# How would you pronounce Eily?



## c.m.c

As a child, my favourite book was called Under the Hawthorn tree. I even wrote to the author and she posted me a lovely hand written reply, which I have to this day. 

Anyway, the lead character was a little girl called EILY. Our teacher at school always pronounced it E-lee and that's how I like it, but DH and I were thinking it's probably pronounced more like the beginning of Eileen or Eilish (pronounced as Ailish)

Would you pronounce it 
E Lee
Eye lee or
Ail lee ???


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## button05

I would pronounce it ee-lee. It's a lovely name!


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## c.m.c

button05 said:


> I would pronounce it ee-lee. It's a lovely name!

Thank you. I've also known it as E lee myself and I love it. It's defo my top name of it's a third girl! 

I didn't choose it for my other DDs as it gets confused with Ellie which is very popular


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## second.time

I'd pronounce it Eye-lee ... I'm American, not sure if that makes a difference!

It's a beautiful name, either pronunciation.


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## c.m.c

second.time said:


> I'd pronounce it Eye-lee ... I'm American, not sure if that makes a difference!
> 
> It's a beautiful name, either pronunciation.

I love it and it's not popular where I am at all, which makes me love it more.

I only associate it with E lee as our teacher in Ireland pronounced it that way. I do think Eye lee looks like the correct way to pronounce it as Eileen is pronounced Eye lean, which makes it seem more sensible.


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## mazndave

It's a lovely name, but I think I would pronounce it Eyelee


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## babynewbie

I would pronounce that as Eye-Lee as it looks similar to Eileen to me


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## LoraLoo

Id say eye-Lee too (uk)

I like it said that way, and your pronunciation too- not sure how you'd spell it to get people to pronounce it that way though? X


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## ikaria

I would pronounce it Eye-lee too.

But I agree that the name is lovely no matter how you pronounce it.


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## LoraLoo

How about Eleigh as an alternative spelling? The only other ways I could think of are below but none of those look right to me

Eelie
Eely
Ealie
Ealy
Eeley


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## c.m.c

Thanks. I'd rather stick to Eily and change the pronunciation, as I loved the book I really love the spelling too 

I've heard names like Andrea pronounced slightly differently an dray a and an dreeee a 

Maybe I could just pronounced it E lee and everyone would just get used to it... ?? 

E fee and eff e is another one... Effie ? Same nake 2 ways of saying it


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## LoraLoo

I definitely think you could still pronounce it as E-Lee and people would get used to it. I agree- your way is the prettiest spelling and Id want to stick with that too.


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## Mrs Dragonfly

I love the name and how you chose it. Although to be honest when I first read it I read "eye-lee", I showed DH and he said "ee - lee". If you pronounce it how you wish others will too.


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## c.m.c

A couple of years ago I went to one of the open air museums in Northern Ireland. They were having a "Hawthorn day" which was dedicated to the book. I asked the lady how you pronounce Eily and she said EE lee... not sure if that's a Northern kind of way of saying it. My DH thinks Eye lee sounds far better. It's just I don't associate it as Eye lee. 

Thanks so much for the replies. It's nice to see opinions, and I agree Eye lee is probably the proper way to say it, but also nice to know that I won't look crazy pronouncing it E lee!


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## Bevziibubble

I would pronounce it E-Lee :)


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## DanteRoman

I'd stick to the spelling and the pronunciation. 

I'd just get used to correcting people, I've had it for nearly 8 years now with Dante, it's really annoying to start with but you just get used to it. I'm still glad we picked the name we wanted even after correcting people 4000 times! Xxx


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## kirstybumx3

I'd say eye lee but you won't be far off pronouncing it your way and I'm sure many others will pronounce it that way too. 
People get even the simplest names wrong so I wouldn't worry. People will get used to it.


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## Zephram

That's definitely eye-lee if you ask me. It would never occur to me to pronounce it ee-lee. You will have to repeat the way you want it to be spelled and pronounced until you're blue in the face to almost everyone you meet and your daughter will forever be correcting people her whole life. If you're okay with that, go for it!


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## c.m.c

My teacher in Ireland pronounced it Ee lee. It's just DH said it looks more like Eye lee. I guess Most Irish people end up having to pronounce their names to half the world lol!


