[name]Hi[/name] Berries. I had a great-aunt named [name]Leila[/name], but she pronounced it “[name]Lee[/name]-eye-la”. Which I love, but I am noticing it grouped on name berry with [name]Layla[/name] and [name]Lila[/name]. So I am curious, how do most people pronounce the name [name]Leila[/name]?
“[name]Lee[/name]-la”?
“[name]Lay[/name]-la”?
“L-eye-la”?
Also, if it isn’t pronounced like my great-aunt’s name, is there a way to get “[name]Lee[/name]-eye-la” without it looking made up?
I would go with either [name]Lee[/name]-la or [name]Lay[/name]-la, but most likely [name]Lee[/name]-la. [name]Layla[/name] is [name]Lay[/name]-la for me.
I’ve never actually heard it pronounced [name]Lee[/name]-eye-la, what culture is your Great Aunt from? It’s possible that [name]Leila[/name] is pronounced that way and spelled correctly that way in that culture, in which case, I would leave the spelling alone, and just deal with correcting people until they get it. Any way I can think of spelling it to get that pronunciation just looks awful 
Leeyela, Leisla, Leighisla etc
[name]Leila[/name] is [name]Lay[/name]-la to me. I could get used to L-eye-la, though. It’s not such a shock that people would be annoyed.
I think most of my relatives on that side are of English/Scandinavian descent. But they lived in Northern Michigan, and I noticed most of them pronounce things different than other Michiganders, (like “Crick” instead of “Creek” or “Lowl’s” instead of “Low’s”) so it maybe just a regional thing (or my family might be weird).
My great aunt’s name was pronounced that way too! 
If I saw the name on a baby now, I would wait for the parents to pronounce it. I would accept any of the variations (but secretly love [name]Lee[/name]-EYE-la the best).
[name]Leila[/name] - [name]LY[/name]-la
[name]Laila[/name] and [name]Layla[/name] - [name]LAY[/name]-la
[name]Lila[/name] and [name]Leela[/name] - [name]LEE[/name]-la
[name]Lilah[/name], [name]Lyla[/name] and [name]Lylah[/name] - [name]LY[/name]-la
this is how I pronounce them. I think you’d have huge problems to enforce lee-EYE-la and it isn’t legit as far as I know.
We have two confirmations already on this page of lee-EYE-la as a “legit” pronunciation. [name]Just[/name] from the way sampling works, it’s safe to assume there are quite a few more out there who use this pronunciation.
With English spellings being what they are, I think it’s a name that you will ALWAYS have to explain the pronunciation. Some people may guess right the first time, but that’s just what it would be, a guess.
I have heard exactly once before of someone using using the [name]Lee[/name]-EYE-la pronunciation. In my own head, though, [name]Leila[/name] is and always will be [name]LAY[/name]-la. ([name]Leela[/name] and [name]Lila[/name]/[name]Lyla[/name] are the ways I would spell the other pronunciations.)
If I were trying to aim for your pronunciation, I think I would probably spell it Liaila, although even that would be likely to confuse some people.
[name]Leila[/name] is lay-la to me. I think I see “lei” as like a Hawaiian lei. I also pronounce [name]Layla[/name] this way of course.
[name]Lila[/name] is lie-la to me, along with [name]Lyla[/name] and [name]Lilah[/name].
[name]Leila[/name]=lee-luh
[name]Lila[/name], [name]Lilah[/name], [name]Lyla[/name]=Lie-luh
[name]Layla[/name]=lay-luh
I like [name]Lee[/name]-eye-la though, never heard that before. Makes more sense for [name]Leila[/name] than lee-luh does actually. I absolutely love the name [name]Layla[/name] (lay-luh), like the [name]Eric[/name] Clapton song “[name]Layla[/name]” and the [name]Eric[/name] Clapton song (which I also love) is why my husband vetoed the name.
Liaila-This would confuse the heck out of me, I would have no idea how to pronounce this if I saw it.
Also this. My daughter’s name is a beautiful name but one we would have to explain no matter how we spelled it so we chose the spelling that made the most sense to us.
My family says “crick” instead of creek, their in [name]Jersey[/name] and PA, half black & half white of many nationalities. They also say the i funny in tiger and fire. So your family’s not weird, or both our families are weird 
I tend to read it as “[name]Lay[/name]-la”, although the only person I’ve ever met with the name [name]Leila[/name] was a good friend in high school who actually pronounced it “[name]Lee[/name]-la”.
I read…
[name]Leila[/name] as [name]Lee[/name]-luh
[name]Lila[/name] as Lie-luh
[name]Layla[/name] as [name]Lay[/name]-luh
My godmother’s name is [name]Lelia[/name] (pronounced LEEL-i-ya). I love it, and it is definitely on my short list. It is not (yet) as common as [name]Lila[/name], [name]Leila[/name], and [name]Lily[/name] are becoming, but it shares the beautiful L and I sounds.
[name]Lee[/name]-eye-lah sounds really pretty! I’m honestly not sure how you would spell it without butchering its appearance–so I would just stick to [name]Leila[/name] and explain the pronunciation.
[name]Leila[/name] - [name]LAY[/name]-lah
[name]Lila[/name] ([name]Lilah[/name]/[name]Lyla[/name]/[name]Lylah[/name]) - LIE-lah
[name]Layla[/name] - [name]LAY[/name]-lah, although I wouldn’t ever consider it. It looks so trendy to me, no offense, anybody. [name]Leila[/name] looks so classy and pretty and legitimately has the [name]Lay[/name]-lah pronunciation (and I think that’s what most naturally lean toward, anyway), so I wouldn’t change it up.
My name is Leilla, pronounced [name]Lee[/name]-eye-la. My great aunt was named Leilla and was also from Michigan. Sadly no one in my/her family remembers where it came from. I get a lot of confusion, second takes, and repeat failures when it comes to strangers learning to say my name. The top mispronunciations are lay-lah, dee-eye-la, and delilah. On the plus side I love it and everyone I know loves it, and everyone I meet says “What a pretty name!” It’s always made me feel special and unique
[name]Leila[/name] = [name]Lay[/name]-la
[name]Lila[/name] = [name]Ly[/name]=la
I didn’t realise there were so many pronunciations. [name]Lila[/name] is a favourite of mine but this would put me off using it, knowing there are so many ways of saying it. I had no idea.
I knew a [name]Leila[/name] and she pronounced it [name]Lay[/name]-la so that’s what I think first and formost when I see it.
I’d also pronouce [name]Layla[/name] the same of course. [name]Lila[/name] for Lye-la and [name]Leela[/name] is self-explanatory.