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Help[Opinions] Zoe, Zoé or Zoë?
I don't know whether I prefer:
Zoe = ZO-ee
or
Zoé, Zoë = zo-AY (well the AY sounds like a mixture of an AY and long EH sound, can't explain)
or do you pronounce them the same?
and if you'd go for zo-AY, Zoé or Zoë?
Would people pronounce Zoé and Zoë like Zoe?
Zoe = ZO-ee
or
Zoé, Zoë = zo-AY (well the AY sounds like a mixture of an AY and long EH sound, can't explain)
or do you pronounce them the same?
and if you'd go for zo-AY, Zoé or Zoë?
Would people pronounce Zoé and Zoë like Zoe?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
Zoe (ZO-ee) is my fave. I think most people would pronounce the three the same anyway.
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I love this name and hope one day to use it for a girl!
So far as I know, Zoe and Zoë are both pronounced ZO-ee. The diaeresis does not change the pronunciation. It is merely an accent mark that indicates that Zoe is pronounced ZO-ee, rather than ZO. This use of the diaeresis is still in use in English, but has been on the wane. Most people omit it; and many people who see the punctuation won't know what it means.
I have never heard Zoe pronounced Zo-ay. Is that the French pronunciation Zoé?
My personal opinion is that you would be equally correct to render Zoe with or without the accent marks. (I am myself tempted to write the name Zoë.) However, most Americans ignore accent marks or don't know what they mean. If it will annoy you to see people constantly forgetting to write the name with accent marks ... and some government agencies refusing to record them ... then I'd go with simple Zoe.
So far as I know, Zoe and Zoë are both pronounced ZO-ee. The diaeresis does not change the pronunciation. It is merely an accent mark that indicates that Zoe is pronounced ZO-ee, rather than ZO. This use of the diaeresis is still in use in English, but has been on the wane. Most people omit it; and many people who see the punctuation won't know what it means.
I have never heard Zoe pronounced Zo-ay. Is that the French pronunciation Zoé?
My personal opinion is that you would be equally correct to render Zoe with or without the accent marks. (I am myself tempted to write the name Zoë.) However, most Americans ignore accent marks or don't know what they mean. If it will annoy you to see people constantly forgetting to write the name with accent marks ... and some government agencies refusing to record them ... then I'd go with simple Zoe.
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Thanks for your answer! Yes, I know about the diaeresis, but I think it could be zo-AY anyways. Just as Zoe could be so-AY or SO-ay as well. It depends on where you live. I'm French/German and in French Zoë is pr. zo-AY. In Germany we use both, ZO-ee and zo-AY for Zoe and usually zo-AY for Zoé and Zoë.
Yes zo-AY is the French pr. But it isn't really an AY sound more like a mixture of an AY and an EH but really hard to explain :P
I really like the diaeresis but you're right, it could cause some trouble. I'd have to think about it some more.
Yes zo-AY is the French pr. But it isn't really an AY sound more like a mixture of an AY and an EH but really hard to explain :P
I really like the diaeresis but you're right, it could cause some trouble. I'd have to think about it some more.
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Thanks for the notes on how Zoe is pronounced in French and German -- particularly since we have a very German last name.
I learned something new!
I like how Zo-ay sounds -- although trying to teach people to say it this way might be a bit of a trial. On the other hand, if you like both pronunciations, it won't matter too much if people mix them up. I think it's gorgeous either way, and at least you aren't trying to peddle a "made up" version of the name (Zowie, etc). :)
I learned something new!
I like how Zo-ay sounds -- although trying to teach people to say it this way might be a bit of a trial. On the other hand, if you like both pronunciations, it won't matter too much if people mix them up. I think it's gorgeous either way, and at least you aren't trying to peddle a "made up" version of the name (Zowie, etc). :)
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Sorry, I meant to say Zoe could be zo-AY and ZO-ay as well depending on where you live, not so-AY and SO-ay. I need to log in again so I can edit posts ;)
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Zoë
But pronounced the normal way ("ZO-ee").
If you're pronouncing Zoë as "zo-AY", then I'd just go for Zoe. I've never heard Zoe/Zoë pronounced that way.
But pronounced the normal way ("ZO-ee").
If you're pronouncing Zoë as "zo-AY", then I'd just go for Zoe. I've never heard Zoe/Zoë pronounced that way.
This message was edited 4/23/2010, 9:29 AM
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My mom is French and it's the French pronunciation. Not sure which one I'd use, though.
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Zoe!
I like it pronounced both ZO-ee as in English and zo-EE as in Greek (the latter I also like transliterated as Zoi). I feel Zoé changes the pronunciation too much and I find Zoë is an unnecessary spelling in English, but perhaps not Dutch.
I like it pronounced both ZO-ee as in English and zo-EE as in Greek (the latter I also like transliterated as Zoi). I feel Zoé changes the pronunciation too much and I find Zoë is an unnecessary spelling in English, but perhaps not Dutch.
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I pronounce them the same, and that 'same' would be ZO-ee. Since there were no accents, diacritals etc in ancient Greek, I can't see the point of introducing them now. They're mostly an invitation to error anyway: how many times have we seen what should be renay turned into what should be reneh because of a misdirected accent? What people would do, I can't say: but if they tried to pronounce Zoe to rhyme with Joe, then a simple correction should help them.
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My first instinct, when I see Zoe, whether it's just Zoe, Zoe with the two dots, or Zoe with the sideways slash, is just to say ZOH, because that's how both my mother and my college roommate pronounced it. I always have to remind myself that most Zoes are ZO-EEs.
I think I like Zoe with the dash pronounced zo-AY best.
I think I like Zoe with the dash pronounced zo-AY best.
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Zoe" (that's supposed to be two dots over the 'e'), pronounced, "ZOH-ee"
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