How do you pronounce 'Amen'?

[Maximilian75]

The question is in the title.

• a-h-men
• a-y-men

0 voters

 

[TK421]

Long A.

POST MUST BE AT LEAST SIXTEEN CHARACTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERS

 

[Crocus]

“ mmmmMmmNnn”

Attending out of my country at the moment … trying to blend in unnoticed.

 

[JimG]

Long A is English; short a is Latin.

So normally, long A: AYMEN

 

[AngelaMarie]

I always say it in the Latinized way

 

[tweedlealice]

Same. Both apply.

 

[brian_custer]

i always have’d said “ay-men”

 

[UpUpAndAway]

If we’re talking about praying in community (Mass, LOTH, etc.), I follow the custom wherever I am.

I grew up in the US and learned to say ay-men.

I now live in France, where people say ah-men. So I also say ah-men. I revert to ay-men when I return to the US to visit my family.

When I pray alone, I’ve noticed I now say ah-men. A habit born of daily use in communal prayer.

 

[Sy_Noe]

I’ve been known to say it both ways but probably long A more often I’d say.

 

[Zaccheus]

Yes.

That is, both ways are right.

 

[Thom18]

I use them interchangeably, and I’ve even heard it pronounced “ah-main”.

 

[Augustinian]

The American pronunciation is “Ay Men”, and I am an American.

 

[pianistclare]

A with the long A unless I’m at the Spanish Mass, which properly pronounces AH men.

 

[Mariablessed]

Amen (ahmen) is how we pronounce it in latin.

 

[OldCAFMember]

I’ve observed this dichotomy, and never understood why it exists.

 

[porthos11]

In Canada it’s Ahmen short A.

 

[UpUpAndAway]

So am I, but I don’t currently live amongst Americans. When in Rome…

 

[TK421]

I’ve observed this dichotomy, and never understood why it exists.

Language and music doesn’t have cause-and-effect or algorithmic explanations. It exists because it exists. It’s probably a habit that carried over on a macro scale as the liturgy shifted from Latin to native languages. Because the word - regardless of pronunciation - is ‘Amen’ whether using Latin or American English, it is to be expected that the conventional pronunciation would continue during the ‘Amen’ of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

“Ah-men” doesn’t sound better or worse when it is sung than the long A. The alternative ‘might not feel right’ purely because that is not how the person is accustomed to singing it.

As a general pattern, whenever a vowel isn’t followed by a silent E and thus the pronunciation isn’t clear, British English leans towards short vowels and American English leans towards long vowels.

 

[Augustinian]

I think the people can judge for themselves.

 

[TK421]

lol. Southern gospel music will eventually enter the Liturgy. Resistance is futile.