How is Madeleine pronounced?
Is it pronounced Madeline or Madeline?
Madeleine (name)
| Pronunciation | /ˈmædlɪn/ MAD-lin, /ˈmædəlɪn/ MAD-ə-lin French: [madˈlɛn, madˈlen] Madeline: /ˈmædəlaɪn/ MAD-ə-lyne, /-liːn/ -leen, /ˈmædəlɪn/ MAD-ə-lin |
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Meaning | “from Magdala”, “tower”, “elevated, great, magnificent” |
| Other names | |
Madeline – the storybook character is pronounced “mad-eh-line” by Americans, the French spell and pronounce Madeleine more formally and accurately as “mad-eh-len;” this all inevitably wrecks havoc when it comes to correct spelling!
David Nilsen is the former editor of Fourth & Sycamore. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. You can find more of his writing on his website at davidnilsenwriter.com and follow him on Twitter as @NilsenDavid.