Aeris vs Aerith: The Great Debate

[Mercen-X]

It isn't a matter of localization that is an issue for me. Until the first time I heard someone else say her name, I had been mispronouncing her name something more like Aries. I convinced myself that was the original Japanese pronunciation. Considering they only have long vowel sounds (except for "ah") it's no wonder they always had localization issues. Yeah, that's the sound of me blaming the Japanese. Lol, I need to get a life.

[Aerisfanatic]

I used to be staunchly an "Aeris" person but the remake sorta converted me to "Aerith." Although I still call her Aeris sometimes out of habit.

I remember it used to bother me that in AC and KH they would purposely never vocalize her name, I'm assuming because of this very debate.

[Aerith's Knight]

I used to be pro-Aeris but over the years I changed. I think Aerith looks and sounds nicer.

It takes a big man to admit he was wrong.

Haha, but yeah, I never left the Aerith camp. And the new games thankfully confirmed my choice. Although it could theoretically be caused by the alternate reality thing.

[Raistlin]

I originally said Aeris, but long ago transitioned to Aerith. Considering in every other appearance she's had since the original game she's been called Aerith, it's tough to dispute what her real name is at this point.

[qwertysaur]

エアリス
e-a-ri-su

The issue is with the final kana ス, which is the su sound. When you say the same, especially the ending リス you get the -rith sound naturally, making Aerith closer to the Japanese pronunciation.

Interesting side fact I noticed, is the kana for Barret

バレット
baretto

Since Japanese has no l sound it is replaced with the r sound. So baretto is how a Japanese speaker would say the word Bullet.

[CimminyCricket]

I call her by her "official" name, Aerith, but I do really like how Aeris sounds and looks.

[Primus Inter Pares]

It has and always will be Aeris for me. That is what I was presented with when I first played the game and it sounds way better than Aerith.

[Vyk]

I used to feel like Aerith sounded stupid because it sounds like Aeris with a lisp. Thankfully my brain dissolved that association over time, because there's just no getting away from it. I've gotten used to, and fond of the way Aerith sounds now. But that may just be conditioning. Regardless, you can't get away from it now. Their official stance is here and it's not going to regress

Fascinating that Barret may have meant to be Bullet though, and nobody started a pronunciation war over that name

Also weird how Lydia and Rydia never blew up. People used their preferred style and nobody gave a crap who said what

[Judge Mandolore Shepard]

Maybe because I played Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII before I played Final Fantasy VII, I have thought Aerith sounded much better than Aeris.

[JJ Strife]

Wasn't the pronounciation originally supposed to be that a th sounded like an s?

Which they then abandoned in Crisis Core?

[Vermachtnis]

Aeris, almost like the God of War

[Example]

I say Aeris when referring to her in the original game and Aerith for everything else.

[King Edgar]

Aeris for life. Aerith will never not sound strange to me.