How do you pronounce "Alaine Chartrand"?

[seabm7]

The names of Canadian skaters are sometimes very confusing to me: English, French, or English+French?

For example, how do I pronounce "Alaine Chartrand"? I heard both English and French versions in the youtube clips, so I want to know which version is correct.

[rvi5]

When announcing her name at the rink, they introduced her as...

SOUNDS LIKE... a-lane shar-tron ...but there is a bit of an accent on the "tron" which is hard to explain in writing. It was more like "trawn".


I guess the proper way, is whatever she calls herself. Since I have never heard her say her own name, I don't know what that would be.

[Vagabond]

It's a French name, so it should be given a French pronunciation, and the final "d" should be silent.

It sounds something like this: "Ah-LEN SHAR-trahn." The french word "laine" (meaning "wool") does not sound like the English word "lane," it sounds more like the first syllable in "Leonard."

I think posting this link should work: http://translate.google.com/?hl=en&t...ne%20Chartrand. If you click on the appropriate symbol on the right side, you should be able to hear the correct pronunciation.

[danafan]

It depends if she's French Canadian or not.
I wouldn't trust the announcers. They called Daleman "Gabriel" like the boy's name.

[seabm7]

Thank you, all of you.

[Connolly22]

rvi5 is correct. Her name is pronounced A-lane, like Elaine, but with an A. Chartrand can be pronounced either way - Shar Tran or Shar-Tron. Alaine herself is not French, nor are her parents, but family on the Chartrand side is. When her mother named her, she liked the French pronounciation of the name Helen -(pronounced ayh-len) since the H is silent. So she created an english spelling that would sound the similar, but we have always called her A-lane. Alaine herself doesn't mind either pronunciation, but as her family we think it should be pronounced A-lane when in competition. I am her Aunt!

[professordeb]

rvi5 is correct. Her name is pronounced A-lane, like Elaine, but with an A. Chartrand can be pronounced either way - Shar Tran or Shar-Tron. Alaine herself is not French, nor are her parents, but family on the Chartrand side is. When her mother named her, she liked the French pronounciation of the name Helen -(pronounced ayh-len) since the H is silent. So she created an english spelling that would sound the similar, but we have always called her A-lane. Alaine herself doesn't mind either pronunciation, but as her family we think it should be pronounced A-lane when in competition. I am her Aunt!

Her aunt!! How cool. I thought her first name was pronounced correctly but did wonder how she might prefer her last name said. I know a couple of people here who are English speaking with that last name and they always seemed to pronounces as Shar-tran. Since one of those was a lacrosse player, I just called him Charts!

[seabm7]

Thank you, Connolly22!