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HelpHow do you pronounce this name?
Eben.
I've been pronouncing it ee-ben. Considering it is short for Ebenezer, should it be pronounced with a short e, eh-ben? Are both pronunciations used? Do you think it differs depending on accent or country etc.?
Thanks!
I've been pronouncing it ee-ben. Considering it is short for Ebenezer, should it be pronounced with a short e, eh-ben? Are both pronunciations used? Do you think it differs depending on accent or country etc.?
Thanks!
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Replies
When seeing it written for the first time I'd think "Ee-ben", however it would prompt me to ask for its pronunciation since it really could be both.
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Eh-ben
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EE-ben. I suppose if it was short for Ebenezer (cool name!) I would pronounce is eh-ben... but I would have to know it was short for that and be told to do it.
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I pronounce it [EB-n]
This message was edited 5/5/2016, 6:01 AM
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I've never heard it used by English-speaking people.
In South Africa, there have been a couple of well-known Ebenezer people who were/are known as Eben. The Afrikaans pronunciation (which everyone uses because that's what they were/are!) is close to your ee-ben, but after the ee there's a schwa, so the vowel is more of a diphthong.
If you think about it, Ebenezer is e-be-NEE-ze. So, since the Eben component is unstressed on both syllables, it makes as much sense to use a long ee as a short eh, and it seems easier to pronounce ee-ben than eh-ben.
In South Africa, there have been a couple of well-known Ebenezer people who were/are known as Eben. The Afrikaans pronunciation (which everyone uses because that's what they were/are!) is close to your ee-ben, but after the ee there's a schwa, so the vowel is more of a diphthong.
If you think about it, Ebenezer is e-be-NEE-ze. So, since the Eben component is unstressed on both syllables, it makes as much sense to use a long ee as a short eh, and it seems easier to pronounce ee-ben than eh-ben.
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I pronounce it Eh-ben, just because Ee-ben sounds weird to me (too reminiscent of ebay, email, e-cards, e-dating, e-marketing, etc).
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I'd say it Ebbin, like Evan with a fat lip, since that's how Ebenezer is said.
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I'd say, eh-ben, but have no grounds for doing so.
As for accent, I'm Canadian.
As for accent, I'm Canadian.
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Like Evan with a b.
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This
I knew one. Lived in the Southern US, but was of British origin. He pronounced it as such, and I never questioned whether or not it was correct.
I knew one. Lived in the Southern US, but was of British origin. He pronounced it as such, and I never questioned whether or not it was correct.
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Ditto.
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Suspect it differs slightly by accent/country but more on how you use it.
If it's a nickname for Ebenezer you'd more like use Eh-ben as the pronunciation but if you use it as a stand alone name with no thought to it being a diminutive of Ebenezer you could pronounce it Ee-ben
Both sound alright to me
If it's a nickname for Ebenezer you'd more like use Eh-ben as the pronunciation but if you use it as a stand alone name with no thought to it being a diminutive of Ebenezer you could pronounce it Ee-ben
Both sound alright to me
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