Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That's the odd thing about the four-letter names whose second and fourth letters are A's. They don't seem to be consistent in how to pronounce them.
FWIW, here's how I think the most common pronunciations would be:
A as in marriage
Cara
Dara
Kara
Sara
Tara
A as in car
Dara (yes, it's listed twice; I've heard it both ways in about equal amounts)
Lara
Mara
So, just based on that along, I would think that people unfamiliar with the name Mara but who are familiar with other names of the same pattern might pronounce the A as in car, just to be consistent. But I don't know that for sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bus man
Odd . . . I've always thought Maura was pronounced More-uh.
Yes to both of these.
Personally, I prefer the Mara (rhymes with car...) pronunciation. Just personal preference.
If it is, she's never corrected any of us saying it wrong.
It's most likely a personal preference. I had a friend growing up "Laura". She would correct anyone who pronounced it "Lora" and say it was "Lara". Neither is necessarily right or wrong - it's personal preference. It may also be more regional. Like those in the NE who pronounce "orange" as "ah-renge" whereas in the midwest it's "ore - ange"...potatoes/potahtoes....
It's most likely a personal preference. I had a friend growing up "Laura". She would correct anyone who pronounced it "Lora" and say it was "Lara". Neither is necessarily right or wrong - it's personal preference. It may also be more regional. Like those in the NE who pronounce "orange" as "ah-renge" whereas in the midwest it's "ore - ange"...potatoes/potahtoes....
Sorry, but Laura is wrong. Lara is a separate distinct name. While it's true accent can affect pronunciation, there are still right and wrong ways to say things. If her parents intended for her to be named Lara they spelled it wrong. My uncle's name is Tom, it would be ridiculous if he constantly corrected people and said it is actually pronounced Tim, Tim is a completely separate name.
Sorry, but Laura is wrong. Lara is a separate distinct name. While it's true accent can affect pronunciation, there are still right and wrong ways to say things. If her parents intended for her to be named Lara they spelled it wrong. My uncle's name is Tom, it would be ridiculous if he constantly corrected people and said it is actually pronounced Tim, Tim is a completely separate name.
This. Parents do their kids a great disservice when they choose a name that is commonly pronounced one way but they then spell it some other way. Anyone whose name is spelled Laura is going to have it pronounced as Lora. If these parents had wanted to have their daughter's name pronounced Lara (with the first A like in car) then they should have spelled it that way.
It's all well and good to talk about being "unique" and "creative" in picking names for one's kids. But just remember, the kid is going to have to have that name (mis)spelled and (mis)pronounced for the rest of his/her life.
Sorry, but Laura is wrong. Lara is a separate distinct name. While it's true accent can affect pronunciation, there are still right and wrong ways to say things. If her parents intended for her to be named Lara they spelled it wrong. My uncle's name is Tom, it would be ridiculous if he constantly corrected people and said it is actually pronounced Tim, Tim is a completely separate name.
Soo.... "aunt" is pronounced how?
Ant.....Ahnt?
Same with Laura - the "au" sound is widely accepted as either.
Sorry, but Laura is wrong. Lara is a separate distinct name. While it's true accent can affect pronunciation, there are still right and wrong ways to say things. If her parents intended for her to be named Lara they spelled it wrong.
No, you are incorrect here. In some dialects, LAW-ra is the usual and correct way to pronounce Laura. In the same way, Lawrence may be either LOR-ence or LAW-rence depending on where you are. It is not about ignorance. It is not about misspelling or mispronunciation. It's just about people with different accents saying things different ways.
By the way, English and Australian people think the way most Americans pronounce Harry and hairy the same way is ridiculous and "wrong." There are many other examples.
Same with Laura - the "au" sound is widely accepted as either.
Hmm, I've never heard any other variation besides LO-rah.
Back in high school, I knew a girl named Andrea. One day I overheard her correcting someone that her name was pronounced ON-drea (short "o"), not AN-drea (short "a"). She might have even said it was on-DRAY-uh, my memory is fuzzy there. I had known her for years and this was the first time I'd heard this. Her mother was Eastern European so I could discern the source of the inspiration for that pronunciation. I don't know if it was a phase or for real, but I doubt it caught on in our small Midwestern town.
When I see Mara - I think Ma ruh with a short a sound and the emphasis on the first syllable. The one video pronounced it Ma Ruh with the emphasis on the second syllable. Didn't care for it or the Maaa ra sound that rhymes with Tara. However it's your child, give her the name that you like best. Practice saying it out loud with the middle name you have chosen and your last name. How does it sound? Now picture yourself yelling at her to come inside. Which sounds better? :-)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
