How is "Graeme" pronounced?

[C James]

I am referring, of course, to our resident anti-spoiler Echidna, Graeme.

 

This question, "How is Graeme pronounced?", is a puzzler, isn't it? However, rest assured, the definitive answer appears below!

 

Given the spelling, I think it is self-evident that the correct pronunciation is "Graaam" or, for me, "Gra-a-a-ammmm".

 

Now, my own take on this is that Graeme is Australian, so therefor, one must try to pronounce his name with an Australian accent. Just say "G'day, mate" a few times first, while doing your best Paul Hogan imitation.

 

However... Graeme is not just Australian, but is actually in Australia. Therefor, I think that his name can only be authentically pronounced while standing on one's head (Australians, after all, live upside-down). There is also the weather to consider... So, for authenticity, standing outside, in July, shivering in a thick coat might be of help. (Australians not only live upside down, but they insist on having Christmas in the summer, and having it cold in July and august... Their continental Air Conditioning bill must be immense!) Also, the chattering of teeth helps draw out the "a" sound.

 

Now, there are differing (and thus incorrect) opinions on how to pronounce "Graeme", but I think we can all agree on the above.

Anyone have any other helpful hints regarding the correct way to pronounce "Graeme"? I would suggest having Vegemite handy, but that could well be interpreted as encouraging people to acquire weapons of mass destruction..

 

CJ

[Benji]

............I also thought it was like the cookie cracker!

[AFriendlyFace]

[LongGone]

GRAM <-- I say it like that

Or "Mr Cracker" when I am put out with him for some reason.

[MikeL]

I've never personally known anyone with the name Graeme. I always assumed it was one of those British spellings that was pronounced like something other than it appears. I would pronounce it Graham, like a graham cracker. I do know several guys with that name.

[Krista]

I've never personally known anyone with the name Graeme. I always assumed it was one of those British spellings that was pronounced like something other than it appears. I would pronounce it Graham, like a graham cracker. I do know several guys with that name.

 

Oh I pronounce it like the snack cracker... lol.

[C James]

............I also thought it was like the cookie cracker!

 

GRAM <-- I say it like that

Or "Mr Cracker" when I am put out with him for some reason.

I've always pronounced the cracker "Gram cracker" so I fully agree.

 

I've never personally known anyone with the name Graeme. I always assumed it was one of those British spellings that was pronounced like something other than it appears. I would pronounce it Graham, like a graham cracker. I do know several guys with that name.

 

That's an odd way of pronouncing either the cracker or the Echidna, methinks.

[MikeL]

I've never personally known anyone with the name Graeme. I always assumed it was one of those British spellings that was pronounced like something other than it appears. I would pronounce it Graham, like a graham cracker. I do know several guys with that name.

 

 

I've always pronounced the cracker "Gram cracker" so I fully agree.

 

That's an odd way of pronouncing either the cracker or the Echidna, methinks.

OK. Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme

[C James]

OK. Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme

 

Thank you, your Frogishness, for providing further proof that "Gram" is the correct pronunciation.

Though the page does not give pronunciation, I note that at the bottom, under "see also", it has two listings, "Gram" and "Gramm".

 

Edit to add: AHHA! Here is a link to an article on "Gram flour", which clears up the confusion!

Although pronounced similarly in American English, gram flour is unrelated to graham flour

 

So, "Gram" and "Graham" and thus "Graeme" are pronounced "Gram".

[MikeL]

Thank you, your Frogishness, for providing further proof that "Gram" is the correct pronunciation.

Though the page does not give pronunciation, I note that at the bottom, under "see also", it has two listings, "Gram" and "Gramm".

 

Edit to add: AHHA! Here is a link to an article on "Gram flour", which clears up the confusion!

 

 

So, "Gram" and "Graham" and thus "Graeme" are pronounced "Gram".

Trying to pull a fast one, are we? Graham is two syllables, not one. Graham flour is made from wheat. Gram flour is made from chickpeas, a/k/a garbanzos. Graham crackers are made from graham flour. Falafel is made from gram flour. Two different things - two different names - two different pronunciations.

 

Why not just ask Graeme how to pronounce his name?

