People not pronouncing unborn baby’s name right

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP. When I read your opening, in my mind I heard, Wezlee and wasn't sure how someone could mispronounce that.

Yikes, it's me.

[Anonymous]

Didn’t read the whole thread.

I am 40. People mispronounce my name all the time.

It is not a big deal.

Assume it will happen forever and plan accordingly.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I have never heard someone say ‘Wez-Lee’, I’d find that super annoying. If you like the name, keep it and keep correcting them. At some point I’d probably tell them that I find it disrespectful they keep mispronouncing his name.

I have a name that can be said differently depending on which syllable you put the emphasis on. I don’t have any issue correcting someone, but they normally say it both ways and check - like “potato? Potahto?’ And I’ll answer ‘potahto’ or whatever. But if someone continually called me the wrong name even after being corrected I’d be very annoyed, it’s incredibly disrespectful.

You must be annoyed a lot.

No, I’ve actually never met someone who continually mispronounced my name after being corrected. I can’t imagine how rude someone would have to be to do that.

People with a different accent than you aren’t being rude and they aren’t mispronouncing anything. They’re saying your name in their accent.

This isn’t a My Fair Lady situation, and if you continually try to “correct” the way another person speaks, you are actually the one being rude.

No. The correct way to pronounce someone’s name is how they want it pronounced. If this was an ethnic name it would be considered a micro aggression to continually mispronounce it. You should really take the time to learn how to pronounce someone’s name if you’re going to be using it. Failing to do so is lazy and rude on your part.

Different languages have different sounds. I can promise you that if I gave you names in a wide variety of languages, you would not be able to perfect your pronunciation of every name and say it exactly as the person says it. Your comment sounds like you have little exposure to anyone different from yourself.

That's true. BUT, as someone who comes from two different cultures and married to a third, when making a list of names for our kid, we considered what it would sound like in all 3 languages and whether any name would be a problem in any of the 3 (and discarded some accordingly). Still, it's a kindness and polite to at minimum attempt correct pronunciation and accept gentle correction when it's made. You don't get to pronounce it however you wish just because you can't be bothered and you've decided that's how you'd mangle it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am currently 30 weeks pregnant and my husband and I have decided to name our baby boy Wesley (we already announced his name). We didn’t think we would run into any problems with this name, but unfortunately, some family members, especially my mother-in-law, keep pronouncing his name as Wez-lee instead of Wess-lee. We have politely corrected multiple times, but they continue to mispronounce it.

I'm not sure if it's just my pregnancy hormones or if I'm overreacting, but I really dislike the "z" sound and prefer the "s" sound in his name. I know it seems like such a minor difference to some, but ever time I hear his name mispronounced, it makes me consider changing his name altogether. FWIW my husband and I usually refer to him as Wes.

Should we go ahead and change his name or should I try to let it go? Please let me know your thoughts.

How can "Wesley" be mispronounced?

[Anonymous]

How about Weston?

Weston has multiple meanings, including a name, a surname, and a city.

[Anonymous]

I would say “Wezley” unless you corrected me, and then once you corrected me I’d pronounce it the way you said. But you’re going to get lots of people saying it with the Z sound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am currently 30 weeks pregnant and my husband and I have decided to name our baby boy Wesley (we already announced his name). We didn’t think we would run into any problems with this name, but unfortunately, some family members, especially my mother-in-law, keep pronouncing his name as Wez-lee instead of Wess-lee. We have politely corrected multiple times, but they continue to mispronounce it.

I'm not sure if it's just my pregnancy hormones or if I'm overreacting, but I really dislike the "z" sound and prefer the "s" sound in his name. I know it seems like such a minor difference to some, but ever time I hear his name mispronounced, it makes me consider changing his name altogether. FWIW my husband and I usually refer to him as Wes.

Should we go ahead and change his name or should I try to let it go? Please let me know your thoughts.

In the big picture, not as big a deal as you think it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:sounds like you’re having your first.

Bahahahahahaha, I think you're right

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard someone say ‘Wez-Lee’, I’d find that super annoying. If you like the name, keep it and keep correcting them. At some point I’d probably tell them that I find it disrespectful they keep mispronouncing his name.

