And you complain about Umlauts?

[missapocalyptic]

Just a short question to the native speakers of English:

Is it really that difficult to pronounce my name correctly? I mean, it's just "Anja", with an "a" as in "father" at the beginning. Is our exchange student just ignorant or is he trying to tease me or is it really that impossible to pronounce it correctly?

ETA: Due to the questions that

Comments

[dragonflymuse]

No, it isn't difficult to pronounce your name. He's either not paying attention to how it's pronounced, or maybe he somehow can't (depending on where he is exchanged from)!

[missapocalyptic]

He's from California. Does that mean anything?

[dragonflymuse]

Maybe. But I'd expect that any young American would've stumbled across 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' at least once, and one of the main characters for many seasons was named 'Anya', with the same open 'A'.

Then again, being from Cali, maybe he's a bit stunned :P

[bohemian__storm]

I probably wouldn't pronounce it correctly the first time, but if I was told how to pronounce it, it seems easy enough.

Then again, people pronounce MY name incorrectly all the time. Leah. Lee-ah. Easy, right? Nope. I get Lee and Leia and Leanne and all sorts of things.

[missapocalyptic]

Well, thing is, he didn't see the name written, but heard it when I introduced myself... however, to me it's more funny than really annoying.

How do people get from Leah to Leanne? People are weird.

[nakeisha]

I doubt I'd pronounce it correctly until I'd heard it. Indeed looking at it, I'm trying several versions, but I wouldn't know which was correct.

However, once I'd heard it, I'm sure I'd be fine. Maybe he just isn't trying, or he genuinely has problems with being able to pronounce it, some people do. Maybe next time he does it you could try, gently correcting him, he may not even realise that he's got it wrong and irritating you.

[missapocalyptic]

Hehe, of course I'm correcting him. And if he's very concentrated he gets the a-sound right - only then then he's kind of overpronuncing... he just seems to forget about in casual speech. Well, in exchange I started to pronounce his first name (Michael) as I would in German. At it first he didn't even recognise it as his name ;)

It's not that irritating, it's more a matter of interest to me if the pronounciation just sounds too unnatural for him or something.

[missapocalyptic]

Oh, by the way: It is pronounced like "Enya", only that the first letter is a open A.

[nakeisha]

Do you mean it sounds as though the An is sounded like the name 'Ann'?

[aingeal8c]

I'd have to hear it first then try it. *ponders how to say it*

[missapocalyptic]

'kay... I#ve decided to make a little soundfile: http://www.sendspace.com/file/8uoqgd

[primroseburrows]

Someday I will be brave enough to make a soundfile of my voice. Someday. :)

[missapocalyptic]

I'm having a fabulous Merlot here (God, I'm just a poor student!), that really helps. Maybe I feel the need for a new online identity tomorrow.

And I'd love to hear your voice! Read some porn and send the file to me per e-mail! Come on!

[bluebrocade]

I was thinking "anshja" before, i.e. kind of french sounding (I don't know why.), but now that I hear it, I could definitely pronounce it. It seems easy, but one of my nieces has a very similar name -- starting with the "ahn" sound and my father (her grandfather) STILL pronounces it wrong "ann". It annoys the F out of me, and she's not even my kid.

Also, you have a lovely voice.

[missapocalyptic]

Thank you. I refuse to listen to the recording now that I'm sober, but thank you.

Maybe your dad is just being stubborn.