who knew?

[lirazel]

It has come to my attention that many of my friends on tumblr are (mentally) mispronouncing my name. So! PSA: It's Lah-ren. Like the 'la' in 'lalalala' when you're singing a song. NOT Lor-ren. (It is also, for those of you who are Spanish-speaking, not Lau-ren like it's spelled. I know Spanish is super consistent about phonetic pronunication, but alas, English isn't.)

It honestly hadn't occurred to me that so many people didn't think of my way of pronouncing it as the default way. Everyone in my area of the country pronounces it my way. I went to middle/high school with FOUR other Laurens, a Laura, and a Laurel, and every one of them pronounced their names 'lah.' (Also, by the time we graduated, I was the only Lauren left, so clearly I am the dominant Lauren.) In the grade above me there was a guy whose name was Loren, which was a completely different name.

The only times I've had trouble with people pronouncing it wrong is when I go to other areas of the country, especially the north and the northern part of the midwest (Ohio, Michigan, etc.). Apparently the default there is different? But even my family from that area (Indiana) never had trouble with mine, possibly because my dad's cousin's name is Lori, spelled and pronounced completely different? Who knows.

If you find this hard to remember, think of how Lauren is the feminine version of Laurence/Lawrence. And think of Laurie in Little Women--it's not Lorie.

Man, people are forever spelling my last name wrong, but I had no idea my first name could cause trouble for so many people!

Comments

[upupa-epops.livejournal.com]

OMG I was totally saying it wrong! I'll try to remember now :).

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

SO MANY PEOPLE WERE and I had no idea!

And your icon is beyond perfect for this situation!

[upupa-epops.livejournal.com]

I think I got this icon not long after I started my English degree. Seemed VERY relevant at the time!

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

This was interesing. I know a lot of Laurens and I think they all pronounce it "Loren" with maybe just the slightest trace of a "lah" in there. Probably somewhere in between your "lahren" and "loren". Ditto for Lawrence - not Lah-rence, but not quite Lorence, either. And "larry" has a slightly different, more of an "ah" (as in hat) sound that is pushing a long "a" just a little. Regional differences, I guess. I love the study of accents and regional differences. Wish I'd had time to take more classes in it while I was in school. Maybe something to add to my list of things I want to do in retirement...

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

It's Lairry here--rhymes with airy.

I love the study of accents and regional differences. Wish I'd had time to take more classes in it while I was in school. Maybe something to add to my list of things I want to do in retirement...

ME TOO.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Add the West Coast to the "Lo" pronunciation camp. My niece Lauren is nicknamed Lolo (pronounced Low-low). Laurie and Lori are pronounced exactly the same way. We pronounce Laurence/Lawrence as "Lowr-ents", while "Law-rents" sounds very New York to my ear. The "low" is pretty close to "lau", though, in that our "O" sounds are kinda lazy.

Vowel sounds are definitely variable! McDiva's name has at least three pronunciations, and it's only got three letters!

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Laurie and Lori are pronounced exactly the same way.

This blows my mind. They aren't in any of the movie versions of Little Women that I've seen! It's always Lah-rie!

I need to hunt down a video when I get home of Lauren Bacall pronouncing her name. I'm almost certain she pronounces it the way I do and she's the most famous Lauren out there. I'm going to be bowled over if that turns out not to be the case.

[eta] while "Law-rents" sounds very New York to my ear

The 'lah' in my name is very soft. Sometimes it ends up sounding like 'lar' like rhyming with 'car'--i guess it's between a 'lah-ren' sound and a 'lar-en' sound when you pronounce it because the syllables aren't clearly delineated.

[deird1]

Laurie and Lori are pronounced exactly the same way.

This blows my mind. They aren't in any of the movie versions of Little Women that I've seen! It's always Lah-rie!

Not when you're hearing it from another continent...

I pronounce "Laurence" and "Lauren" in the same way: LORREN(S). And when I hear Americans saying it, it sounds like they're doing that too...

[youcallitwinter.livejournal.com]

OH MAN, I WAS TOTALLY MISPRONOUNCING IT. Also, I suppose it's the American culture influencing that; for instance in my country Sarah would be pronounced Saa-rah, not Se-rah, but I'm picking up the latter from TV and stuff. Heh, funny how that works.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

APPARENTLY EVERYONE WAS.

I have a friend who lived the first couple years of her life in Guatamela and so her name 'Anna' is pronounced Ah-nah, as it would be there, intead of Ann-ah, as it is in the States. She has to correct everyone all the time, except for people for whom Spanish is their first language. Very similar.

