“Megan” is usually pronounced MEG-ən /ˈmɛɡən/. The first syllable rhymes with “leg” and the second is a weak “ən”, like the end of “woman”. This is how the name is said in Wales, where it comes from, and across the rest of the UK. In the United States MEG-ən, MAY-gən and MEE-gən are all common, so the safest choice is the one the person named Megan uses herself.
How do you pronounce Megan?
- /ˈmɛɡən/ (MEG-ən): Wales, the rest of the UK and the United States
- /ˈmeɪɡən/ (MAY-gən): the United States
- /ˈmiːɡən/ (MEE-gən): the United States, Australia and New Zealand
The stress is always on the first syllable. The second syllable is short and unstressed, so it sounds like “gən”, not like the word “can”.
How is it said in Wales?
Megan is a Welsh name. In North Wales the first vowel is short, as in “leg”. In South Wales a longer e is also heard. In Welsh the second syllable keeps a clearer “a” sound than in English, closer to MEG-an.
Where does the name come from?
Megan began as a Welsh pet form of Margaret, made from Meg and the diminutive ending -an. Today it is used as a name in its own right.
Source: Wiktionary, “Megan” (English and Welsh entries), CC BY-SA 4.0.
