Pronunciation of Helena?

[name_m]Just[/name_m] curious really-how do you instinctively pronounce [name_f]Helena[/name_f]: [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh or Hel-lay-na? Would it annoy you if you were called [name_f]Helena[/name_f] and you got called both?

I guess because my name is [name_f]Helen[/name_f], I see [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh.
[name_f]My[/name_f] cousin calls me Hel-ee-nah, I think thats my fave. pronunciation.
I don’t think it would bother me, but correcting people might become tedious.

I know a [name_f]Helena[/name_f] who pronounces it Hel-lay-na, so it is my instinct to pronounce it that way. It usually doesn’t bother her if someone says it [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh, she just corrects them.

I say [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh, although I love He-lay-nuh (but I have Helaina on my list for that pronunciation), but I’ve never heard Hel-ee-nuh.

I prefer [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh, but I’d imagine that most people (at least here in the Southern US) would go with Hel-lay-na at first glance.

I love [name_f]Helena[/name_f], but the variety of acceptable pronunciations is one of the reasons it will never make my Top 10. I prefer names that have one primary spelling/pronunciation.

[name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Laura[/name_f], and while I prefer to pronounce it LAR-uh, most people say LOR-uh. It’s not that annoying (except when I introduce myself one way and people promptly repeat my name back with the other pronunciation!), but it’s only a slightly vowel change. Hel-[name_m]LAY[/name_m]-nuh vs. HEL-len-uh changes the emphasis that the syllable is on and has a long vs. short vowel–that’s enough of a difference that it would bother me, personally. It wouldn’t feel like my name at all!

I always said Hel-ee-nah.

If it was my name, I wouldn’t be bothered by people mispronouncing it. I could understand it, as its sort of ambiguous, opposed to peolple totally butchering it or adding letters/sounds that aren’t there.

I default to [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh, which is my favourite pronunciation, but I know a lot of people here say He-lay-nuh. I don’t know if it would annoy me the first time, but one of my biggest pet peeves is when people mispronounce names (that they’ve already heard), so it would bug me if it continued. That is one reason why I have [name_f]Helena[/name_f] on my list, but don’t know if I’d use it.

I know a [name_f]Helena[/name_f] who pronounces it Hel-lay-na, so that’s how I say it.

I’ve always pronounced it hel-en-uh.

I used to say [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh, since it’s the correct Shakesperean pronunciation, but since watching Orphan [name_m]Black[/name_m] I’ve unconsciously switched to He-lay-nuh. I guess it can go both ways depending on region/the bearer’s preferred pronunciation?

I pronounce it hel-lay-nuh, pretty name!

I know both a [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh and Hel-ee-nah, so I pronounce it both ways

I never know how to pronounce it - I’ve only heard HEL-en-uh and huh-[name_m]LAY[/name_m]-na. I think it’s lovely either way but I keep it in mind for the middle name spot because I could imagine the confusion becoming tiresome.

I say it two different ways depending on, I suppose, the context or even just my mood - [name_f]HELEN[/name_f]-ah & hel-AY-nah (I never use the hel-EE-nah pronunciation). I quite like both, but slightly prefer [name_f]HELEN[/name_f]-ah I think. I imagine any [name_f]Helena[/name_f] would have to get used to their name being pronounced unlike they wish it to be quite often, but then it’s not all too hard to correct someone.

I use both, but mostly Hel-lay-na.

I pronounced it as if [name_f]Helen[/name_f] had an ‘a’ on it, like [name_f]Helen[/name_f]-uh. I don’t think I would get annoyed because I’m used to it, having a name like [name_f]Helena[/name_f] (aka [name_u]Andrea[/name_u]). I know, though, that it could be difficult and/or annoying trying to correct someone. Usually certain places have certain ways of pronouncing it, so I don’t think this would be an issue. I think this is what initially turned me off from [name_f]Helena[/name_f]. I never liked [name_f]Helen[/name_f] really, but [name_f]Helena[/name_f] is such a beautiful Latinate version of [name_f]Helen[/name_f]. I’d say if you really love it, go for it!

[name_f]My[/name_f] personal preference is for HEL-en-uh. I’ve found most people say hel-AY-nah, however.

I have two friends who pronouce the name differently and I always get mixed up and feel really embarrassed.

I say heh-lay-nuh, rhyming with [name_f]Elena[/name_f]. I also love [name_f]Helena[/name_f], but due to the large variety of pronunciations, I have taken it off my main list.

I pronounce it He-lay-na.