Baby Names
32 Popular Baby Names That Are Often Mispronounced
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Stephen
Image: iStock / tatyana_tomsickova
A lot of people hated spelling in school because of the tricky “ph.” Why couldn’t it just be “f?” The pesky “ph” can also make name pronunciation tricky, like in the case of Stephen. It leaves people unsure whether they are supposed to recall those f/ph grammar school rules and pronounce the name “Stef-en” or whether they should treat it as an alternative to Steven. And some people might pronounce it like Stephan/Stefan. There is no hard-and-fast rule on what is right. It really is down to the parents and person. When in doubt, it is always a safe move to ask.
