Is Yehoshua difficult to pronounce?

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Forum -> Pregnancy & Childbirth -> Baby Names

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amother

Sun, Sep 19 2010, 1:01 pm

Do think (or have experience with) people mispronouncing the name Yehoshua? Especially in secular circles.

Thanks.

c.c.cookie

Sun, Sep 19 2010, 1:05 pm

I think for s/o unfamiliar with the name it might be.

Sweet Valley Gal

Sun, Sep 19 2010, 1:09 pm

It could be. Are you going to shorten it to Shuey or something because then it could be ok. Yehoshua is a bit hard to say

ykn21

Sun, Sep 19 2010, 6:50 pm

just say "you can call me SHUA"
it's not that hard to say really

grace413

Sun, Sep 19 2010, 7:03 pm

It's a long name but not difficult to pronounce. I have a relative who uses Shua.

Aribenj

Mon, Sep 20 2010, 2:50 pm

It's tough and also unusual in the secular world. You could always use Joshua with them.

amother

Mon, Sep 20 2010, 3:01 pm

my dh's name is yehoshua and he goes by Josh secularly. I myself even find that it takes a long time to say yehoshua and just call him "shua".

But, even with those facts, I really like the name (besides the fact that it is my dh's lol).

louche

Mon, Sep 20 2010, 3:09 pm

Basically, any name a person is not familiar with is going to be difficult to pronounce, particularly if the person is the sort of ethnocentric couldn't-care-less type who thinks any language or ethnicity other than his own "doesn't count." People of culture and breeding who value others will make it their business to ask how to spell and pronounce others' names, and then ask if they're pronouncing them correctly.

In some languages, there is no H sound: native speakers of those languages will have as hard a time with yehoshua as many have with "Chet" names. Russians will pronounce it either YeGoshua or YeCHoshua. Also, you're talking four syllables--that's pretty long. People are bound to shorten it to Yoshua, Yosh, Shua, whatever. Even Israelis will elide the Yeho to Yo; some deliberately to avoid the Yeho combination--the same people who will drop the final E-L in name like Yisrael or Chananel--or out of oral laziness.

cityofgold

Mon, Sep 20 2010, 4:49 pm

I agree with Louche. In my experience with secular relatives, as soon as it's in a different language it gets pronounced wrong--even without the "ch". Though of course, the mispronunciation isn't as bad without those letters.
So I'd say go with what you like since even if you pick something like Levi it will be said wrong.
(I hate to sound negative, it's just been my experience)

amother

Mon, Sep 20 2010, 8:51 pm

my son is named yehoshua, and my grandmother can't pronounce it. she calls him "yeshua" and it makes me crazy but nu, what can you do?

DrMom

Fri, Sep 24 2010, 7:55 am

I agree w/louche.

There are people who will simply refuse to make the minimal effort required to pronounce a name unfamiliar to them. It's some sort of mental block.

Such people are actuall;y very creative. Even if the name does not contain any unfamiliar sounds (gutteral "R"s, chets, etc.), they will manage to find inventive ways to mispronounce it. They will omit syllables, or put the emphasis on the wrong syllable. It's an art.

My parents do it w/my own kids' names. I joked w/DH that we should have called them "Moe," "Bob," and "Ann" instead of giving them Hebrew names.

Unless you want to Anglicize the name entirely to "Joshua," (I wouldn't, personally), then you'll just have to live w/them butchering the name you chose.

Brown

Fri, Sep 24 2010, 8:05 am

My grandma called my brother Joshua. And she was so relieved my parents didn't name him Pinchas.

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