View Message

I pronounce it ǝ-LEE-see-ǝ, but I'd be prepared to be corrected to ǝ-LEE-sha, especially if she wasn't a Spanish speaker. I'm in Texas, and I prefer ǝ-LEE-see-ǝ.

---

I've known quite a few Alicias. It's pretty popular among the Latino population, which is huge in Texas, but I've also known several Caucasian and African-American Alicias, too. I believe all the Spanish-speaking Alicias have pronounced it ǝ-LEE-see-ǝ. For everyone else, it's probably 50/50 between ǝ-LEE-see-ǝ and ǝ-LEE-sha. I've seen it spelled Alysha, Alisha, and Aleesha by people who want the ǝ-LEE-sha pronunciation. I don't think I've ever met anyone who pronounced the second syllable like LISH, and I don't like it. It reminds me of delicious and squish. I don't like the LIS pronunciation, either. It seems like a weird amalgamation of Alicia and Alyssa.

---

Is it dated? I little, I guess. Its heyday was the 70s through the 90s. It's still common, though, and there's no reason why it couldn't be used.

---

I thought Alicia Silverstone used the four-syllable pronunciation? Well, obviously, I don't pay much attention to her, so I can't estimate her influence. You can decide to pronounce Alicia any way you want, you just need to be prepared to enforce it. This is one name where you probably will run into people who automatically pronounce it another way and need to be corrected. It's easy enough to do.

---

I like Alice, Alicia, and Alyssa, but, if I had to choose, I'd probably pick Alice. I still like Alison more, though. :)

---