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Help[Opinions] Pronunciation of Raphael
Do you stress the first syllable- "RA-fee-uhl", or the last- "ra-fee-EL"?
Is the 'a' more like "cat" or "caught"?
If you encountered it on a white, American child, how would you assume it to be pronounced?
What do think of the nn Rafe?
And lastly, Wdyt of the name in general and do you prefer Raphael or Rafael?
_______________________________________
“All generalizations are false, including this one.”
my names list:
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/111261
**currently my keyboard.... sucks. So please forgive my likely spelling errors**
Is the 'a' more like "cat" or "caught"?
If you encountered it on a white, American child, how would you assume it to be pronounced?
What do think of the nn Rafe?
And lastly, Wdyt of the name in general and do you prefer Raphael or Rafael?
_______________________________________
“All generalizations are false, including this one.”
my names list:
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/111261
**currently my keyboard.... sucks. So please forgive my likely spelling errors**
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
I guess I pronounce it like ra-fay-EL. The a isn't like either of those examples, it's ah... like in lot. I'd pronounce it the same no matter who it was on, I think.
I like the nn Rafe, although if I heard it I'd assume it was Ralph.
I'm not sure what I think about Raphael. I want to like it, but I'm not sure I can get past the Ninja turtle when I hear it/say it outloud. I like both spellings, but prefer the ph. I really like the way Raphael looks.
I like the nn Rafe, although if I heard it I'd assume it was Ralph.
I'm not sure what I think about Raphael. I want to like it, but I'm not sure I can get past the Ninja turtle when I hear it/say it outloud. I like both spellings, but prefer the ph. I really like the way Raphael looks.
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Yeah I guess maybe I should have said "cat or cot". In my area caught and cot are said virtually the same though. There is a difference that I recognize (probably more than anyone else in my hometown) I just have to concentrate on it a bit more
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I sort of give equal stress to each syllable, but I suppose it would be the last one if anything. And I don't say it fee-EL, it's more like rah-fah-YEL.
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that's how I'd say it too
and that's how the two I've met have pronounced it, but one was Spanish and one mostly English as far as I know. Either spelling is fine by me, but I think Raf or Rafi works better as an nn.
and that's how the two I've met have pronounced it, but one was Spanish and one mostly English as far as I know. Either spelling is fine by me, but I think Raf or Rafi works better as an nn.
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I'd say rah fay EL, no matter what the child looked like. I don't have a spelling preference.
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I pronounce it like this: rah-fie-EL. I emphasize the last syllable most. I pronounce the a like an ahhh sound.
I'd pronounce it the same way no matter if it was on a white kid or not.
I prefer Raphael.
I'd pronounce it the same way no matter if it was on a white kid or not.
I prefer Raphael.
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The way I say it sounds more like rah-FIE-el, which I like best. I don't actually much like the other ways of saying it lol And I do like the nn Rafe.
If I encountered it on a white American child I'd assume it's said like how I say it or like "ra-fay-EL". Stressing the first syllable no matter is just strange to me and doesn't sound right imo And both spellings are nice, I like them equally tbh.
eta: Oh wow it appears a lot of us say it the same way! I was gonna say, I almost never hear it with a 'fee' and it was strange to me that the fay/fie sound wasn't included in the pronunciations lists on the name pages cause I thought it was the most common way to say it lol
If I encountered it on a white American child I'd assume it's said like how I say it or like "ra-fay-EL". Stressing the first syllable no matter is just strange to me and doesn't sound right imo And both spellings are nice, I like them equally tbh.
eta: Oh wow it appears a lot of us say it the same way! I was gonna say, I almost never hear it with a 'fee' and it was strange to me that the fay/fie sound wasn't included in the pronunciations lists on the name pages cause I thought it was the most common way to say it lol
This message was edited 3/27/2014, 6:42 PM
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I tend to stress the last syllable. But I don't say "fee" in the middle. I say "fai" ("fye"? "fy"? However you'd spell that.)
I think the "a" could be like "cat" or "caught". It sounds right to me both ways. I could see either on a white, American child (but maybe the "cat" version is more probably for an American accent?) raf-ay-EL or rahf-ay-EL
Rafe is okay, but I'm not a huge fan. I definitely like the full name though.
I like both spellings but Raphael slightly more than Rafael. If I had to choose one to use on my kid, I'd go for the "ph" one. I think it looks just a little more balanced. It's longer and the letters are rounder. Rafael is shorter and more punctuated, with a pointy letter f in the middle.
I think the "a" could be like "cat" or "caught". It sounds right to me both ways. I could see either on a white, American child (but maybe the "cat" version is more probably for an American accent?) raf-ay-EL or rahf-ay-EL
Rafe is okay, but I'm not a huge fan. I definitely like the full name though.
I like both spellings but Raphael slightly more than Rafael. If I had to choose one to use on my kid, I'd go for the "ph" one. I think it looks just a little more balanced. It's longer and the letters are rounder. Rafael is shorter and more punctuated, with a pointy letter f in the middle.
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Ra-fa-EL
I feel strongly about this. Never ra-fee-el ... that is just wrong.
Stress the final syllable, but not too strongly.
I know a white American child named Rafael. He's my son's closest friend.
Rah- more like bar, but sometimes like bat, whichever - there's room for accent and preference there, in American English.
