Pronunciations

[Nick the DSM]

thought MacKay was Ma- Kay, making an "A" sound not eye.

[macwilkin]

thought MacKay was Ma- Kay, making an "A" sound not eye.

Nope, although many here in the colonies pronounce it that way.

T.

[Colonel MacNeal]

I usually hear:

Salt-ear

Mac-eye

Mac-guy-ver

[Tony Miles]

thought MacKay was Ma- Kay, making an "A" sound not eye.

Don't tell a MacKay that.

Here's a nifty link
http://forvo.com/word/mackay

[Arnot]

My wife's maiden name was McIver. Her family all say it as Mac Eye'ver. Originally, though, it was pronounced as Mac Eever. Her family were listed as both McKeever and McIver in British census records. It apparently got corrupted over the last few generations into its current pronunciation.

[skauwt]

Saltire: sal-tire or sal-teer ?

MacKay: mah-kay or mah-ky or machay ?

MacIver: mac-ever or mac-i-ver ?

wondering minds...

well being in this part of the central belt id say
"saul-tyre"
"mack-ey or mack-aye" depending on which one the name was Ive been to school with folks years back with the same spelling but different ways of saying it
and
"mack - iver"

[heilanner]

thought MacKay was Ma- Kay, making an "A" sound not eye.

i think that would be the name Mackie as in Mackie's Ice-cream http://www.mackies.co.uk/mackies/

[Nick the DSM]

Thanks for the clarification.

[Phil]

And another one famously mis-pronounced is McAfee. It is pronounced Mac - a - fee not Mukaffey.

[piperdbh]

Since the original question has been answered, may I add a few other pronunciation quirks to the mix?
I know of a family named Mauney. Some of them pronounce it MAUN-ee, with the same vowel sounds as Maundy Thursday, but without the Thursday part. Other members of the family pronounce it MOON-ee, which raises some interesting questions about their familial pastimes.
I also know of a family named Moretz. Some say it mo-RETZ, others (in the same family) say Mortz, rhyming with Schwartz.
Near where I live there's a difference among Buchanans: some say Byoo-canon, others say Buh-canon.
My last name is Hensley. Some members of my family say it Hinz-lee. I say it Hints-lee.
I live in McDowell County. Some residents say mc-DOW-uhl, rhyming with "towel". Others say MAC-DAL, equal stress, same vowel sound.

As usual, we're divided by a common language.