Emily Deschanel pronounces her last name as "dey-shuh-nel". This is a French pronunciation, as the name is of French origin. The "ch" in the name is pronounced as a "sh", and the "l" is pronounced as a "y". This pronunciation is different from the English pronunciation of the name, which is "de-shuh-nel".
The Incredible Journey of Emily Deschanel: A Quiz on the Versatile American Actress