how do you say and spell the name Bailey for a girl?

[Phedre]

I feel so dumb but even if I say it the 2 different ways out loud, I can't hear any difference, rofl. Good luck with your decision

 

[winkers]

Color me confused, because as far as I know, Bailey (and that is the accepted spelling) has only one pronunciation. Long a, long e. Accent goes on the first syllable.

That's the only way I've ever heard it pronounced.........

My daughter is Bailie

 

[Mickey&Donald]

Attempting to make your hypothetical daughter (who's to say you won't have a son if you get pregnant again?) more unique by differentiating between "bay-lee" and "bale-lee" is absurd. I guarantee you no one will notice the difference and you will only give yourself a headache.

Count me in the group that doesn't understand what the difference is in pronounciation, anyway. "Bailey" rhymes with "daily" to my ears. Spelling it any differently doesn't change the name, btw. To me, Bailey will always make me think of irish cream liquor or Golden Retrievers. Personally, I just can't imagine an adult woman named Bailey -- in another generation, it's going to sound as dated as Sherry or Brandy (no offense to any Sherrys or Brandys who may be reading this -- I just never understood naming a baby girl after alcohol).

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Color me confused, because as far as I know, Bailey (and that is the accepted spelling) has only one pronunciation. Long a, long e. Accent goes on the first syllable.

Yup, me too. Whether the "L" sound is technically part of the first syllable or the second, no one pauses between syllables when they say a name (or other word), so it comes out the same either way -- rhyming with daily, same as Bailey's Irish Cream and Bailey Quarters from WKRP in Cincinnati. And I've only ever seen it spelled Bailey, and only for girls.

Her twin is Taylor (we pronounce it Tay-lor). I do get people that pronounce her name tailor...don't like that.

Ack! More confusion! Tay-lor and tailor sound exactly the same to me, too!

It's hard to talk about this in writing, versus in person. I'd love to be able to hear the difference that some of you hear in these words.

 

[bumbershoot]

I pronouce it just like Bailey's Irish Cream. Bale-Lee

Personally, I love this name.

I say the name of that drink bay-lee. At least I think I do!

I can barely say "bale-lee", it makes my tongue feel funny.

Let me take my confusion a step further. (I must confess that all this Bale-e and Bay-lee business is giving me a headache. ) The two syllables are divided between the long a and the "l" sound.

In other words, the first syllable consists of the "b" and the long "a." This is the accented syllable. The second syllable consists of the "l" and the long "e." The first syllable rhymes with "day" and the second rhymes with words like "me, be and he."

If the first syllable included the "l" sound, then it would rhyme with "bail" as in "bail out out jail" or "bale of hay." It sounds awkward to say BALE-eee. BAY-lee flows much more smoothly....like the Bailey's Irish Cream someone mentioned. Perhaps everyone is actually saying it the same, just interpreting "Here's how I pronounce it," differently???

Think "daily." It rhymes with that.

I have a headache too.

That's the only way I've ever heard it pronounced.........

My daughter is Bailie

And see I'd call her "buy-lee" if I only saw the spelling and was forced to make a try at pronouncing it! I would think "baile", spanish for dance, but with an IE making it ee instead of eh.

Personally, I just can't imagine an adult woman named Bailey -- in another generation, it's going to sound as dated as Sherry or Brandy (no offense to any Sherrys or Brandys who may be reading this -- I just never understood naming a baby girl after alcohol).

Imagine the character from WKRP in Cincinnati, the one who is NOT Loni Anderson.

 

[happygirl]

I like names spelled differently, I would spell baylee or baleigh or baylea

As for people who might spell her name wrong that on them. My name is Jenny and you wouldn't image how many people misspell that I get Ginny Genny Jinny

 

[golfgal]

I think a lot of the pronunciation has to do with regional accents as well. There are plenty of words that are fall victim to this. What about Bostonians and their weird pronunciations of several words. I remember a post here several years ago about a mom that was upset because they had recently moved to the south and her DD got some words wrong on a spelling test because she spelled them the way she heard them.

 

[Kathi OD]

I think a lot of the pronunciation has to do with regional accents as well. There are plenty of words that are fall victim to this. What about Bostonians and their weird pronunciations of several words. I remember a post here several years ago about a mom that was upset because they had recently moved to the south and her DD got some words wrong on a spelling test because she spelled them the way she heard them.

