How do you pronounce Lena?

alr · February 24, 2018, 10:38pm

See the results of this poll: How do you pronounce Lena?

Respondents: 72 (This poll is closed)

Lee-nah : 46 (64%)
Lay-nah : 12 (17%)
Leh-nah : 8 (11%)
Neutral. Would ask how she pronounces it.: 6 (8%)

anon73451839 · February 24, 2018, 10:40pm

I’d say “[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nuh”

elenacroatia · February 24, 2018, 10:41pm

Leh-na. It’s like that for most languages, if I’m not mistaken. Of course, it depends on where you live and your accent though, but I find this prn. to be the most intuitive and beautiful.

ikfly · February 24, 2018, 11:36pm

I pronounce it [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nuh.

namergirl3 · February 25, 2018, 12:26am

[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nuh or [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-nuh. I’ve heard both, but prefer the first pronunciation. It’s such a pretty name.

erin_beth · February 25, 2018, 2:17am

My first guess would be [name_u]LEE[/name_u] na but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn it was [name_m]LAY[/name_m]-na. I would have to work a little to remember Leh-na, which I have never heard. In the region where I live, at least, people seem to have different ways of pronouncing “e” between two consonants. I regularly see Megans get called MEH-gun and [name_f]MAY[/name_f]-gun and sometimes even MEE-gun and there doesn’t seem to be much they can do it about. It is not so much that people are deliberately mispronouncing their name as they have different ways of making that sound, if that makes any sense.

moonstone · February 25, 2018, 5:05am

[name_f]Lena[/name_f] is leh-nah and [name_f]Lina[/name_f] is lee-nah.

gildedfairyx · February 25, 2018, 7:14am

I agree! I voted for I would ask because of this.

dream.create · February 25, 2018, 7:21am

Same for me, although I would not be surprised if a met a [name_f]Lena[/name_f] who pronounces it lee-nah. My first instinct would definitely be leh-nah.

lovemysweeties · February 25, 2018, 7:37am

I have not heard the name spoken. I would pronounce it lee-nah.

ruolan · February 25, 2018, 8:34am

I know a 10 year old [name_f]Lena[/name_f] prn lee-nah, so that is my default, but I could use another if I met another [name_f]Lena[/name_f].

carlasworld · February 25, 2018, 8:35am

I find that, at least in my area, lee-nah is the intuitive pronunciation.

OpheliaFlora · February 25, 2018, 8:43am

[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-na, we stretch the E in [name_m]German[/name_m] so I’d do the same in English.

eireann · February 25, 2018, 10:04am

[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nah is what I would say first, but it wouldn’t surprise me to be corrected with lay-nah.

fromtheocean12 · February 25, 2018, 10:25am

I’d pronounce it [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nuh. I also live in southern USA if that helps.

jenev · February 25, 2018, 11:45am

My neice in the UK is called [name_f]Lena[/name_f]. We pronounce it [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-na. I think it’s lovely

Youssarian · February 25, 2018, 11:57am

From [name_f]Louisiana[/name_f], and the several Lenas I know are all [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-nuh. However, like others, I would not be surprised to find nor would it be difficult for me to call someone [name_m]LAY[/name_m]-nuh or even LEH-nuh.

Sunniva · February 25, 2018, 12:33pm

I automatically say [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-nuh, but do like it all three ways. I don’t think it would be too much for [name_f]Lena[/name_f] to correct the pronunciation, it’d probably only require a simple correction upon first meeting.

Wildmoonchild · February 25, 2018, 12:50pm

I always thought it was pronounced Lay-nuh or Leh-nuh. Then some other famous Lena’s came along that go by Lee-nuh. Now I realise it’s very different depending where you come from. In US most people seem to say Lee-nuh. In Russia and Scandinavian countries it’s Leh-nuh. And in some parts of Europe, Germany and Spain I think it’s more commonly pronounced Lay-nuh. I’m not sure about the UK, I’m a brit and automatically want to say Lay-nuh.