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Joined: 10 Mar 2011 / Female ♀ 		Last Post: -
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Duchess   
10 Mar 2011
Language / Pronounciation of the name "Rafael" [16]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone here could help me with the pronounciation of the name "Rafael" in Poland?

The thing is, my friends and I are making a short film. In our film, one of the characters is meant to be Polish, with the surname Rafael (he does a Polish accent in the film). We've already filmed quite a few scenes, and we've been pronouncing it as "ra-faɪ-el, with the /a/ as in cat and the /aɪ/ as in bike".

Is this acceptable as a Polish pronounciation for this surname? Would a Polish person ever pronounce this surname like this? I really don't want to re-film (it's for school and we don't have the time, or the money, really), but I don't want to be incorrect, either, and this issue is really bothering me!!

If this is absolutely not an acceptable pronounciation, how should he pronounce this name when we re-film?

Thanks very much. :)
Duchess   
10 Mar 2011
Language / Pronounciation of the name "Rafael" [16]

If a Polish person had Rafael or Raphael as a (foreign) surname, they would pronounce it exactly as you suggested.

Thank you, it's actually a Jewish surname used occasionally in Poland, so I suppose that would count as foreign. :)
Duchess   
10 Mar 2011
Language / Pronounciation of the name "Rafael" [16]

Rafał Rafael...Michał Michalski

LOL, they both sound like stage names...certainly not forgettable, at least...
Duchess   
10 Mar 2011
Language / Pronounciation of the name "Rafael" [16]

Put it in the box

Wow, that box is one of the handiest things I think I've ever seen...
Anyway, "Jacek" and "Jan" pronounce it more like "Ra-fa-el", but "Maja" and "Ewa" pronounce it more like "Ra-fai-el", so I think we'll be okay not to re-film (thank God!).

for me it should be as the U in "cut" and not the A in "cat"

I agree, actually, you're right. Cat was the wrong example to use. I was actually thinking more of a long A sound, more like the A in Father (which is how we've been saying it in the film), and to me the difference between a U sound and a long A is so subtle that I can't really notice the difference. But yeah, "cut" is much closer than "cat".
Duchess   
12 Mar 2011
Language / Pronounciation of the name "Rafael" [16]

If you type in the box a sentence: "Rafael Santi to znany artysta." then voices of Ewa and Jacek will be the best

Thanks very much for that, its good to hear it in the context of a proper sentence. And Ewa and Jacek both pronounce it like Ra-fai-el, which is a great relief. :)
Duchess   
12 Mar 2011
Language / Pronounciation of the name "Rafael" [16]

Really? Do you not hear it like that? Well, however you would write it out phonetically, we've been pronouncing it the way Ewa and Jacek do, so that's the important thing.