When I see this name, I always think Huh-laina (which I love). My husband thinks it will often be pronounced like [name]Helen[/name]-uh.
What are your thoughts?
[name]How[/name] about the spelling Helaina? Or does that just not look right?
Thanks 
I pronounce it like you do, Huh-laina…
I love [name]Helena[/name]. I believe there are like 3 correct ways to say it. Your way Huh-laina, [name]Helen[/name]-uh, and Huh-le-na (the way I say it). I believe you should stick with the traditional spelling:)
I pronounce it HEL-lay-nuh. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it said quite like [name]Helen[/name]-uh, but then again, there are sooo many differences in pronunciations.
As for the spelling Helaina, it looks off. It no longer seems like the classic, Shakespearean [name]Helena[/name], it’s a trendee name that’s become popular with the other [name]Elaina[/name], [name]Alaina[/name], [name]Lainey[/name] names.
This is my issue with this name as well. I pronounce it like you do and only like it that way but I fear that it would always be an issue. It’s a lovely name tho.
I say “[name]Helen[/name]-uh”
Up until recently I pronounced it Hel - eeena, now I also think of it as Hel - aina
This is the pronunciation in Midsummer [name]Night[/name]'s [name]Dream[/name] and the one most commonly used here.
[name]Helen[/name]-uh. I like it. makes it less trendy too.
I have always pronounced it like Heh-[name]LAY[/name]-nuh. I know a girl who is named Heleena because her parents wanted it to be pronounced with a long e in the middle.
I used to say it [name]Helen[/name]-uh, as the only [name]Helena[/name] I knew, a friend of my sister, said it this way. Now at Uni I know a Hel-ay-na, so I alternate between the two pronunciations. I prefer [name]Helen[/name]-uh though.
I would see [name]Helena[/name] and wonder what to say…
[name]Helen[/name]-uh
Hel-lay-na
Hel-leena
My first ‘go to’ is probably Hel-leena because I knew one.
I always preferred it pronounced Heh-lay-nah, but the [name]Helen[/name]-uh pronunciation has grown on me quite a bit. It is one of my favorite names and I don’t consider it “trendee” like one of the previous posters said. It seems like a underused classic or a fresh variant of [name]Helen[/name].
This is what I was thinking of. I prefer the pronounciation of Hel-lay-nuh though.
I prefer [name]Helen[/name]-nuh.
I love the name [name]Helena[/name], and pronounce it the way you do. I worry that it would lead to correcting people her whole life, but I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. I would still use it, and spell it the traditional way.
I pronounce it like your husband.
I think with this name either is acceptable but I feel like you’ll have to come to terms with the fact that half the people will mispronounce it.
I think spelling it Helaina just looks odd. Fixes the pronunciation issue but kind of takes the charm out of the name for me.