Just checking something...

My MC is named Alesia (it's my favorite name, what of it? If I ever have a daughter name's already picked ). Anyway the "normal" pronunciation, I've seen it two ways "AH-LEE-SHA" (like Alicia) and "AH-LEE-SEE-AH", however my MC pronounces it with a twist and I'm just curious if you can get the pronunciation from writing it out like this:

"AH-LASIA" (meant to be pronounced like the ah sound followed by ASIA like the continent with an L sound in front)

or is there a better way of conveying that sound? Pronunciations written have always been a weak spot for me. :\

 

Hi - Well, that's a toughie. If you're saying it, you can say it any way you want, but if you're writing it, you need to assume that people will hear the most common pronunciation in their heads, no doubt. You could solve your problem one of two ways that I can think of:

1) Spell it 'Alesia' as you've done, but make sure some character makes a point of saying : "No. It's AH-LASIA." Rhymes with "Asia.'

Or

1) You could spell it differently. How about "Alaysia"?

...............

I remember encountering a baby, first name Aoiffe, at the doctor's office where I used to work. When it came time to call her name to go in, we receptionists were all standing behind the desk, barking like Pekinese dogs. The baby's mother finally connected our barking with her daughter's name, and coldly informed us that her daughter's name was "Eve" and that Aoiffe is the Irish way to spell it. Learn something new every day, that's my motto...

 

How about the way you spelled it, Ahlasia?

 

I didn't wanna get in to alternate spellings. It's just a twist of personality, just like how some people all pronounce Michael the same yet some spell it that way, while others spell it Mikael, Miqel, and so on...

 

Uh, what did this mean then? "is there a better way of conveying that sound?"

 

Exactly

 

Áoife - pronounced Ee-fa, That's a fodá above the A by the way - makes it sound like an 'e' - something new for today


Going back to the OP - what difference does it make what way your reader pronounces the name in their head? You'll never know so why get hung up? When the movie comes out they'll know better.

 

This was my thought. Who cares? Don't worry about dictating to the reader - worry about engaging them.

 

Oh, mercy buckup, erebh!

 

with that 'e' in there, most people are not gonna know you want it to be pronounced as an 'a'... and there's no logical reason for it to be pronounced that way, as 'e' doesn't normally sound like 'a'...