Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
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.