I have a name that can be said differently depending on which syllable you put the emphasis on. I don’t have any issue correcting someone, but they normally say it both ways and check - like “potato? Potahto?’ And I’ll answer ‘potahto’ or whatever. But if someone continually called me the wrong name even after being corrected I’d be very annoyed, it’s incredibly disrespectful.

You must be annoyed a lot.

No, I’ve actually never met someone who continually mispronounced my name after being corrected. I can’t imagine how rude someone would have to be to do that.

People with a different accent than you aren’t being rude and they aren’t mispronouncing anything. They’re saying your name in their accent.

This isn’t a My Fair Lady situation, and if you continually try to “correct” the way another person speaks, you are actually the one being rude.

No. The correct way to pronounce someone’s name is how they want it pronounced. If this was an ethnic name it would be considered a micro aggression to continually mispronounce it. You should really take the time to learn how to pronounce someone’s name if you’re going to be using it. Failing to do so is lazy and rude on your part.

I struggle with this. I went to school with a girl that insisted that everyone say her name in her native accent (think Teresa in Spanish vs English). It always felt faintly ridiculous to be in the middle of a fully english conversation and use Spanish pronunciation for this one word — like people who say Par-ee for Paris when speaking in English. (And, incidentally, it is certainly not my experience in traveling in Spanish-speaking countries that the people will be at pains to use English pronunciation instead of Spanish for my name.). I also certainly don't affect a British accent and drop the r if I'm talking to an English Christopher, or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re going to have to let it go. That’s a very common pronunciation. It’s more of regional thing than an actual pronunciation, but also you can correct them by saying Wesley like Elvis Presley.

Won't work. I say Elvis Prezlee...it must be a regional accent.

LOL, me too!

I think that once your baby is born, the more you call him WESS-lee, the more people will pronounce it correctly. Wes is a great nickname ... I'd use that for the most part.

I think the problem is that many (most?) people won't perceive this as a pronunciation difference (versus, as some have said before, an accent difference). I would make an effort to remember if someone is a Ma-da-LINE versus a Ma-da-LYNN, or an ahn-DRAYuh versus and ANN-dree-uh, but I don't think I would even register if someone was using a z-ish s or a softer s in Wesley (or Presley).

I do think I can hear this difference, at least, so if you use it AND explain, people may get it. There are some names with pronunciation differences I can neither perceive nor produce, to the great disappointment of some Erin/Aarons and Don/Dawns I have met. I also once met a Mary who insisted I was saying Merry not Mary, and I am completely incapable of understanding whatever distinction that is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Wesley is sooo popular in this area. I know at least 5 under 5. It’s fine if you don’t mind a popular name.

Most people want a popular name. Who would give their kid an unpopular name. That doesn’t make sense.

People who grew up with a popular name, tend to not name their kids popular names because of how annoying it was! All of the Jessicas and Jennifers not only had this issue as kids, but all of their kids friends moms are also Jennifer and Jessica!

So, a fun fact about this is that people use a wider range of names now than ever before, such that even the most "popular" names are much less widely used than names of yore. In 1980, for example, the number one most popular name for girls was Jennifer, and 3.3% of all baby girls that year were named Jennifer. In 2023, less than 1% of baby girls got the number one name (Olivia)—that is, last year's number one name was used at about the same rate as 1980's 16th most popular name. So even if people pick the most popular names today, they are significantly less likely to be in class with Olivia J. and Olivia M. and Olivia R.

[Anonymous]

Gen X already sorted this out for you OP.

Wez-ley aka Wesley Crusher


Wess-ley aka Westley aka the Dread Pirate Roberts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP. When I read your opening, in my mind I heard, Wezlee and wasn't sure how someone could mispronounce that.

Yikes, it's me.

LOL me too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wesley is sooo popular in this area. I know at least 5 under 5. It’s fine if you don’t mind a popular name.

Yes, boys (boyz) and girls (girlz)!

[Anonymous]

My nephew is named Wesley. I say wezz ley. His parents say wess ley. I think it's a regionalism. I try to change but it's hard. I really think you should either change the name or get ok with it. People aren't going to change.