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## hopefulinwv

Eye-lee


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## Boo44

I'm on my own here in that I would have guessed 'Ail - ee ' lol. I agree though that people will just reproduce whatever you say and pronounce it how your daughter pronounces it!

I know someone called Kyra which to me looks like 'kye- ra' but her name is pronounced 'kee-ra' - to me it just doesn't fit at all when I see it written down!


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## c.m.c

Boo44 I think a lot of irish names beginning EIL are pronounced as Ail... that's why DH and I were thinking there are 3 potential ways to say it.

I've written to the author, through her publisher. Fingers crossed they will forward the email to her!!! That way I will find out exactly how Eily O'Driscoll pronounced her name in this book!:haha:


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## Wish85

I've never seen it or heard of it but if I had to read it out I would have said Eye-Lee (I'm in Australia)


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## salamander91

ee-lie was how I initially read it. Living in NI I'd guess at Ail-lee?


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## c.m.c

Sal91 i live in Northern Ireland too and anyone I know says ee-lee too


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## Eleanor ace

My cousins wife is called Eily! Its pronounced Eye-lee by her. I've never thought about how it looks like it should be pronounced when written down, but I don't think the way you plan on pronouncing it seems odd or anything, I might guess it was pronounced like that if I wasn't used to it the way I know it. and like you say lots of names have different pronunciations :)


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## c.m.c

Eleanor ace. You're the first person I've been in contact with who knows an Eily. It's not that common at all!

Thanks so much for all the opinions it's a big help to us!


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## Disneyfan88

second.time said:


> I'd pronounce it Eye-lee ... I'm American, not sure if that makes a difference!
> 
> It's a beautiful name, either pronunciation.

Same with me.


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## Kiwiberry

Beautiful name! I would pronounce it Eye-lee :). I am also American in case that makes a difference.


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## salamander91

lol tbh I'm English and haven't lived here very long so not great at Irish pronounciations. It's a beautiful name whichever way you pronounce it :)


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## Eleanor ace

c.m.c said:


> Eleanor ace. You're the first person I've been in contact with who knows an Eily. It's not that common at all!
> 
> Thanks so much for all the opinions it's a big help to us!

I've just looked up the books (wasn't familiar with them) and I see that one of the siblings is named Peggy; my cousins wife's sister is called Peggy (nn, her actual name is Margaret), I wonder if their parents named them after the characters in the book?! I'm going to Facebook her and ask!


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## c.m.c

Eleanor ace said:


> c.m.c said:
> 
> 
> Eleanor ace. You're the first person I've been in contact with who knows an Eily. It's not that common at all!
> 
> Thanks so much for all the opinions it's a big help to us!
> 
> I've just looked up the books (wasn't familiar with them) and I see that one of the siblings is named Peggy; my cousins wife's sister is called Peggy (nn, her actual name is Margaret), I wonder if their parents named them after the characters in the book?! I'm going to Facebook her and ask!Click to expand...

The first book was written in 1991... not sure how old your cousins wife is? But such a coincidence


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## Eleanor ace

Oh I didn't spot that! She's 32 or 33 and her sister is older so just a funny coincidence! How random though!


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## LoveCakes

I'd pronounce it Eye-lee as I always thought it was short for Eileen (eye-leen). I'm in Northern Ireland

That said pronunciation does vary across the country. My wee boy is Oisin. We say awe-sheen but you get oh-sheen and ush-een too. I think that's more an accent thing as 'ulster' Irish sounds different from 'dublin' irish


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## c.m.c

Totally agree lovecakes! I know 2 Oisins and they're pronounced so differently!!! One is ooh-sheen and other awww-sheen 

I really hope the author replies to me because I'm
Adamant to pronounce it how she intended it


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## Midnight_Fairy

Ee-lie


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## Eleanor ace

I found this on Youtube, about 7 minutes 50 seconds in she says Eily, maybe elsewhere but my kids are chattering so I might have missed it. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiEHmd59hAo


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## xMissxZoiex

I'd pronounce it E LEE like Healey without the H x


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## c.m.c

Eleanor!!! I never even thought ti look up you tube... thank you so much for this!!!


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## c.m.c

The narrator says Ee lee.but I think Marita says Eye lee. The narrator has a northern accent so I think that's why I have always associated it with E lee.


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## Eleanor ace

It definitely seems to be one of those names which can be pronounced different ways. I'd totally stick with the pronunciation you know and love :)


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