The correct pronunciation (at least in Hindi) is: Ch as in cheese, the first a pronounced as the u in luck, n as in north, d as in dog, and the second a pronounced as the a in arm.
My mother found this name in a baby book. I like it, but I have been called everything from Shawnda to even Claudia. I pronounce it with a hard Ch-as in Chan. Once I tell people it rhymes with panda, I have no more problems.
This is my half-sister's name. I don't know what you people are doing breaking it up into three syllables, it's chan-duh. Yeah, the hard ch like Jackie Chan (which funnily enough is her nickname- Chan I mean).My sis's name really suits her because she has a hot temper and flaming red hair. I've heard it on guys too, but only in South America. I like it on both sexes. ;)
It's my name and my parents always pronounce it ch-AND-uh, but I prefer ch-aw-n-d-uh. I think that if you're going to use the name with the SH pronunciation, you should really use "Shanda" or "Shawnda" instead to avoid confusion. Also, people always seem to call me "Chandra" or "Shandra" and have a very hard time getting it right even after I correct them several times. For some reason it's just hard for people to say right even though it's a very simple, phonetic name.
If your last name is any spelling of 'Lear' I suggest you not name your child this. Speaking of which, there is a Chanda Lear floating around somewhere, I think she's the daughter or relative of the person who made Lear jets.
The only Chanda's I have known were feminine, I find this name very feminine myself.
― Anonymous User 11/28/2006
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My mother found this name in a baby book in the 70s. She read that it meant great goddess. We have always pronounced it with Ch=sh and a as in apple - like Chandelier, which was funny because I dated a guy in high school whose last name was Leer. If we had ever married I would have been Chanda Leer. lol ;-)