[laeryn.livejournal.com]

I always heard Lauren pronounced as "Lor-ren" so I was totally saying it that way, lol. And re: Spanish speakers, yes, our language is super consistent about phonetic pronunciation, but we (and I mean mainly Spanish people, cause idk WHEN they start in Latin America) start learning English from ages 8 (if you're my age or older) or 3-4-6 (if you're younger than me) so probably you'll find that they might not be able to pronounce the name correctly, but for the most part they will know that is NOT Lauren as it is written xD (and if they do say it that way it probs is intentional).

Ah, but I feel you. I always panic when not-Spanish speakers ask me ONLINE how to pronounce my name, lol.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I LOVE the consistency of phonetic pronunciation! I always know how to pronounce people's names when they're from Spanish-speaking backgrounds! (Also I find Spanish and Portugese very pretty languages in general.)

I have been in Spain, but not long enough for anyone to really need to know my name, so I was mostly referring to Honduras and parts of Mexico, mostly very poor people, so even though they hadn't seen the way my name was spelled, they somehow started saying 'Lau-ren'? It was very strange that they said it that way when I'd introduced myself with my pronunciation, but they were lovely so I didn't really care.

I always panic when not-Spanish speakers ask me ONLINE how to pronounce my name, lol.

I find that funny since I can't really imagine another way to pronounce your name!

[auroramama]

I have this bad habit of thinking all foreign languages pronounce their vowels like French, including Hebrew and Chinese, which I know is beyond simpleminded. I know almost no Spanish. So, Lah-ren. I apologize and I'll keep it in mind.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

You don't have to apologize! You didn't know! I didn't know so many people didn't have that as their default pronunciation.

[auroramama]

I read Little Women long before I moved to the Boston area, and New York metropolitan pronunciation is "Law-ree", with the "aw" drawn out a bit. (There's a lot of difference between those accents for the relatively short distance involved.) That's the pronunciation I used for Lauren when I was considering it for my eventual daughter's name. After I moved, I was more open to the au -> ah pronunciation. Now I'm back in NY, I'm probably losing that objectivity, thought it's still Bah-st'n.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Law- is actually much closer to my pronuniciation than the -o sound. It isn't drawn out so it can sound like either -aw or -ah, actually. I knew a girl once who spelled hers Lawren--I wonder if people still pronounced it wrong.

[shamoogity.livejournal.com]

Huh, I definitely always read it as "Lo-ren," since that's how everyone I know with that name pronounces it. Same for Laurie in Little Women. Although I guess that makes sense with a Canadian accent, since we apparently say "soar-y" to the American "sah-ry." It's funny though; the American way never sounds wrong to me at all--it basically sounds the same. Maybe it's just because I'm so used to (Northern) American accents from TV.

[shamoogity.livejournal.com]

As a follow-up question, in your dialect, is there a difference between "Lara" and "Laura"?

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Depends on how the person whose name it is likes it best. I know some people pronounce their name Lara as 'Lair-ah' with the first syllable rhyming with air. But I also know people who do pronounce it like 'Laura'--but those people are usually Eastern European.

[shamoogity.livejournal.com]

Interesting! For me, Lara is Lah-ra and Laura is Lo-ra.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I used Laurie in Little Women as an example because all the characters in the movie versions I've seen pronounce it the same way I do.

Although I guess that makes sense with a Canadian accent, since we apparently say "soar-y" to the American "sah-ry."
Yeah, that does make sense.

It's funny though; the American way never sounds wrong to me at all--it basically sounds the same. Maybe it's just because I'm so used to (Northern) American accents from TV.

I'm the same way with English accents. I barely notice when characters have them anymore, unless they're the super posh or super slangy type OR if other people in the cast don't have them.

[phaedresgarden.livejournal.com]

I think this must be one of those regional things. I always pronounce it Lahren, well actually perhaps a bit more of a French Lau which I don't know how to write phonetically. On this page it's the third one of the offered pronunciation versions. - http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/laurel

I remember when I was a kid I moved from Florida which we pronounce like Flahrida and went to Ohio where they pronounce it like Flowrida. Then I moved to Connecticutt and the big thing for me was we pronounce Aunt like ant and they pronounce Aunt like awnt.

We called all carbonated drinks coke, but in Ohio they called it pop and in CT they called it soda. Interesting regional things.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I think it is regional, though I had thought that our pronuniciation was more dominant.

I think I pronounce Florida 'flor-ida' like the word floor, but I would tend towards the Flahrida side than the Flowrida.

big thing for me was we pronounce Aunt like ant and they pronounce Aunt like awnt

Here, some black people say awnt (or, more usually, awnt-tee with the emphasis on the last syllable), but most everyone else says ant.

