Elizabeth's pronunciation: POLL! :-)

Hi everyone! Every Elizabeth I've ever known, ranging from the East Coast to the West Coast and in between, has pronounced her name as either El-LIZ-uh-beth (as in Ellie), ih-LIZ-uh-beth (with ih sounding like the vowel sound in the word "bit"), or Uh-LIZ-uh-beth, but never ee-LIH-zuh-beth, with a long e sound.

I personally use the "ih-LIZ-uh-beth" pronunciation (and the same goes for Eliza), but because I have seen several people mentioning the ee pronunciation on Nameberry recently, I thought I'd take a poll.

(I looked up the pronunciation on an etymology site, and it listed the "ih" pronunciation, with ih sounding like the vowel sound in "bit.")

How do you pronounce Elizabeth?

Thanks for your replies!

I voted uh-LIZ-uh-beth, but I think that's because I'm a Brit. A lot of our vowels come out as soft 'uh' sounds in many of the regional accents.

Take my family:

EL-uh-nuh (Eleanor)
muh-RAN-duh (Miranda)
uh-LAYN (Elaine)
DAY-vud (David)

Thanks for your answer, Elea! (I really enjoyed your blog.) :-) You and your siblings have great names!

I know I said I pronounce it with the ih sound, but it may be closer to uh. Hmm...

Take care!

I pronounce it uh-liz-uh-beth. I'm from Southwestern PA and we say somethings weird so it may just be me.

Thanks, Victoria! :-) I appreciate your reply!

Take care!

jill wrote:Thanks for your answer, Elea! (I really enjoyed your blog.) :-) You and your siblings have great names!

I know I said I pronounce it with the ih sound, but it may be closer to uh. Hmm...

Take care!

Thanks, Jill!

The last two are my parents ;) But I think our names all fit together quite nicely lol

I have read that when it comes to regional accents, it's mostly the vowels that change and not the consonants. Which makes sense if you think of the whole 'tom-AY-to' / 'tom-AH-to' line :)

I voted el-LIZ-uh-beth but I had a really hard time deciding if I say it like that or the ih-LIZ-uh-beth... I'm pretty sure it's the first when I say it, but I could be wrong! :) My husband says I say a lot of things weird...haha!

PS- I'm from Wisconsin (and we all say things weird, apparently :)

I voted Uh-liz-a-beth, but I have to say it varies, depending on the Elizabeth. I think mostly it's Uh-liz-a-beth in the abstract. I don't know anyone with that name who doesn't go by Liz or Beth (Ah'm Old-ish!). If I think about a particular Elizabeth, like Elizabeth Barrett Browning or Queen Elizabeth, I think I say Ee-liz-a-beth or El-iz-a-beth. The Ih-liz-a-beth comes out sometimes, not sure. I would say all 4 come out of me at some point or other. I tried them and they all sound natural to say, so I vary depending on how I feel about time for clarified diction and all.

EDIT: I'm from NY State from NYC (Bronxy/Brooklyny) parents not that far upstate, but I've accumulated some bits of accent from Western NY (slightly Wisconsin-ish?) as well as Boston where I live now, even though most people I've met in the last 4 years here come from somewhere else and don't have a local accent. My parents can hear the difference in how I talk, but I can't.

I pronounce it Uh-LIZ-uh-beth as well. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest of the US (Washington, Oregon and Alaska), but no, I don't have an accent like Sarah Palin! :)

if I just say the name, I pronounce it uh-liz-uh-bith, but when I say my full name (Marianne Elizabeth), i pronounce it ee-liz-uh-bith, which I think is kind of interesting. Both ways though, I pronounce it more with a 'bith' ending rather a 'beth' ending.