How do you pronounce Leif? Long e, i, or a?

Boy Names
1

I have only ever heard leif pronounced like the plant but I’ve recently been told that the original Scandinavian and correct pronunciation is the long a. And apparently the [name_m]German[/name_m] pronunciation is the long i. I want to like the name more but this is bothering me. What do most people say?

2

I would actually like to know too lol.
I’d actually pronouce it [name_u]Leaf[/name_u] but the alternative is [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-AF you think? I think ‘[name_u]Leaf[/name_u]’ sounds much better

4

I say it like leaf but I’ve heard lay-f too

5

Like a leaf.

1 Like
6

I say it lay-f, although I can see why people mistake it as lee-f.

9

I say layf (like late with an f instead of a t).

10

I say leef/leaf

11

I know a [name_m]Leif[/name_m] and he pronounces it ‘lay-f‘, rhyming with ‘safe’. That’s always how I’ve thought it was pronounced.

12

I pronounce it like [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-f

13

I say lay-f

14

I say lay-f

15

Leaf

16

I would say lay-f

17

I always thought [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-f rhyming with safe, but I’ve never met one!

18

In the US this would for sure be pronounced like a leaf.

19

The only [name_m]Leif[/name_m] I know is actually from Norway and he pronounces it Layfe rhymes with Safe.

20

I know someone with this name who’s Icelandic and the pronounce as [name_u]Leaf[/name_u].

21

I would automatically pronounce it lay-f, but wouldn’t be surprised by the lee-f pronunciation

23

I would say Layf.

24

I say it like [name_u]Leaf[/name_u], honestly. I know it’s not culturally correct but when I see [name_m]Leif[/name_m] that’s what my mind wants to say (especially with my familiarity with [name_f]Madelief[/name_f]!), and I can never actually remember what it’s “supposed” to be. I actually grew up knowing a kid with a dad named [name_m]Leif[/name_m]–I think they pronounced his name like Life but I’m not 100% sure. The Layfe pronunciation is really new to me.