I think I’ve been mispronouncing this name! :eek:
I voted for Puh-TELL but the folks I work with who have that name pronounce the first syllable with a hint of short a.
I would pronounce it differently to either of your options, I’d do Pat - ell, and that is the way that most actualy Patels pronounce it by the way, I know a few.
I guess “puh-Tell” is closest to how I pronounce it, but I pronounce the a like how it is in “pat.” I guess I say “pat-ell.” I’ve never met anyone by that name so I have no idea if I’m completely wrong or not.
ETA: Posted this before I saw Simple Lictus****'s post. I’m glad I’m saying it correctly then!
I agree with the three people who posted above me, based on interactions with the several people I know with that name.
I’ve known one person named Patel and he pronounced it Puh-TELL. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that way from others, too. Either way, I’m fairly certain it is not Pottle.
We had a Patel here at work. Pronounced puh-TELL. Rhymes with the toy manufacturer.
We have a very large Indian population here. My graduating class started the tradition of yelling out the number of each Patel that went up for their diploma. They had to stop graduating in alphabetical order shortly after that because the large number just made it sound ridiculous. Some years its 30-40 people graduating with that name. It never occured to me that someone would pronounce it like “Pottle” or any other way. I guess I just grew up knowing the name.
Pat-el. Short ‘a’ like the name Pat.
How have you been pronouncing it? It’s no fun to play if you don’t admit your mistake…
Pottle. :o
…because of the way it’s spelled, I think. Puh-TELL would be spelled Patell, not Patel.
See? HUGE difference!
Unless told otherwise by the person of that name I’d say Patel, it’s a fairly common name in England a la amanset
I know two different, unrelated Patels. They pronounce it puh-TELL.
And how is that pronounced?
Nm…
Pa-TELL
Pa-tail
What, amanset? 
Pat-ell, “Pat” like the name and “ell” as in “hell”. As Bam Boo Gut said, it is a fairly common name in the UK. I’ve never heard it pronounced any other way.
It should be pronounced as Al Pacino did in Glengarry Glen Ross: “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Puh-TELL? Aw, c’mon, what’s the point - I gotta argue with YOU?” As many words as possible should be pronounced in Pacino’s voice.
Based on that logic, wouldn’t the correct pronunciation be PATE-el? Long a.