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who knew?
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!
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!
no subject
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.
no subject
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...