[LenaK]

Last week I fell in love with the Dutch alternative to Evelyn - Evelien, pronounced Ava-leen.

DH is Dutch and we are currently living in Holland but if/when we return to Australia, how do you think people will go with this spelling and pronounciation? I dont want to get creative but I also dont want to make life too difficult.

[♥~Bodhichitta~♥]

To be honest I would never have thought to pronounce it Ava-leen.

At first I read it as Evelyn, then sounded it out to myself as Ev-el-ee-en.

I love the true pronunciation though - that's beautiful

[PatG]

If I had to guess I'd probably pronounce it Evel-een, like Evelyn but with leen on the end not lyn. But I don't think the correction to Ava-leen would take people long to grasp.

[Sunnycat]

I would have guessed ever-lean, but your pronunciation is much nicer.

[kerilyntaryn]

I think most people wouldn't pronounce it right
eve lee n

could you spell it as pronounced Avaleen or Avalene - very pretty name

[Gudrun]

I prefer the Dutch Evelien to Evelyn but I always thought it was pronounced [ev-uh-leen] so for me looking and sounding very nice. However if it is ava-leen it's not so good. My way of saying it would not cause any trouble lol because most of us pronounce the first bit of Evelyn that way anyway and the end is easy.

[seaside_shells]

It's a beautiful name but I think in Australia it is likely to be mispronounced as either eve-leen, ever-leen or Eva-leen. I don't necessarily think that should prevent you from choosing it though, I love, love, love the name Amelie pronounced the French way & if I could convince DH I would totally use it despite mispronunciation concerns.... Unfortunately DH is not to be persuaded though!!

[Pooks*potters]

It's not that hard to have a foreign name. It really isn't. You just say "it's pronounced..." and people get the hang of it. Lots of NN potential there too. Lovely name.

[Bek+3]

I think she will have people call her Alien but with a V.

This post has been edited by Bek+3: 11/01/2013, 08:11 PM

[michellew68]

I think we live in such a multicultural country that it wont be a big deal.
Those around her will get used to it.

Our grandaughter, due next month, is going to be Sofija. She will always have to spell it but most of her school class will have to spell theirs as well!