Erin

A lot of Erin's I know pronounce it EH-rin.

Whether people pronounce it the same as Aaron or not, depends on where you live in the United States. I'm from New England, and when I lived there, there was a clear distinction between my name, "Erin", and the masculine name, "Aaron". However, when I moved south of the Mason Dixon line, people would pronounce them the same, which irritates me to no end, but they just don't have an ear for the correct pronunciation of my name (ERR-IN).

I've NEVER hear it pronounced like its given. I've always heard it pronounced identical to Aaron, (AIR-in).

As for Aaron being pronounced with the a of "bat" or "cat," I myself (a northeastern American) pronounce it with the a of "care," which is certainly a common pronunciation.

There always seems to be a lot of confusion between the pronunciation differences of Erin, Aaron, and Eireann. Erin is pronounced E-rin (with "E" sounding like bet or pet and "rin" sounding like bin or pin). Aaron is pronounced A-rin (with "A" sounding like bat or cat and "rin" sounding like bin or pin). Eireann is pronounced ER-in (with "ER" sounding like air and "in" sounding like bin or pin). That said, these pronunciations are based on a Northeastern American accent.

Not all Americans pronounce Erin and Aaron alike. In the east, at least, they are distinct. (See my note at "Aaron.") There are many accents in the U.S. just as there are in any country large enough. As far as "Americans pronounc[ing] everything weirdly," everyone thinks that the way they speak is normal. Anyone's accent seems weird to someone not accustomed to it.

Erin and Aaron are NOT pronounced the same! I met someone called Erin once, and I know a boy called Aron (the Welsh version of Aaron, still pronounced the same though), and it's pronounced completely differently. Americans pronounce everything weirdly.

Erin is pronounced in ER-in and Aaron (in Ireland, at least) is pronounced 'R'-on. The difference is the complete different emphasis in the first and second syllables (ER/'R' and IN/ON). Aaron is somtimes pronounced with an 'in' ending, but the first syllable is 'R' sounding. I know an Aaron and nobody would pronounce his name like mine!

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Hate the way people try and 'jazz' it up with extra letters and different spellings. In fact I *cringe* when I see that sort of carry-on. It's beauty is in it's historical origins and simplicity. What is the point of an extra 'n'? It is a total dilution and ruination of the name.

Wait a second. Someone said on here that they think it's funny that Americans pronounce the girl name Erin the same as the boy name Aaron. Isn't it? So is that pronunciation ERR-in instead of AIR-in?