Help me spell Maya

poodlemamma

I want the name to be pronounced like Maya Angelou's name is, not like May-A.  How would you pronounce Maya, and do you have any other common suggestions for spelling that you would for sure pronounce "May-yah'?

MamaMandaW

My wedding photographers name is Myah, and she is the cutest sweetest person ever.. and i think it's obvious how it's pronounced!

andrea922

I am so confused. People would actually say May-a? I would always pronounce Maya as May-yah and think most people would. I would spell it Maya.

Julia-Henry

I pronounce Maya Mah-yah, with short As. I thought this was the standard pronounciation, and that Maya Angelou used this standard pronounciation. I could be wrong, though.

I can't think of any common spelling for may-yah. - Mia is Mee-uh (or, rarely, Mah-yah) to me.

meganet22

I've seen Maia.

FutureMrs.Steen

Maya is pronounced May-ah. I can't imagine it being pronounced wrong.

OctoberCAPA

I'm totally confused.  I pronounce Maya as MY-uh. 

OctoberCAPA

I've never heard it pronounced MAY-uh.  Mia would be MEE-uh to me.  I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh.  Myah works too. 

meplusone

Agree with PP, I thought Maya was pronounced My-uh.

I know babies with the name My-uh and they spell it Maya--I think that is the common spelling.

FutureMrs.Steen

OctoberCAPA:

??I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh. ?

How can May be pronounced my? You're ignoring the "a".

bim38106

Every student Maya I've ever had pronounced it My-ah. Same with that show, Maya the Bee, and my mom's friend's daughter 20 years ago. I always thought that's how you pronounce it and that's the typical spelling of it. All the other spellings just look weird IMO. And I've never heard it pronounced May-ah..?

bim38106

found this:

The girl's name Maya ma-ya is pronounced MYE-ah. It is of Spanish, Hindi and Russian origin. In Spanish, short form of Amalia. In Hindi, from Sanskrit, meaning "dream, illusion". In Russian, a form of Mary. A star constellation. See also Mai.

Maya has 3 variant forms: Maiya, Miah and Miya.

 

andrea922

FutureMrs.Steen:

OctoberCAPA:

  I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh.  

How can May be pronounced my? You're ignoring the "a".

Actually, I agree with this, I said it wrong in my post above. I would always say 'My-uh' for Maya. 

carolinag

maya is maya. i would never pronounce it may-a. 

ttmccoot

OctoberCAPA:

I've never heard it pronounced MAY-uh.  Mia would be MEE-uh to me.  I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh.  Myah works too. 

this, this and this.

OctoberCAPA

FutureMrs.Steen:

OctoberCAPA:

  I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh.  

How can May be pronounced my? You're ignoring the "a".

Lots of names are typically/traditionally pronounced in ways that ignore letters, as are lots of other words in the English language. 

hriesen4

andrea922:

I am so confused. People would actually say May-a? I would always pronounce Maya as May-yah and think most people would. I would spell it Maya.

This.  And if they say it incorrectly, they need help.

erinms

ttmccoot:

OctoberCAPA:

I've never heard it pronounced MAY-uh.? Mia would be MEE-uh to me.? I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh.? Myah works too.?

this, this and this.

Agreed, but I would stick to spelling it Maya.?

wheelenl

FutureMrs.Steen:

OctoberCAPA:

  I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh.  

How can May be pronounced my? You're ignoring the "a".

You guys are cracking me up. Are you not familiar with an entire line of indigenous people who live in Central America called the Maya? Pronounced MY-uh. That's how they pronounce it. HELLOOOOO!!!!! 

Mya and Mia would both be Mee-ah to me, and I don't know how anyone would spell May-ah, but I've never heard of that as a name. 

 

shanBmcg

wheelenl:

FutureMrs.Steen:

OctoberCAPA:

  I think Maya and Mya would both be MY-uh.  

How can May be pronounced my? You're ignoring the "a".

You guys are cracking me up. Are you not familiar with an entire line of indigenous people who live in Central America called the Maya? Pronounced MY-uh. That's how they pronounce it. HELLOOOOO!!!!! 

Mya and Mia would both be Mee-ah to me, and I don't know how anyone would spell May-ah, but I've never heard of that as a name. 

 

LMAO!

getnmarried910

OctoberCAPA:

I'm totally confused.  I pronounce Maya as MY-uh. 

This.

FutureMrs.Steen

shanBmcg:

You guys are cracking me up. Are you not familiar with an entire line of indigenous people who live in Central America called the Maya? Pronounced MY-uh. That's how they pronounce it. HELLOOOOO!!!!!?

This is true. You don't have to be so rude about it. ?

JoCaIzzzz

I actually know someone named Maya and it is pronounced May-ah. I also know a Maya that is pronounced My-ah. Now that I've met two people who pronounce it two different ways, I am always very confused with how to pronounce this name.In order to spell it how you want it to be pronounced, I like the other poster's suggestion of using Myah.

bridetobe920

This is one of our top names, and we are thinking of spelling it Maia.  

ready2go

OctoberCAPA:

I'm totally confused.  I pronounce Maya as MY-uh. 

this, word for word.

lisa5201

My sister is Mya, pronounced My-uh

Sometimes she gets Me-uh, but for the most part people get it right 

Rinker

My daughter's name is Maya (my-uh) and we mostly get it pronounced right.  Our doctor's office receptionist ALWAYS says may-ah but I don't care really.  Most people say it right.  I had the same question/post when we were considering the name but didn't want to spell it too weird.....

Hope this helps!

thomas&lynn

I personally would never have thought to pronounce Maya, May-a.