[Opinions] A Pronunciation Question
How do you pronounce Jeanne? Does anyone pronounce it JEEN-ee, rather than JEEN?
It's my sister's middle name, we pronounce it JEEN, and it never occurred to me that anyone would pronounce it JEEN-ee. Yet I've taken calls from several women named Jeanne who have at first verbally told me that their name is JEEN-ee, leading to my surprise when they then tell me the spelling is Jeanne.
I wonder how common this is. Do you pronounce it JEEN-ee, or have ever heard it that way, or knew that it sometimes is pronounced that way?
It's my sister's middle name, we pronounce it JEEN, and it never occurred to me that anyone would pronounce it JEEN-ee. Yet I've taken calls from several women named Jeanne who have at first verbally told me that their name is JEEN-ee, leading to my surprise when they then tell me the spelling is Jeanne.
I wonder how common this is. Do you pronounce it JEEN-ee, or have ever heard it that way, or knew that it sometimes is pronounced that way?
Replies
I would pronounce it Jeen-ee
My instinct would be to say JEEN, but the only person I've met named it pronounced it JEEN-ee. I wonder if it's a southern thing?
This message was edited 6/15/2019, 6:20 AM
Always JEEN. JEEN-ee would never occur to me.
I'd pronounce it JEEN, like Jean. The JEEN-ee pronunciation is intriguing though.
Instinctively I would pronunce it like the French name Jean but with two syllables, like zhe-an. But I think it's supposed to be the same as Jean in French.
In English I wouldn't pronounce it like Jean, but I wouldn't pronounce it Jeen-ee either. The "-nne" suffix wouldn't make sense for "nee" IMO. Maybe je-ann or something beterrn jeen and jee-ann?
In English I wouldn't pronounce it like Jean, but I wouldn't pronounce it Jeen-ee either. The "-nne" suffix wouldn't make sense for "nee" IMO. Maybe je-ann or something beterrn jeen and jee-ann?
I pronounce it JEEN-ee. eta This is the same pronunciation I would use for Jeannie or the word genie.
This message was edited 6/14/2019, 10:20 PM
My mom's name is Jeanne and my aunt (her SIL) is named Jean, they're both pronounced the same as JEEN. My mom get called Jeannie/Jee-anne all the time.
Jee-anne
I'd say ZHAHN, but I guess in English JEEN or possibly jhann. I don't think JEEN-ee makes sense, lots of people pronounce their own names "incorrectly."
Jeen, same as Jean
Never heard it pronounced JEENee. But I've only ever heard it pronounced ZHAHN, in a somewhat French way. South Africans tend to be rather bad at French, and I include myself, but we do have a French Huguenot heritage - our wine industry was started by Huguenot immigrants - so lots of people do use French names.
JEEN. If I wanted JEEN-ee, I'd go with Jeannie.
The current Dear Abby, the original Abby's daughter, is Etta Jeanne Philips. A reader once wrote asking her how to say Jeanne. She says in her family, it's Jeannie.
Etta Jeannie equals fettuccine.
Etta Jeannie equals fettuccine.
That does not mean it was pronounced the right way
My first instinct is to pronounce it as ZHAN, but in English, I'd say JEEN. I can't understand why anyone would pronounce it JEEN-ee - after all, it's not spelt Jeannie.
I pronounce the French way and that is how I always heard it.
Hey, it's my sister's MN too. JEEN.
I like it pronounced that way, or as "genie."
Or the French way (which almost sounds like ZHAHN-neh to me sometimes, strong N).
But I've only ever heard anyone pronounce it JEEN. When I hear a name that sounds "genie" I mentally spell it Jeannie.
I like it pronounced that way, or as "genie."
Or the French way (which almost sounds like ZHAHN-neh to me sometimes, strong N).
But I've only ever heard anyone pronounce it JEEN. When I hear a name that sounds "genie" I mentally spell it Jeannie.
This message was edited 6/14/2019, 12:32 PM