And yeah, the coke/soda/pop distinction is an old favorite of mine.

[phaedresgarden.livejournal.com]

When I was taking high school French which was taught immersion style due to a native french speaking teacher whom I loved so so much, we all had to choose a "french" name to use in the class. Mine was Laure with the accented e. I think that's why I tend to hear Lauren similarly in my head and I always pronounced Laurie the way you were using it. (I still re-read those books, watch the movies - especially the one with Christian Bale as Laurie and Winona Ryder as Jo because it's my favorite on a regular basis ) Gabriel Byrne as the professor is also a favorite bit of casting in those movies and Susan Sarandon as Marmee because just yes. <3 Sorry I tend to add random tidbits a lot.

[phaedresgarden.livejournal.com]

Also, Phae is pronounced like Fay or Fey. ;)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

That's how I was pronouncing it! Is Phaedre your real name?

[phaedresgarden.livejournal.com]

I wish! My real name is very boring and old fashioned. I really don't like it so that's why I picked my own name. It's actually sort of from two things. Both are book related. One, I'm a huge fan of the Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood, the first couple were sent to me by an Australian friend and I've since read them all. I also like her Corinna Chapman series. The second is that I"m also a fan (not quite as enthusiastic because her books are extremely long and very emotional and sometimes harrowing and I usually end up crying and needing a nap after reading one but.).. of Jacqueline Carey and one of the main characters of one of her book series is named Phaedre, and there's a lot in there at the beginning about her feeling like she doesn't belong and so on and so forth, but it turns out she does belong, she is just different because of certain things and the books are so... it's an alternate earth and the country she comes from has a particular history and that history has made them what they are and made Phaedre what they are and they believe they have a particular relationship with heaven and angels and so on and anyway for a long time now whenever I wanted to have a sanctuary for meditation or whatever, I always called it Phaedre's Garden and so, I chose Phaedre as my name and the reason it relates to Phryne is though they are in different eras and different worlds even, I sort of feel that Phryne and Phaedre are sisters under the skin and so yeah... Sorry that's a long explanation.

[finkpishnets.livejournal.com]

I've never heard it pronounced your way before! How exciting! When I try and say it aloud it sounds like I'm speaking in an American accent. The British version is (as far as I've ever heard) Law-ren, though the pronunciation of that is obviously different to the American pronunciation too. Oh, language!

[next_to_normal]

Woot! I was pronouncing it correctly! Because my name is Laura, and I run into the SAME PROBLEM you do. :-P A lot of people assume I spell it Lara because of how I pronounce it. I always thought it was because of my Philly accent (I also sometimes say "or" sounds like "are" - like in orange or Oregon, and people think that's weird).

My last name has a similar problem, with an a that most people pronounce "ah" like Anya but I pronounce like the a in candy.

[streussal.livejournal.com]

...I don't think I have heard Lauren pronounced your way. Huh.

People always get my last name wrong, and it's only three letters! At this point I just spell it. Because if I say it then spell it, they'll reverse the letters. (It has an "ea" pronounced like "A" like the letter, so they assume ae, ay, ai, and so on)

[vergoldung.livejournal.com]

For some reason tumblr didn't save that reply I left you on tumblr about how I WAS ACTUALLY PRONOUNCING IT RIGHT ALL ALONG??? Hilar.

Of course, I do not have your lovely accent, so it's not like I'm doing it perfectly. But hahaha I was so so close all along. The funny thing is that the phonetic write-downs confused me more than anything because what I pronounce as an "ah" is a way more open sound so that totally changed the name and I was so upset over it because it was so unnatural to me. Laure and Lorène (or variants like Laurène/Laurenne) are very common names in France and names that I've had to say a lot because people in my life have them. There is a slight slight difference in how I pronounce Lorène and Laure, but most people probably wouldn't hear it. It's very close to your pronunciation, despite the missing twang ;) But a name like Lara - or Clara, which would be a bit more common - is a completely different sound (similar to the Korean "yah" actually).

By the last part of my name is pronounced with that same closed a/o sound. (It's so strange for me to consider this an "a" sound, but I think that's just because of my French bias ^^)

[kwritten.livejournal.com]

I find this intensely fascinating. Mostly because I think it is primarily a dialect thing. Also because when I read this, I dismissed it at first, presuming that I had been saying it correctly.... but then I started saying your name aloud to check. And no. I don't know. I'm overthinking it now. I can't be sure I was saying it right or wrong. Probably "Lor" because that's the West Coast presumption.

ilu

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

I was saying it wrong this whole time! oh no!