Fah- like in bar. No option to pronounce it FEE
(y)EL - a small Y sound appears between the vowels in American English.
American English can also make the name sound more like Rah-FELL and almost like Ra-FILE ... it's actually Rah-(fa)EL but without the Y sound, so the second A gets left out more.
I hear people call him Roffy-Yell often, and it bugs me. It bugs him, too - he is learning Spanish so he's aware there is no way there can be an EE sound in his name.
Rafe (RAYF) to me is a cooler Ralph, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the name Rafael. Annoyingly artificial as a nickname (please just name him Rafe, it's a full name). Rafi (rhyme either coffee or taffy) works. Raf would work.
I prefer Rafael but Raphael is nice.
I feel strongly about this. Never ra-fee-el ... that is just wrong.
Stress the final syllable, but not too strongly.
I know a white American child named Rafael. He's my son's closest friend.
Rah- more like bar, but sometimes like bat, whichever - there's room for accent and preference there, in American English.
Fah- like in bar. No option to pronounce it FEE
(y)EL - a small Y sound appears between the vowels in American English.
American English can also make the name sound more like Rah-FELL and almost like Ra-FILE ... it's actually Rah-(fa)EL but without the Y sound, so the second A gets left out more.
I hear people call him Roffy-Yell often, and it bugs me. It bugs him, too - he is learning Spanish so he's aware there is no way there can be an EE sound in his name.
Rafe (RAYF) to me is a cooler Ralph, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the name Rafael. Annoyingly artificial as a nickname (please just name him Rafe, it's a full name). Rafi (rhyme either coffee or taffy) works. Raf would work.
I prefer Rafael but Raphael is nice.
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I was just going by the pronunciations this site provides and by what I myself have heard the most. Of the 3 pronunciations the site shows, 2 have the "fee" sound there
But this is why I worry about it's use IRL, no one can agree on a pronunciation!
I like Rafe fine on its own too, but with my SO's last name the FN/LN combo sounds a bit like "refried beans" ...ok not literally but close enough to where my mind goes there immediately
But this is why I worry about it's use IRL, no one can agree on a pronunciation!
I like Rafe fine on its own too, but with my SO's last name the FN/LN combo sounds a bit like "refried beans" ...ok not literally but close enough to where my mind goes there immediately
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lol, refried beans!
Wow, didn't see that BtN had the bad (IMO) pronunciation there.
I think you're right, it is a little bit of a problem using it in real life. But it's not so big that it should stop anyone from using the name, IMO.
Wow, didn't see that BtN had the bad (IMO) pronunciation there.
I think you're right, it is a little bit of a problem using it in real life. But it's not so big that it should stop anyone from using the name, IMO.
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I pronounce it ra-fay-EL or raf-ay-EL with hardly any emphasis on the end. I pronounce the first a like rat without the t. I pronounce the pha or fa like the word Fae which is a term used to refer to things like elves, pixies, and faeries. Fae and Fay are pronounced the same.
I like the name a lot, it is a great name.
My sister in law named one of the ducks Raphael we weren't certain about the gender at first but it was more likely a female and it is.
I slightly prefer the spelling Raphael but I also like Rafael.
I'm not a fan of the nn Rafe but I don't hate it. If Raphael had better nn options I might consider it for a son. My fiance and I have both always loved Gabriel and Raphael.
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I like the name a lot, it is a great name.
My sister in law named one of the ducks Raphael we weren't certain about the gender at first but it was more likely a female and it is.
I slightly prefer the spelling Raphael but I also like Rafael.
I'm not a fan of the nn Rafe but I don't hate it. If Raphael had better nn options I might consider it for a son. My fiance and I have both always loved Gabriel and Raphael.
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This message was edited 3/28/2014, 4:07 PM
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Do you stress the first syllable- "RA-fee-uhl", or the last- "ra-fee-EL"?
*The last syllable. I always use the Spanish pronunciation (rah-fah-EL), but in my accent it actually sounds like rah-fie-EL ("ie" as in pie).
Is the 'a' more like "cat" or "caught"?
*caught (au, ah, and aw are the same in my accent)
If you encountered it on a white, American child, how would you assume it to be pronounced?
*I would have no idea.
What do think of the nn Rafe?
*I like Rafe, but it only makes sense if Raphael is pronounced with RAYF as the first syllable. I have never heard Raphael pronounced that way.
And lastly, Wdyt of the name in general and do you prefer Raphael or Rafael?
*I like the name. Both spellings are good. I wouldn't use it because it is too hard to pronounce / too many different pronunciations.
*The last syllable. I always use the Spanish pronunciation (rah-fah-EL), but in my accent it actually sounds like rah-fie-EL ("ie" as in pie).
Is the 'a' more like "cat" or "caught"?
*caught (au, ah, and aw are the same in my accent)
If you encountered it on a white, American child, how would you assume it to be pronounced?
*I would have no idea.
What do think of the nn Rafe?
*I like Rafe, but it only makes sense if Raphael is pronounced with RAYF as the first syllable. I have never heard Raphael pronounced that way.
And lastly, Wdyt of the name in general and do you prefer Raphael or Rafael?
*I like the name. Both spellings are good. I wouldn't use it because it is too hard to pronounce / too many different pronunciations.
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