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HelpRe: A name for the fourth child
in reply to a message by MoCro
I'd go for Carys. Here's why:
In English, c before e usually has an S sound, as in censure and cedar - and cerise. So I think most English speakers who weren't familiar with the name would naturally read Cerys as ser is or ser ees, until corrected.
I'm Welsh and Carys is pronounced here with a short a, as in cat. Cerys is pronounced with a short e, as in kennel. Neither of them sound like care-iss to me. But C is usually a K-sound before an A in English, so at least people who are unfamiliar with Carys will get the initial sound right.
eta: if mispronunciation really bothers you, go with another name! Emily may be popular, but it's also nice and nobody's going to get it wrong. And it goes well with Heidi.
In English, c before e usually has an S sound, as in censure and cedar - and cerise. So I think most English speakers who weren't familiar with the name would naturally read Cerys as ser is or ser ees, until corrected.
I'm Welsh and Carys is pronounced here with a short a, as in cat. Cerys is pronounced with a short e, as in kennel. Neither of them sound like care-iss to me. But C is usually a K-sound before an A in English, so at least people who are unfamiliar with Carys will get the initial sound right.
eta: if mispronunciation really bothers you, go with another name! Emily may be popular, but it's also nice and nobody's going to get it wrong. And it goes well with Heidi.
This message was edited 5/18/2015, 8:49 AM
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Replies
I couldn't use Emily. I have a very tough time using anything that is even in the top 200.
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Yup, KA (as in cat) ris and KE (as in kennel) ris. But that might not make sense to someone from North America who has the Mary-marry-merry merger*, because for them, the first part of both Carys and Cerys would sound like the first part of Mary does to us - i.e. CARE iss.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_/r/#Mary.E2.80.93marry.E2.80.93merry_merger
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_/r/#Mary.E2.80.93marry.E2.80.93merry_merger
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Yes that's the way I've been saying them.
I guess its like Cara/Sara/Tara etc.
Here and in Aus they all have the short sound (as in cat) but I know a lot of Americans say them as Cair-uh/Sair-uh/Tair-uh etc. So I guess I can see why Carys might get Care-iss, but I'm not a fan at all. Cah-riss is so much prettier!
I guess its like Cara/Sara/Tara etc.
Here and in Aus they all have the short sound (as in cat) but I know a lot of Americans say them as Cair-uh/Sair-uh/Tair-uh etc. So I guess I can see why Carys might get Care-iss, but I'm not a fan at all. Cah-riss is so much prettier!
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Yup, I think most Americans would pronounce both as CARE-iss. Though in the Northeast, particularly around New England, there might be a slight difference. For instance, most people say my name CARE-uh-line. But up there, people say it more like the "a" in Cat.
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Ok that's weird. I've never known Caroline could be pronounced any other way but Cah-. Gotta say I'm not loving the sound of Care-oh-line. It's not as bad as Tair-uh (tear a what? What are we tearing?) but it's strange to me.
Not that I love all the Australian ways of pronouncing things either. -er always becomes -a in an Aussie accent and leads to things like Winta and Summah and Osca and Jaspa and Parka. It's almost enough to put me off using any -er/-ar names.
Not that I love all the Australian ways of pronouncing things either. -er always becomes -a in an Aussie accent and leads to things like Winta and Summah and Osca and Jaspa and Parka. It's almost enough to put me off using any -er/-ar names.
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And, living in the US, I don't think of pronouncing Caroline as any way but CARE-oh-line.
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