Comments (Pronunciation Only)

While the name is French, and not Italian, the Italian rules apply, i.e. unlike English, where pronunciations are fluid and left to memory, Italian has a very strict set of rules of pronunciation. “Gh” is ALWAYS pronounced as a HARD “G” when it precedes the vowels “e” or “i.” Compare Ghislaine, then, with the French woman’s name Giselle; because it has a “g” that is not followed by an “h,” that unaccompanied “g” is always soft (softer than it is in English) so it is spoken as ZHIZ-elle.
I had zero idea how to pronounce this until the interview with Prince Andrew talking about Ghislaine Maxwell. The way they pronounce it, the first syllable almost sounds like the beginning of the word girl. Something like guh-leyne.
In most of France, we pronounce it zhees-LEN, with a soft S, like "toss". I've never heard it pronounced zheez-LEN, with a hard S. In Belgium it's pronounced ghee-LEN.
My child self saw this name in a book as the name of a dragon and decided it was obviously pronounced Ghiss-layn-ney, which is totally and utterly wrong, but I really like the sound of it.
It's definitely pronounced Ghee-Lehn in France. Gh is a hard G sound, and the S is silent. [noted -ed]
Pronounced zheez-LAIN.
Seconding Hannah Ruth. This is a family name on the French side of my family and they all pronounce it gee-LEN.
Ghislaine is pronounced "gee-LEN".
Pronounced ZHIS-len.

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