? Carroll Cousin? You guessed it! Carroll Not much imagination in my family :D William Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Shall I make matters worse? My Mother? Carol The wife? Carole Grandfather? Carroll Are you seeing a pattern? Uncle? Carroll Cousin? You guessed it! Carroll Not much imagination in my family :D William :lol: I vote three syllables as well. My dh's name is William, fondly known as Billy. I think we can infer from the name Liam (2 syllables) that William is 3 syllables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mere2 Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 I have a Will-i-am.......he was at Kindy the other day and they were being taught to clap out the number of syallables in their name before washing their hands. William clapped out 2.....I was confused, so I asked the teacher, why is he clapping two? (I had taught him 3 at home). I then received a long lecture on phonics etc, to which I politely pointed out then using (their) phonics rules that would be 3 syallables...:tongue_smilie: I then became that "homeschooling Mum".:D Interesting enough, when we lived in France, the French dont tend to pronouce the double l and nor could William pronounce it (3yr old). He called himself Wimwam. I think alot of it depends upon the accent....in French they tend to accentuate the second/third syallable eg Wil -LI-am. Here in Australia we tend to say WILL-i-am or just Will. Fi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Bless you for getting it! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 William clapped out 2.....I was confused, so I asked the teacher, why is he clapping two? (I had taught him 3 at home). I then received a long lecture on phonics etc, to which I politely pointed out then using (their) phonics rules that would be 3 syallables...:tongue_smilie: I posted this audio of my son earlier in the thread saying his name and when he casually says it, it comes out Will ee um but when he claps it, he says Will Yum. :confused: I have no idea why he is clapping two or why he says it differently when he breaks it down because he has not been taught that by someone else. Weird. After I recorded him saying William, I taught him to clap out 3 syllables. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 My dh just gently but emphatically explained, and without hesitation when I asked, that William is indeed 3 syllables. I am going to defer to his decision, given that he has taken many more linguistics and grammar classes than I. Specifically, he said that it has 3 syllables regardless of how it may be commonly pronounced. My new vote: 3 syllables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 I say three. However in AR, Land of Lazy Talkers, it sounds like two. :D Yup, here (in AR) it's not Will-yum, It's Wheeee-um, with a lot of emphasis on the "Wheeee" and very little on the "um". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted May 3, 2009 Share Posted May 3, 2009 Laura is one of my all-time favorite names, but I hesitate to use it because some people in my family (who live in the same house; not extended relatives) won't say LAUra and not Lora. I'm thinking about using Lorelei now because the /or/ sound doesn't bother me there. The /or/ sound doesn't bother me in the name Lora; I just happen to like Laura better. This has been a fun thread. When my husband and I got married I finally had to break down and correct him. Interestingly enough, he doesn't often call me by my first name. Lorelei is a pretty name, too. I never voted on William being 2 or 3 syllables. My official vote is 3, but being a Southern gal I know it sometimes sounds like 2. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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