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Help[Opinions] Pronouncing it differently
So I think I'll already know the general concensus on this one, but is it totally wrong to pronounce a name your own way, even if that's not the original way?
I don't really see a problem with it myself, but I know there are mixed feelings about it on here.
For example- Cassia. It's pronounced "ca-SHA", but I know the name is sometimes used and pronounced exactly the way it looks (like Cassie with an a, basically). In my opinion, the latter is a considerably more attractive sound- but does the fact that it "looses it's history" by using a different sound put it on the same level as Ashlynn and Nevaeh?
I'm mainly asking because one of my favorites at the moment is Johanna- not pronounced as "yo-HAN-na" or even like Joanna, but the way Bob Dylan sings it in "Visions of Johanna"; "jo-HANNAH"... but I'd still like to hear feelings on the issue as a whole.
I don't really see a problem with it myself, but I know there are mixed feelings about it on here.
For example- Cassia. It's pronounced "ca-SHA", but I know the name is sometimes used and pronounced exactly the way it looks (like Cassie with an a, basically). In my opinion, the latter is a considerably more attractive sound- but does the fact that it "looses it's history" by using a different sound put it on the same level as Ashlynn and Nevaeh?
I'm mainly asking because one of my favorites at the moment is Johanna- not pronounced as "yo-HAN-na" or even like Joanna, but the way Bob Dylan sings it in "Visions of Johanna"; "jo-HANNAH"... but I'd still like to hear feelings on the issue as a whole.
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In the case of Cassia, yes seeing someone pronounce it wrong would make it like Ashlynn and Neveah because to me it would signify that the parents just liked the sound and put some letters together thinking they were unique. However; in the case of Johanna since the jo-HANNAH pronunciation is the one used most commonly in this country [assuming you're in the US] I don't think I would be as offended. It, for me, is just one of those names with multiple accepted pronunciations depending on the surrounding culture [like Jesus, Alicia, or Madeline]
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It depends on the name. For the ones you mentioned here I don't think it will be a problem. It's not unusual for Johanna to be prn Jo-hannah so I don't think it would cause too many problems just because it's not the original prn. As for Cassia I had no idea that it was supposed to be prn Ca-SHA. I would have said Ca-see-a ie Cassie with an a at the end.
I think it helps if the name looks like it's supposed to be prn the way you want to prn it, otherwise it would be a bit strange. It also helps if the name is slighly unusual such as Cassia and Johanna, then people would be more likely to prn it the way you want to prn it. It would be near imposible with more common names ie Elizabeth as Eliza-Beth.
I think it helps if the name looks like it's supposed to be prn the way you want to prn it, otherwise it would be a bit strange. It also helps if the name is slighly unusual such as Cassia and Johanna, then people would be more likely to prn it the way you want to prn it. It would be near imposible with more common names ie Elizabeth as Eliza-Beth.
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In general, I think it's hard, swimming against the current, but I'm with you on Jo-Hannah. I like it like that, and the fact that the spelling *looks* like that helps.
Go for it.
Go for it.
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I think saying jo-HA-nah makes a lot of sense, and it ticks me off a lot less than jo-AN-a does (because ferchrissake, we have Joanna for that). Pronouncing the J the English way in an English-speaking country makes a lot of sense (whereas ignoring the 'h', ie Joanna, doesn't).
I don't like just pronouncing a name a different way for the hell of it, but the most logical prn of Johanna to an English speaker IS jo-HA-nah, so someone pronouncing it that way in an English-speaking country wouldn't bother me that much.
Also, that's a Dylan song I didn't know, I'm gonna look it up.
I don't like just pronouncing a name a different way for the hell of it, but the most logical prn of Johanna to an English speaker IS jo-HA-nah, so someone pronouncing it that way in an English-speaking country wouldn't bother me that much.
Also, that's a Dylan song I didn't know, I'm gonna look it up.
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Well, I doubt Cassia loses its history by pronouncing it KAH-see-ah because it's an Ancient Roman name. I don't think they pronounced it in an English way.
I've never heard that Bob Dylan song and can't really make out how you pronounce it by your guide either. I only like Johanna pronounced the German way (because I am) but I know that pronouncing it like Joanna is much more commong in English-speaking countries and it doesn't bother me much as I think it's reasonable. It always depends on the extremes you go to.
I've never heard that Bob Dylan song and can't really make out how you pronounce it by your guide either. I only like Johanna pronounced the German way (because I am) but I know that pronouncing it like Joanna is much more commong in English-speaking countries and it doesn't bother me much as I think it's reasonable. It always depends on the extremes you go to.
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