How would you pronounce Laira?

Girl Names
1

[name_m]How[/name_m] would you pronounce the name Laira? (It’d be good to know where you’re from too in terms of how that influences pronunciation). And what do you think of it in general?

The reason I ask is because I love the name [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] (pronounced Lie-ruh), but I live in [name_f]France[/name_f] where it would be [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-ruh. Laïra, however, would basically be pronounced the same as the English [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], but then I’m not sure how Laira would work for English speakers!

I’ve also thought about keeping [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] on my list and just embracing the fact that there would be two different pronunciations in the two languages, but I’m not sure…

2

I’m in the U.S. and would say LAIR-ah, with the first syllable rhyming with the word “air.”

3

I’m in the UK and would also say Lair-ah, rhyming with air.

4

My first guess would also have been lair-ah, like the PPs, but I’d wonder if it was like [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], since spellings can get so creative! That being said, if you live in [name_f]France[/name_f], I would use the spelling that works best there, even if it’s more confusing in English.

5

Southern US and I would say lair uh.

6

Thanks for your comments. Of course now that I think about it, “lair-uh” would be the obvious way of pronouncing it. Too bad for me though! we have lots of family in the USA and may move there some day, so I need good bilingual names. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it would make a difference if I kept the accent, Laïra? But that is not possible on official forms, etc in the us…

Thanks again, more comments welcome, too!

7

I would say LAIR-ah, too, and I’m in the central eastern seaboard of the US (think between DC and NYC). I think if you use the accent, I’d say it more like [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], or, if you’re in [name_f]France[/name_f], why not do Laira with the accent, but she can go by a “nickname” (? not sure that’s the proper word, but oh, well) [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] when she’s in an English-speaking country?