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Baby names

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Original poster

How would you pronounce Alaïa??

58 replies

Shanonymous23 · 24/09/2025 14:15

I love the name Alaïa which I would pronounce as (A-lay-ah) but was just wondering how other people would pronounce it or whether it would be best to spell it Alaia without the double dot above the i.

I personally prefer the way it looks with an i/ï than spelt with a y (Alaya)

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DuchessOfNarcissex · 24/09/2025 16:07

Like in Azzedine Alaïa - Wikipedia

Rozendantz · 24/09/2025 16:02

A lier ...which is perhaps not an ideal name

jsku · 24/09/2025 16:01

It’s a fancy brand name, like calling your child Prada (girl) or Dior (boy) - both possible, but why 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Dont spell it like the brand, and it’ll be pronounced as people manage.

Yomnitty · 24/09/2025 15:57

I read it as A-lay-a

MyMilchick · 24/09/2025 15:32

I'd be torn between Ah-Lay-ah and Ah-Lie-Ah, would probably go for the latter though because it's an i in the middle of the 2 a's

LarryIsMyRomanEmpire · 24/09/2025 15:31

A-lay-a, but please don't use that spelling it's awful.

minipie · 24/09/2025 15:29

I’d say it A Lie Ah

I would ignore the dots tbh

notatinydancer · 24/09/2025 15:27

A lay a

GoldenRosebee · 24/09/2025 15:24

I didn't know it was handbag brand name

I would pronounce it Ah-lie-a

mummymummymummummum · 24/09/2025 15:18

Another thing to consider is that characters like é (and thus presumably ï) can’t be used in some official documents (yup, that’s annoying). So she’ll be Alaia on those.

Unless things have changed in the last couple of years. I would check though. Think birth certificate, passport

BuffetTheDietSlayer · 24/09/2025 15:15

Alah-ee-a

kellygoeswest · 24/09/2025 15:11

Ah-lie-yah - the way Cher pronounces her dress brand in Clueless.

FancyCatSlave · 24/09/2025 15:06

I’d completely avoid saying it to be honest. And secretly I’d be thinking it was awful - looks very low rent. It gives pieced ears on a baby and velour tracksuits for me.

BigHouseLittleHouse · 24/09/2025 15:02

short “A” as in “bat” then
lie
ee
ya

So almost four syllables

TallulahLikesHoola · 24/09/2025 15:00

LeopardsANeutral · 24/09/2025 14:30

I would automatically pronounce it like the designer Ah - lie - ah. Not sure if the ï should make it a different sound though.

Alaïa is a totally serious designer!

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DontGoJasonWaterfalls · 24/09/2025 14:59

Ah-lie-ee-ah or ah-la-ee-ah

WaxworkWarboys · 24/09/2025 14:59

I would pronounce it the same way as you, OP.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 24/09/2025 14:58

Londonmummy66 · 24/09/2025 14:57

You'd be surprised - I gave DD2 an unusual but completely phonetic name (think like Barbara) and virtually no one manages to get it right.

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Both Hermione and Persephone are phonetic but are regularly mangled by those who've never heard them said.

Londonmummy66 · 24/09/2025 14:57

sanityisamyth · 24/09/2025 14:54

Can’t you just call her something normal which doesn’t condemn her to a lifetime of spelling out her name, or teaching people how to pronounce it?

You'd be surprised - I gave DD2 an unusual but completely phonetic name (think like Barbara) and virtually no one manages to get it right.

sanityisamyth · 24/09/2025 14:54

Can’t you just call her something normal which doesn’t condemn her to a lifetime of spelling out her name, or teaching people how to pronounce it?

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 24/09/2025 14:53

Instinctively I'd go with Ah-lie-ya then I'd see the diaresis and try for Ah-la-ee-ah but the way names are going these days I'd be prepared to be told that it's pronounced 'Sharon'.

GloryFades · 24/09/2025 14:53

SchnizelVonKrumm · 24/09/2025 14:44

What PP have said. Alaïa would be pronounced Al-a-ee-a. If you don't want that pronunciation then spell it Alaya or Alaia without the dieresis (which serves a linguistic purpose - it's not just there to make the name look exotic).

Like this. I’d pronounce Alaia the way you want, but Alaïa is Al-a-ee-a with an extra syllable.

MauriceTheMussel · 24/09/2025 14:51

Also like the designer (a-lie-a) and then I’d say, in my head…

An a-whatta?
he’s like a totally important designer!

#Clueless

PosiePerkinPootleFlump · 24/09/2025 14:50

SchnizelVonKrumm · 24/09/2025 14:44

What PP have said. Alaïa would be pronounced Al-a-ee-a. If you don't want that pronunciation then spell it Alaya or Alaia without the dieresis (which serves a linguistic purpose - it's not just there to make the name look exotic).

This. Like Anaïs where the an and I are two separate sounds as indicated by the dot.

StewkeyBlue · 24/09/2025 14:50

I would take a guess at Al-ay-a as a pronunciation.
But I think the French / Spanish way is more A-lie-a
And I wouldn't go with dots for a name in the UK - unnecessary complication / spelling it out
But the name isn't the name without.

Also, would I name my child after a handbag brand? Probably not.