How would YOU pronounce this name?

[name_f]Leonie[/name_f]
I’ve only ever met one and she was visiting from Germany. Anyway, she pronounced it lee-OH-nee, and I fell in love with it. After looking online, I’ve found sources that say it’s pronounced [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-uh-nee. Which to me is a million times less pretty. [name_m]How[/name_m] do you say it? Which way do you prefer?

Also while I’m on the name, is the nickname [name_m]Leo[/name_m] strictly for boys? I think it could work on a girl, maybe because it’s only one letter off from [name_f]Cleo[/name_f].
What about [name_f]Onie[/name_f] for a nickname?

lee-oh-nee

with the emphasis on the “oh”…thats just what i get from looking at it

I’ve always pronounced it lee-OH-nee. I would have no problems with [name_m]Leo[/name_m] on a girl, as long as its only a nn. [name_f]Onie[/name_f] is cute too.

Most Australians would say lee-OH-nee.

Well I’m from Germany and we pronounce it LEH-oh-nee, not lee-OH-nee, she probably said it like that because she thought it was easier for Americans. I have no idea about the english pronunciation, could be lee-OH-nee, I don’t know.

I’ve only ever seen this name written the [name_m]French[/name_m] way, Léonie (I’m in [name_f]Canada[/name_f]) and it’s pronounced [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-OH-nee. If I saw it without the accent I would assume it was pronounced [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-OH-nee.

lee-OH-nee.

I prefer the spelling [name_u]Leone[/name_u].

This exactly for me.

I would also default to the [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation.

[name_u]LEE[/name_u]-uh-nee, but I would be confounded by that name. I have never seen it before and I would probably never get it right!

I have met several Leonies and they all pronounce it lee-OH-nee. However my best friend in Primary school was a [name_f]Leonie[/name_f] and she quite often had trouble with people mispronouncing it as [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-in-ee. My friend [name_f]Leonie[/name_f] did go by [name_m]Leo[/name_m] sometimes so I think it could work for a girl, mostly she got the nickname [name_u]Lee[/name_u] though.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps

[name_m]Leo[/name_m]-nee.
I’ve never heard the “oh” part being that emphasized in german.
It really sounds like you say the name [name_m]Leo[/name_m] (in either german or english) and then add the “lee” part to that.
In french I suppose the last syllable would be emphasized (like with most french names).

When I see it without the accent, I say lee-OH-nee and I love it pronounced that way.

And a girly name nicknamed a boys name is fine (look at [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] nn [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] or the like).

I’ve met a lady named [name_f]Leonie[/name_f] and she pronounces it lee-OH-nee as well.

My aunty’s name.is [name_f]Leonie[/name_f] and it’s pronounced [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-OH-nee (:

The only [name_f]Leonie[/name_f] I’ve ever met was a [name_u]Brit[/name_u] who pronounced it lee-OH-nee, so that is how I’ve always said it.

I would probably assume it was [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-OH-Nee, but I kind of like the [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-oh-nee pronunciation.

English speakers = lee-OH-nee
[name_m]French[/name_m] speakers = lay-OH-nee (due to the accent on the “e” Léonie)

Yikes! This names been on my long list for years but I always assumed that it was [name_m]Lay[/name_m]-oh-nee (first syllable sort of a cross between [name_m]Lay[/name_m] and Leh, but less like “lay” if there’s no accent.) Honestly, it’s more of an unaccented/evenly accented name to me. If I’m speaking [name_m]French[/name_m] (tested this out by sticking it in the middle of a [name_m]French[/name_m] sentence) I emphasize the last syllable a bit more than when I’m speaking English.

Now I’m reconsidering the name being on my list based on how many people would (1) pronounce the first syllable as “lee” and (2) accent the middle syllable. So I’m glad you asked the question, it’s really got me thinking!