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I pronounce it the same as you.
It's a nice name, my mum wanted to name me Anastasia but dad wouldn't let her.

I don't like either of those pronunciations. I only pronounce it an- uh - stay - shuh.

FOr me it depends, generally I would say anna-STAY-zha, but that's only because I'm in America and it's how I would expect others to pronounce it.

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I wouldn't say aw-nuh-STAH-see-uh though. To me the Aw sound doesn't sound as good as the Ah sound and isn't as easy to start a word off with. (except here in the Southeast where half the people can't hear or say the difference)

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Maybe it's because I take Russian but I would say ah-nah-stahs-SEE-yah with the emphasis on see as a very light one.

Well..

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I believe Anastasia has different pronunciations in certain countries, but I'd highly advise against it because 'ah-nah-STAY-zhuh' is the general pronunciation and the one people would say.
I love Anastasia, but only with the regular pronunciation.

Nay.

anna-STAY-zha.

My sister splits the difference . . .

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a-nuh-STAY-see-uh, and refuses to answer if it's pronounced any other way. But that's just her. I've heard it in use with both AH and AY sounds in the middle, and with the -sia slurred or distinct.

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So I think pretty much either way is fine :)

I had the impression that the English pron. is Ah-na-STAH-juh, whereas the Italian one is Ah-na-STA-seeuh and the Russian one is Ah-na-sta-SEEah. Personally I prefer the Italian or Russian one to the English one. I'm not quite sure about which distinctions you're pointing out. It's a great name anyway.

I alternate between an-nuh-STAY-zee-ah and an-nuh-STAH-zee-ah. If I could train myself to automatically use the latter I might add it to my list because I quite like the sound.

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I do like the Russian pronunciation (or at least the one listed as Russian in the comments). I wish I could get away with that.

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As for it working in the US, it depends how popular it is (in your area at least). I know in my part of the UK it's rather rare so I think it would be quite easy to have it pronounced the way I prefer.

I actually say ah-nah-STAH:-see-ah: and I don't care much for the pron with STAY in it. I think aw-nuh-STAH-see-uh could work, it is a lot prettier :)

It could work

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But you'd have to correct people a lot, depending on what area you're in. Personally, I've never heard it pronounced your way, but I can see how it works.

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*Shrugs* It might get a bit tiresome always correcting people, but it's not some horrible thing. I do it ever week, no big deal. :)

I like it both ways. Depending on where you live, you may have to make the pronunciation blatantly obvious by saying it frequently upon meeting new people, but it could work.

I'm not from the states so pretty much everything I say could be disregarded...

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But anyways, I used to know a girl called Anastasia (she wasn't Russian) and she pronounced it Anna-STAH-zee-a, and went by Stahz mostly. For the longest time I thought everybody was calling her Stars.

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I think if it isn't very common in the states (I haven't checked popularity) then you can just tell people right what way you want it to be pronounced.

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That said, my own name has two legitimate pronounciations and it does get a bit tiresome having to correct people all the time.

I prefer ah-nah-STAH-see-ah actually. The regular English pronunication never sounded as good to me.

I pronounce it anna-STAY-zha or ah-na-STAY-zha. I like both.

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However, I think you could definitely get away with pronouncing it the way you do.

I pronounce it as "anna-STAY-zha".

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:)

anna-STAY-zha

This message was edited 7/6/2008, 9:34 PM

I also much prefer ah-nah-STAH-see-ah. I think it would work, but you would have to be prepared to correct people as ann-uh-STAY-zhuh is the default, at least where I live.

I pronounce it the way you do.

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And I think more and more people are. It depends on your area, though. Around here, it wouldn't fly. She would anna-stay-zha, no way about it. In DC aw-nuh-STAH-see-uh would work.

Personally, I pronounce it [a.na.sta'sja] or ah-nah-stah-syah, though of the two, I would say that the former is more commonplace in the Anglophone world.

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Jacques Bastien

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"When I got home I rushed into my bedroom and locked the door because I knew that this book was the most important thing that had ever happened to me and I did not want anyone there when I looked at it.

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"But I was very disappointed, because it was in French and seemed. Forte Comme la Mort, it was called...."

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Jean Rhys, The Day They Burned the Books

This message was edited 7/6/2008, 9:08 PM

I've heard Anastasia pronounced several different ways, but in the U.S. its mostly been Aw-nuh-STAY-zha. I think it sounds best that way.

My name is Anastasia and I'm Greek; Greek people pronounce the name aw-nuh-STAH-see-uh. I live in Canada and most people pronounce my name ah-nuh-STAY-zha; sometimes I get a-nə-STAS-yə or ah-nuh-STAZ-ya but never aw-nuh-STAH-see-uh from non Greek people. I happen to like all the different pronunciations of my name so I never "correct" people. I do believe an Anastasia living in North America will get sick of "correcting" people on the pronunciation, that is if she insists on the aw-nuh-STAH-see-uh pronunciation.

I think it would be a bit of a pain. Anna-stayzha is the pretty accepted American pronunciation. I prefer your pronunciation too though.

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I think it's a perfectly workable middle name. I actually usually prefer it as a middle name.

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BTW over 8% of babies in Russia were named this, according to Bronislava. It is something to consider!

I think it would be difficult--everyone around here would immediately say anna-STAY-zhuh--but I do think it would be possible. It depends on how much you would have to train the people around you.

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Alas, my favourite pronunciation is neither ah-nah-STAH-see-ah nor anna-STAY-zhuh, and therefore, I could never use it. Try getting people to say anna-STAY-zee-uh, like anesthesia. It'd never happen. D:

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