"I've been pronouncing my name wrong my whole life and my parents knew the whole time"
  • 2 years ago
A woman was shocked to discover she's been pronouncing her name wrong her whole life - but will continue to say it the same way she has for the last 30 years. Naomi Leanage, 30, found out she has been pronouncing her surname wrong her whole life and her parents knew. She has been saying her surname 'Leanage' - sounds like fromage - but discovered it should be pronounced 'Lean-a-ge' instead. She only found out when her dad Paul Leanage, 63, revealed that when he moved to Canada people pronounced their name like French cheese and it stuck. Naomi and her siblings found out when they asked their dad why it sounds French and he then revealed everyone had been pronouncing the name wrong. Naomi and her siblings - Natalie, 27, and Dylan, 25 - were shocked but have decided to stick with the way they've always known. Naomi, a content creator, from Toronto, Canada, said: "I found out a couple of years ago from my dad, Paul. "We asked how our last name sounds French. "He said 'oh, well, it is not actually pronounced like that'. "My family are originally from Sri Lanka and when we came over to Canada, he changed up the pronunciation as people were pronouncing the name wrong. "My siblings and I were very shocked, I felt like I was bamboozled my whole life. "My mum, Nayana, 62, knew but she didn't think to mention it." Naomi said she was surprised to find out that a lot of people resonated with her story when she shared it on social media. She says she will continue to say her last name how she always has. Naomi added: "A lot of people have said to me that when they came to live in Western countries, their names would be changed or spelt differently. "I feel like over two decades of saying it, I don't think I can switch it up that easily - I will continue to say it how I have been doing."
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