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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Lyla or Lilah

56 replies

CharlieSon · 10/10/2019 14:38

Have picked this if we have a girl but unsure how to spell it. What do you think?

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MummyToSeven · 18/10/2019 18:05

Laila, which means 'night' in both Hebrew and Arabic. Or perhaps Lilah, as in Delilah?

ojo821 · 18/10/2019 17:45

Lyla is the main spelling I’d pronounce as lie-la. The leila I know pronounces it lay-la and lilah if read quickly I might pronounce as lilla. Who knows though, could just be me!

december20100 · 18/10/2019 15:15

Lyla I think.

Frith2013 · 12/10/2019 23:22

Lilah.

Both too close to lilo for me.

HalfManHalfLabrador · 11/10/2019 20:38

Lila

lovelyjubilly · 11/10/2019 20:34

Lila

babethepiggy · 11/10/2019 18:41

Lilah

diddlediddle · 11/10/2019 17:26

I can see that Lila could be pronounced Lee-lah, although I think most people would say Lie-lah because it looks most similar to familiar words like:

Lilo - pool lilo
Lilac - with no c

I think it's the prettiest version but I agree that if the OP wants to be 100% sure it won't be mispronounced then Lyla is safest.

Lavenderblues · 11/10/2019 13:40

I would always pronounce both Mila and Lila as Meela and Leela.

Lila is also the German word for the colour lilac, pronounced Lee la.

AverageMummy · 11/10/2019 13:06

@diddlediddle Lila is most commonly pronounced Lee - lots of names don’t have phonetic spellings either where they evolved or have international roots. I’m sure you wouldn’t pronounce Francesca anything except CH

glossier · 11/10/2019 12:25

I have a Lyla - I prefer Lila when typed but handwritten, Lyla looks nicer and nobody ever mispronounces it!

Aprillygirl · 11/10/2019 12:19

Lyla.

hanan246 · 11/10/2019 12:16

Lila

Lavenderblues · 11/10/2019 11:50

Mila, Lila, Tina, Nina etc are all pronounced with the letter i sounding like ee.

Lyla, Myra, Lycra etc would be pronounced with the Y sound that you want.

And adding an H doesn't really add any sound imo!

SoftBlocks · 11/10/2019 09:19

Lila.

BlackberryNettles · 11/10/2019 09:18

If I wanted Lila/Lilah/Lyla to sound like Mila, I would spell it Leela

BlackberryNettles · 11/10/2019 09:16

Leila (imo) is pronounced Layla, like Leilani.

I would say Lilah

MikeUniformMike · 11/10/2019 09:13

Nina. Nee-na.
Tina. Tee-na

Winterlogs · 11/10/2019 09:08

Lilah

Grufallosfriends · 11/10/2019 08:13

An i never becomes an e.

But the letter i makes the sound ee, sometime short (Lift) or long (Mila)

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 11/10/2019 08:03

Lila is not pronounced leela-how does an i ever become an e?

Chillisauceboss · 11/10/2019 08:03

Lila

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 11/10/2019 08:03

Lila is the most sensible and normal spelling and is pronounced Lie-la.

Grufallosfriends · 11/10/2019 08:00

But Lila is often pronounced Lee la. Like Mila.

Lyla is always pronounced Lyla.

diddlediddle · 11/10/2019 07:30

Lila is the most sensible spelling.

Having an h on the end seems unnecessarily complicated (and somehow cheapens it?)

Lyla is fine but not as pretty imo.

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