Hi everyone. Today I would be addressing some baby names which are often wrongly pronounced by parents in homes, by teachers in schools and by friends in the entire social hemisphere. It 'itches' my ears whenever I hear my name mispronounced—My name is "Hilary" often mispronounced as /ee la ri/. Truth is, as Nigerians, English is not our first language, valid. But at the same time whatsoever language worth learning is worth learning well. I'm guilty of some of the misnomers, you may be guilty too at some point, well the bottom line is let's all learn. No one is an island of knowledge.

So here they are:

Mabel -------- may bull (not "may bell" nor "mah bell" )
Mary -------- merry (not "may ree" )
Mariam ----- merry-am (not "may ree-am" )
Marianna ----- merry-ah-na (not "may ree ah na" )
Josephine -------- joze fin (not "jo seh fin" )
Charles ----- charlz (not "Charlssss)
Micheal -------- mai cole (not "mai kell" )
Nicholas -------- nick las (not "knee ko las" )
Marvelous -------- marv lous (not "ma veh lous" )
Jonathan -------- jaw na than (not "joe na tan)
Reginald -------- reh gee nawld (not "reh gee nad" )
Donald ----- dor nawld (not "doe naald" )

Joel -------- jole (not "jo el" )
Noah ------- norwa
Joseph -------- joe zev (not "joe sef" )
Joan -------- jone (not "joe ann" )
Yvonne -------- e von (not "vorn" )
Vaughan -------- vorn (not "vo gan" )
Sarah -------- seh rah (not "say rah" )
Sara ------- saa rah
Jessica -------- jeh sica (not ''jay sica'' )
Rebecca -------- reh beh ka (not "ray bay ca" )
Lucia ----- loo-cee-ah
Isla ----- eye la (not "is la" nor "ice la" )
Alicia ----- ah-li-cee-ah (not "ah li sha)
Alisha ---- ah li sha
Daniel -------- da newl (not "dan yell" )
Joshua -------- jaw shwa (not "joe shwa" )

Glory -------- glaw ree (not "glow ree" )
Kingsley -------- kings lee (not "kin slee" )
Babara -------- babra (not "ba barà" )
Deborah -------- Debra (not "deh bora " ) wink
Marie -------- more reè (not "ma ree" )
Maria ----- ma-ree-ya (3 syllables)
Mariah ---- mah rah ya (not "ma ree ya" )
Donald -------- dor nawld (not "do naad" )
Elizabeth -------- eli za beth or eliz beth (both correct)
Louis ----- loo-ee

PS: If you trip to Native countries (English countries) and pronounce these names otherwise, they would find it difficult comprehending who or what you mean. Or at worse, think you sound condescending or racist. Someone may even call your name just behind you, and you wouldn't recognise it's your name they called. We learn everyday all the same.

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What of Buhari