How would you pronounce Canaan?

Kay-nan.

We have a ski resort in my state named Canaan Valley.
Here it is pronounced Ka-nane.

I pronounce it almost the same way as @filmfann. Long a first syllable; second syllable the aa is pronounced “nin”. kay-nin.

I always thought it was “Kay-nan”

It would rhyme if I said “It’s rainin’ in Canaan.”

The anglicized versions of biblical names make no pretense of sounding as they do in their original languages.

You guys all got it right.

@chyna, I did a Web search on pronunciation of Canaan Valley, and the story goes that the person who originally named mispronounced it. Link

I had thought that the correct pronunciation was for the first “a” to be short, the double “a” pronounced as a short “o”, with the stress on the second syllable.

Thanks! That’s very interesting.

Nope. In Hebrew school and my growing up it was always pronounced Ke-nah-on. Don’t know if that’s right or not.

I just sent a Q to my two Jewish scholar brothers. Will report on what they say.

Here’s the answer from one of the top Jewish scholars in the world:

“Depends whether you’re speaking Hebrew or English. In Hebrew you’re right; in English people say Kaynen. Jews should say Kena’an.”

Thanks for that. I must have also heard it that way in Hebrew school. It is not a word that comes up often in conversation.

cane ann with accent on the cane

Isreal is also often pronounced differently.
Is real
Is-ray-el

And viscount is vi-count. Why?

^^^^^But visqueen is pronounced vis-queen.

Somebody tell @KNOWITALL how to spell Israel.

If you’re asking about the towns of Canaan and New Canaan, CT, the answer is KAY-nan.

As for the bible, I’ve always heard kah-NON.

Not me @Jeruba! I ain’t telling her!

@Jeruba Rough day, sorry.

But everyone knows how to pronounce Israelites

@zenvelo Now I’m bopping!

“Caesar” is another spelling that gets mangled constantly.

Regarding the pronunciation of Israel, the Hebrew pronunciation is yis-raw-ALE.

Here in NY, I’m right next to the town of New Canaan, which we pronounce KAY nan.