my name is difficult to pronounce

[B'sA 0]

so is it al-yo-na then? same as the editor of russian vogue. :)

Good for you! Ohhh... By the way... My Alla's grandmother calls her your name sometimes (as a variant)!

yep, my name has russian provenience.

the "io" part is more like the "eo". the point is that it's "softer"

[eekee 182]

"soft" sounds are next to impossible for Americans to pronounce. i guess you will just have to get used to an americanized sound. :/ my mom has a belarusan name for which an americanized version became popular about 25 years ago, and she just goes by it and doesn't even bother to say her name the proper way.

so is it al-yo-na then? same as the editor of russian vogue. :)

Good for you! Ohhh... By the way... My Alla's grandmother calls her your name sometimes (as a variant)!

yep, my name has russian provenience.

the "io" part is more like the "eo". the point is that it's "softer"

[B'sA 0]

"soft" sounds are next to impossible for Americans to pronounce. i guess you will just have to get used to an americanized sound. :/ my mom has a belarusan name for which an americanized version became popular about 25 years ago, and she just goes by it and doesn't even bother to say her name the proper way.

wow, after i posted the "soft" explanation, i was thinking:"hm...do i make sense?.."

I guess i did!

Thank you, and what's you mom's name?

[Ursa Tripudio 2]

Without going into a lot of detail about why it is difficult for Americans to pronounce some Chinese words:

I have to be very careful saying Li's son's name. They keep telling me I mispronounce it so that the meaning is 'biting insect'.

Yesterday, I was talking to a Chinese friend. I told him I was excited about going to Jiuzhaigou. He said "Haven't you ever been to Chicago before?".

[eekee 182]

After spending as many hours as I have in Russian phonetics classes... it makes sense.

"soft" sounds are next to impossible for Americans to pronounce. i guess you will just have to get used to an americanized sound. :/ my mom has a belarusan name for which an americanized version became popular about 25 years ago, and she just goes by it and doesn't even bother to say her name the proper way.

wow, after i posted the "soft" explanation, i was thinking:"hm...do i make sense?.."

I guess i did!

Thank you, and what's you mom's name?

[B'sA 0]

Without going into a lot of detail about why it is difficult for Americans to pronounce some Chinese words:

I have to be very careful saying Li's son's name. They keep telling me I mispronounce it so that the meaning is 'biting insect'.

Yesterday, I was talking to a Chinese friend. I told him I was excited about going to Jiuzhaigou. He said "Haven't you ever been to Chicago before?".

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Without a lot of practice! I still have slight trouble from time to time. It just depends where the placement is. I get better as time travels on.

"soft" sounds are next to impossible for Americans to pronounce. i guess you will just have to get used to an americanized sound. :/ my mom has a belarusan name for which an americanized version became popular about 25 years ago, and she just goes by it and doesn't even bother to say her name the proper way.

[bora bora 1]

so is it al-yo-na then? same as the editor of russian vogue.

Good for you! Ohhh... By the way... My Alla's grandmother calls her your name sometimes (as a variant)!

yep, my name has russian provenience.

the "io" part is more like the "eo". the point is that it's "softer"

Aliona doesn't seem that hard to pronounce - people must just be lazy and/or it's a name they've never heard so they just guess. It is a pretty name by the way.

I wouldn't change my name either...I spent years in South America and you should listen to people butcher MY name (Meredith). If you read it phonetically in Portuguese it's sooooo ugly!

But I got over it since it's beautiful in English.

Some people have wanted my husband to go with more of an English name (like Elton!!!), while others have worked on saying it right. If people aren't even going to try then that's not your fault.

[eekee 182]

Right, but you're studying Russian. Someone who has not had exposure to soft sounds and doesn't sit around practicing them all the time like we do will definitely not be able to get it on the first try. whenever people want me to teach them how to say something in Russian... it's amazing what comes out when people try to emulate what i'm saying.

Without a lot of practice! I still have slight trouble from time to time. It just depends where the placement is. I get better as time travels on.

"soft" sounds are next to impossible for Americans to pronounce. i guess you will just have to get used to an americanized sound. :/ my mom has a belarusan name for which an americanized version became popular about 25 years ago, and she just goes by it and doesn't even bother to say her name the proper way.

[sweetpink 1]

Hi all!

My name is ALIONA, but not even my fiance, after allmost a year of dating cannot pronounce it right.

People would usually say:"aly..what?"

How many different pronouncements i've hurd: allana, allyana, allena.

I'm afraid i'm gonna have to make a nick name or something after i move with my future husbend.

did you have a problem like this?

you're not alone. My real name is Maria Rodhora, my hubby can only pronounce the maria (well anyone could)....so we settle for Mardy, which is my nickname.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

I know the feeling Eekee!

Right, but you're studying Russian. Someone who has not had exposure to soft sounds and doesn't sit around practicing them all the time like we do will definitely not be able to get it on the first try. whenever people want me to teach them how to say something in Russian... it's amazing what comes out when people try to emulate what i'm saying.

Without a lot of practice! I still have slight trouble from time to time. It just depends where the placement is. I get better as time travels on.

"soft" sounds are next to impossible for Americans to pronounce. i guess you will just have to get used to an americanized sound. :/ my mom has a belarusan name for which an americanized version became popular about 25 years ago, and she just goes by it and doesn't even bother to say her name the proper way.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Everyone here thinks I have a boys name.

Everyone thinks the opposite for my husband. Funny when they call for Ms. His Full Name.

[panamania79 2]

Everyone here thinks I have a boys name.

Mags isn't a boy's name.

[athena_ny 1]

My husband's name is Mirko, even though he's Peruvian - in Peru, they said it right since Spanish is phonetic, but everyone here butchers it. He kept telling me he was going to change his name to Mark, and I was like NO WAY!

I say it right now, but most Americans pronounce it slightly off - meeeer-KO, when it's more like "meer-ko" with a softer /k/ sound than you usually find in English.

My name is Athena, and people butcher that all the time - thought it is a good idiot filter, since if you don't know how to say Athena you are most likely a moron.

People in Peru say my name "Ah-tay-nah" and I'm okay with that - still pretty, and I don't expect a language that doesn't have a theta sound to suddenly produce it for me.

Everyone here thinks I have a boys name.

Mags isn't a boy's name.

Her real name is Siobhan, I think I saw her say sometime last year in a thread. AMIRITE, MAGS?

[panamania79 2]

My husband's name is Mirko, even though he's Peruvian - in Peru, they said it right since Spanish is phonetic, but everyone here butchers it. He kept telling me he was going to change his name to Mark, and I was like NO WAY!

I say it right now, but most Americans pronounce it slightly off - meeeer-KO, when it's more like "meer-ko" with a softer /k/ sound than you usually find in English.

My name is Athena, and people butcher that all the time - thought it is a good idiot filter, since if you don't know how to say Athena you are most likely a moron.

People in Peru say my name "Ah-tay-nah" and I'm okay with that - still pretty, and I don't expect a language that doesn't have a theta sound to suddenly produce it for me.

Everyone here thinks I have a boys name.

Mags isn't a boy's name.

Her real name is Siobhan, I think I saw her say sometime last year in a thread. AMIRITE, MAGS?

That's a Celtic name,right ?