This is probably true. As PP said, Bailey and daily rhyme, but for me they rhyme differently than for her.

And for the PP who has a DD named Taylor, around here the normal pronunciation for that would be "tailor," even though that's not how you want it pronounced. You'd be correcting people forever.

 

[cinmell]

I would spell it Bailey and pronounce it Bay-Lee. I have only seen Bailey used for girls names though.

Ditto.

 

[Savsmommy]

My DD's name is Savannah Bailey. We pronounce it Bay-lee.

 

[mjkacmom]

Since creative spelling of names is a personal pet peeve of mine, I'd go with Bailey, although after reading the responses, I really don't know how I would pronounce it. Taylor and tailor are pronounced exactly the same here - my niece is Taylor, and even her mom calles her tailor.

 

[maelstrom]

The pronunciation is probably going to be accent based.

Don't go with any crazy spellings. They look ridiculous and people will be spelling it wrong for the rest of her life.

 

[Mickey&Donald]

I'd love to know how tay-lor and tailor are pronounced differently. To me, it's the same thing.

Though my friend from New Jersey did have to explain why Mary, marry and merry sound different. To this Californian, they're said the exact same way!

 

[EMom]

Since creative spelling of names is a personal pet peeve of mine, I'd go with Bailey, although after reading the responses, I really don't know how I would pronounce it. Taylor and tailor are pronounced exactly the same here - my niece is Taylor, and even her mom calles her tailor.

The whole "Taylor/tailor" issue could bring on a migraine. They are one and the same to me....as in "James Taylor" who was married to Carly Simon years back. Or the person I take my clothes to for alteration. However, James Taylor is not my tailor. Rhymes with sailor on a ship or a mailer you need to send a package.

I don't like "invented" spellings. They have already been invented and can be found in a baby name book. When I see funky spellings, it makes me think people aren't aware proper spellings exist or are just poor spellers in general and fall back on phonetics when in doubt instead of looking things up. Plus, the poor kid has to explain how to spell/pronounce their name for the rest of their life. Why can't Anne/Ann suffice instead of Ah'ynnhe, for example? I saw some poor kid named Asia the other day, but it took me forever to figure that out, because the only thing I recognized was the "A." There was a j, z, i, h, another a, an apostrophe, and some other junk in there. All for a word that has only ONE accepted spelling as far as Americans are concerned.

 

[corndog]

I feel so dumb but even if I say it the 2 different ways out loud, I can't hear any difference, rofl. Good luck with your decision

Then I must be dumb too. I can't figure out a difference.

I agree, though, that it's a great name for a retriever.

 

[corndog]

I'd love to know how tay-lor and tailor are pronounced differently. To me, it's the same thing.

Though my friend from New Jersey did have to explain why Mary, marry and merry sound different. To this Californian, they're said the exact same way!

What about Don and Dawn? I'm unable to say those differently, but people swear to me there is a difference.

 

[lilyv]

Yup, me too. Whether the "L" sound is technically part of the first syllable or the second, no one pauses between syllables when they say a name (or other word), so it comes out the same either way -- rhyming with daily, same as Bailey's Irish Cream and Bailey Quarters from WKRP in Cincinnati. And I've only ever seen it spelled Bailey, and only for girls.

Ack! More confusion! Tay-lor and tailor sound exactly the same to me, too!

It's hard to talk about this in writing, versus in person. I'd love to be able to hear the difference that some of you hear in these words.

I thought Taylor and tailor ARE pronounced the same. I just checked with Merriam online...and they are. What is the invented pronunciation for tailor?

And Bailey? That's a name dear to my heart. We pronounce it Bay-lee. It's the name of our 11yo silver tabby persian cat. We call him Bales for short.

 

[mjkacmom]

What about Don and Dawn? I'm unable to say those differently, but people swear to me there is a difference.

Here in NJ, they are different - we pronounce the "w".

 

[Va-bear]

I like names spelled differently, I would spell baylee or baleigh or baylea

As for people who might spell her name wrong that on them. My name is Jenny and you wouldn't image how many people misspell that I get Ginny Genny Jinny

I'm Ginny and laugh at how many people pronounce it the "Jenny" way - I dont really care, but used to drive my old roommate nuts! (THAT difference will add to the headaches here - sorry! )

 

[corndog]

Here in NJ, they are different - we pronounce the "w".

So like "Da-wun"?