With the start of school has come the new list of preschoolers I’ll be teaching this year. While some have had creative spellings (Brytnea?) only one has really stumped me. I saw on my list a girl named [name_f]Leila[/name_f]. Now, most of us would pronounce that [name_m]LAY[/name_m]-la, I think. Another teacher called her [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-la, though, so I wanted to hear her mother say it, and I’m very glad I did. This particular little girl’s name is pronounced [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-EYE-la. I think it’s a beautiful name - gorgeous, really - but I have to wonder… Isn’t there a better way to spell it so that it’s not constantly mispronounced? So I’m putting the question out there to you berries. [name_m]How[/name_m] would you have spelled [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-EYE-la?
You’re right-- I would pronounce it [name_f]Layla[/name_f].
[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-EYE-la? Gosh, that’s tricky. [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-[name_f]Ayla[/name_f]? Liayla?
Pretty sure she just made that pronunciation up out of thin air. [name_f]Layla[/name_f]/[name_f]Leila[/name_f] used to be my favorite name and I researched the heck out of it, and I’ve never come across that pronunciation. Crazy!
Leailah. Phonetically, I think that might be correct; (ea) as in read and (ilah) as in [name_f]Delilah[/name_f]. Pretty pronunciation, but too diffucult and inauthentic for my own taste. Besides, I love plain ol’ [name_f]Laila[/name_f], pronunciation and all : )
Well that’s interesting.
Leeila…Leeilah…[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-[name_f]Ilah[/name_f]…Leisla (that ones weird). [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-[name_f]Isla[/name_f]…
Leisla? LeeIsla? I’m not sure…
Liaila…I like it.
[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-[name_f]Isla[/name_f]. It’d have to be double barrelled for it to make any sense whatsoever. [name_f]Leila[/name_f] is definitely ‘layla’ or - if you’re really pushing it - ‘leela’.
Leayla? Maybe?
Growing up I actually knew a [name_f]Leila[/name_f] pronounced & spelled that way (and didn’t know any pronounced [name_f]Layla[/name_f]), so I just always thought that’s how that name was pronounced. I find it quite pretty.
Oh my. [name_f]Leila[/name_f] is definitely [name_f]Layla[/name_f].
[name_u]Lee[/name_u]-eye-la… probably Leailah?
I would probably spell it [name_f]Leilah[/name_f], I guess?
Leeila maybe?
I think this is what I’d go with, too. AI, AY, EI, and EY have the potential to be interchangeable and it’s almost impossible to get everyone on the same page for an intuitive pronunciation…
Liaisla, maybe? But then there’d be people saying “lee-as-la… um…? That can’t be right”
If I really wanted to call my daughter [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-eye-lah, well, personally, I wouldn’t. But this mom could do a hyphenated name to get the same sound result, though it would be much more clunky-feeling. My first thought was [name_u]Leigh[/name_u]-[name_f]Isla[/name_f]… Other than hyphenating like that, I wouldn’t know how to say her name at all. I’d definitely say [name_f]Layla[/name_f] at first glance.
Leailah would be my best attempt. But truthfully, it sounds like the parents are using a made-up pronunciation of an already established name.
I would spell it [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-[name_f]Isla[/name_f]. Nothing else makes sense phonetically.
I have known a [name_f]Leila[/name_f] for years, and her name is pronounced LIE-la. Never [name_f]Layla[/name_f]. [name_u]Ever[/name_u]. In fact, I’ve been with her when other people saw her name written down, and they said LIE-la as well. Go figure!
I guess I’d go with [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-[name_f]Isla[/name_f] as well.
First name [name_u]Lee[/name_u]/[name_u]Leigh[/name_u], with the middle name [name_f]Isla[/name_f].
I read it as leela upon first glance. It would be lay la off spelling though.
Leeila would be the only spelling that makes sense without looking too too crazy… In my opinion anyways.