Message: "How do you pronounce"

How do you pronounce

by Lily (Destry)

6/8/2011, 8:22 AM

Elisa

I always pronounced it eh-LEE-sa, but today I heard it pronounced almost like Alyssa. Just wondering.

Also, how do you pronounce:

Ian
Brittany (three or two syllables?)

Thanks! Oh and could you tell me where you're from? Which country and maybe which region?

#pronunciation

Replies

- kelly

6/9/2011, 9:58 AM

Elisa - eh LEE sa
Ian - EE in
Brittany - 2 syllables

I'm from the US, originally PA.

- insane romantic

6/9/2011, 12:39 AM

I would pronounce it the same as you. I don't really understand how it can be pronounced like Alyssa. Elise is eh-lees, so it makes sense than Elisa would be eh-lee-suh.

Ian - EE-yun
Brittany - 3 syllables (BRIT-an-ee) like the place.
Britney is 2 syllables brit-nee.

I'm from southern England.

This message was edited 6/9/2011, 12:39 AM

- Julia (JuliaF)

6/8/2011, 9:30 PM

eh-LEE-sah (though it often comes out more as uh-LEE-sah)
EE-in/EE-an
BRIT-nee

I'm from the US (west coast).

- elsie (scholasticastewart)

6/8/2011, 8:08 PM

I pronounce it that way, and that is the way it should be pronounced, at least in Italian. The Alyssa-esque pronunciation is wrong, something that the parents created for themselves.

Ian is pronounced EE-in. Brittany is two syllables.

I'm from south-central Canada.

- Tassiegirl

6/8/2011, 7:57 PM

I think I'd pronounce Elisa as you do, though I don't think I've ever actually said it aloud!(Just did.)

Ian-Ee-'n
Brittany-3 syllables.

I'm from Canada, extreme east coast.

- coldplayer9

6/8/2011, 6:41 PM

I know an Elisa who pronounces it "ah-LEE-sa" and an Elissa who pronounces it like Alyssa.
For me it depends. If I know the girl is from a country where her name would be pronounced ah-LEE-sa, I'll call her that without hearing her say her name first. Otherwise, I'd probably say Alyssa.

EE-an
BRITT-nee

- Kate

6/8/2011, 2:33 PM

Elisa - eh-LEE-sə or ə-LEE-sə
Ian - EE-ən (don't know how else you could pronounce it)
Brittany - BRIT-nee (I often pronounce it BRIT-ə-nee in my mind because it sounds prettier that way)

I'm from California, US

This message was edited 6/8/2011, 2:34 PM

- kudriashkajo (jodirae)

6/8/2011, 12:20 PM

I've never met an Elisa, but I would tend to pronounce it like you, eh-LEE-sa. But even while doing so, there would be a question in my voice, as I'd already be second guessing myself. Personally, I think that's the way is should be pronounced, as it needs the double consonant so turn it into eh-LISS-ah. But, well, we've all seen what creativity has done to naming, so who knows anymore.

Ian...EE-un, two syllables.
Brittany...BRIT-nee, two syllables.

And I'm in central Canada.

- Lily (Destry)

6/8/2011, 11:59 AM

Thanks so far

I'm happy to see Ian is EE-an. I heard it pronounced EYE-an some time ago and was confused. Does anyone pr. it EYE-an?

I like Brittany with three syllables too bad most pr. it like Brittney, but I guess it's the most common way :P

Thanks so far, I hope more people will answer

- Elena +2

6/8/2011, 11:48 AM

I'm from the Southeast US and pronounce Elisa as eh-LEE-sa, however, when Anna was in the Girl Scouts, her troop leader was named Clarissa who was born in Puerto Rico. Clarissa and Pedro (her dh) named their dd what I thought was Elisa because that's how she pronounced it until I saw it written down. It was Elissa. Now I suppose in Spanish, it would be pronounced the same as Elisa, but what confused me was that Clarissa pronounced her name the English way (issa). I asked her once if her family back in PR pronounced her name with the long 'e' sound and she said yes. Isn't that odd that she chose something for her dd that she didn't want herself? Just thought that was interesting. And because she pronounced and spelled it that way, Elissa had it mispronounced often as Elysia or Alyssa. The combination really seemed to throw people.

Ian -- EE-an
Brittany -- BRIT-ann-ee (I have a niece with this spelling who pronounces it this way.)

This message was edited 6/8/2011, 11:53 AM

- Lily (Destry) +1

6/8/2011, 11:56 AM

Confusing! I'm asking because I met a Spanish girl named Elisa and she pronounced it like Alyssa (with an Eh sound at the beginning, though). I'm pretty sure in Spanish it is correctly pronounced eh-LEE-sa, which is why I was confused. Maybe she tried to americanize the pronunciation? So it would be closer to Alyssa, not knowing that it was pronounced eh-LEE-sa here, too? After all Lisa is LEE-sa. But she should have found out by now. Or her parents wanted of what they thought of as a more english pronunciation.

Elysia's meaning is pretty cool. Too bad people will think it was a creative spelling.

I like how you pronounce Brittany. I kind of like it with a three syllable pr.

- Elena

6/8/2011, 12:02 PM

Maybe she did try to Americanize the name. Who knows? My dd, Brooke, had a friend named Alessandra. Everyone had been calling her that for a couple of years since she transferred to their school until they all found out her real name was Alejandra and that she used Alessandra because she had ASSUMED that everyone couldn't pronounce it correctly. So then everyone had to learn to call her something else because she REALLY wanted to be called Alejandra. Talk about confusing!

I especially like Elysia but would worry that people would butcher it.

- krisscouture

6/8/2011, 11:39 AM

I would say el-EE-sa too.
Ian= EE-in
Brittany= BRITT-nee, 2 syllables

I'm from Souther BC in Canada, right nestled up against the WA state border, USA

- Jessamine (JesikaJayne)

6/8/2011, 10:58 AM

E-Lee-Sah -> Elisa

E-An -> Ian

Britt-Nee -> Brittney

This message was edited 6/8/2011, 10:59 AM

- Opalescence (JHK)

6/8/2011, 9:46 AM

Elisa: e-LEE-zah
Ian: EE-yən
Brittany: BRIT-ə-nee

I'm from southern Germany. I therefore pronounce Elisa the German way because it is not an English name to me in the way Ian and Brittany are.

This message was edited 6/8/2011, 9:48 AM

- -B-

6/8/2011, 9:38 AM

I'd pronounce them the same as you/ others who've replied, and say Brittany with 2 syllables. I'm from England.

- Ranchie

6/8/2011, 9:21 AM

eh-LEE-sa

E-an

Brit-nee (2)

Midwest United States

- Pie

6/8/2011, 9:18 AM

I'd pronounce Elisa the same as you do, Ian as EE-yan and Brittany with three syllables. I'm from North Wales.

- New_Chloe

6/8/2011, 8:26 AM

Elisa: like you. Elissa is like Alyssa.
Ian: EE-yan
Brittany: two syllables

I'm from Manitoba, Canada

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