[Mark Arbour]

You pronounce it "sir".

[wildone]

Guess I've always enunciated his name as grey-em, no h

[C James]

Trying to pull a fast one, are we? Graham is two syllables, not one. Graham flour is made from wheat. Gram flour is made from chickpeas, a/k/a garbanzos. Graham crackers are made from graham flour. Falafel is made from gram flour. Two different things - two different names - two different pronunciations.

 

Definitely two different things and two different names, but... very similar pronunciation!

Why not just ask Graeme how to pronounce his name?

 

Because he'd probably get it wrong. Therefor, we must decide for him. It's the least we can do.

 

You pronounce it "sir".

 

ROFL! Yes indeed... I just try to post stuff like this when he's not looking.

 

Guess I've always enunciated his name as grey-em, no h

 

Definitely no h...

[MikeL]

Guess I've always enunciated his name as grey-em, no h

Exactly the way I pronounce it. The h in Graham is silent. It's not 'Gray-ham"

[Bondwriter]

There's a singer from New Zealand who had a career in France since the 1960s (he made Leonard Cohen covers in French for instance) who's named like this: Graeme Allwright. So I say, as heard from this example from my fellow native speakers: grem (as in gremlin)

 

If you take into consideration the fact that Australian considerably change the song of diphtongs (I saw a movie in which a guy asked for "some cake" and he was handed a can of Coke...), and that vowels in general are affected most by regional accents, wouldn't it be pronounced as a Brit saying "grime"?

[Graeme]

Just curious -- how do you pronounce the middle name of the famous American Inventor Alexander Graham Bell?

[Mark Arbour]

Just curious -- how do you pronounce the middle name of the famous American Inventor Alexander Graham Bell?

 

The same way you pronounce "Graham" Cracker.

[MikeL]

Just curious -- how do you pronounce the middle name of the famous American Inventor Alexander Graham Bell?

The same way you pronounce "Graham" Cracker.

Mark has the right answer. Graeme's question is not quite right: Bell was a Scotsman who moved to Canada as an adult.

 

So, how do you pronounce Graeme?

[DragonFire]

Just curious -- how do you pronounce the middle name of the famous American Inventor Alexander Graham Bell?

Have to agree with Mark on this one, defiantly as in cracker!

[Graeme]

The same way you pronounce "Graham" Cracker.

But is the way I pronounce it the same as the way you pronounce it? That's the question.....

 

Mark has the right answer. Graeme's question is not quite right: Bell was a Scotsman who moved to Canada as an adult.

 

So, how do you pronounce Graeme?

Since Graeme is a well known Scottish name, that's probably right Graeme is the Gaelic spelling of Graham... or maybe Graham is the Anglo-Saxon spelling of Graeme -- I'm not sure which cam first.

 

So if you look up Gaelic pronunciations, you should be able to work it out. :mace:

 

But, if it makes it easier, "Grae" would be pronounced as "Gray" or "Grey", and the "me" would be pronounced as the letter M (not the sound of the letter, but the letter name itself)

 

In other words, "Gray-em"

 

And just for the record, I'm not Scottish or otherwise Gaelic. It was just a name that my parents liked. It's not an uncommon name here in Australia, though both spellings appear to be used with roughly equal frequency.

[Benji]

But is the way I pronounce it the same as the way you pronounce it? That's the question.....

 

 

Since Graeme is a well known Scottish name, that's probably right Graeme is the Gaelic spelling of Graham... or maybe Graham is the Anglo-Saxon spelling of Graeme -- I'm not sure which cam first.

 

So if you look up Gaelic pronunciations, you should be able to work it out. :mace:

 

But, if it makes it easier, "Grae" would be pronounced as "Gray" or "Grey", and the "me" would be pronounced as the letter M (not the sound of the letter, but the letter name itself)

 

In other words, "Gray-em"

 

And just for the record, I'm not Scottish or otherwise Gaelic. It was just a name that my parents liked. It's not an uncommon name here in Australia, though both spellings appear to be used with roughly equal frequency.

 

..........I used to call my grandmother Grayem, I think I got it now, Thanks!!