How would you pronounce this name?

[Chocolation]

We have just had our new DD. We have called her Mila (to rhyme with smiler). There has been alot of confusion with family and friends on how to pronounce it. Some have been saying it with an 'i' sound as we intended. Others say it with an 'ee' sound (like Meela). Should we change the spelling to Myla instead before we register the birth so there is less confusion? Or AIBU to keep the spelling Mila and she has to keep telling people how to say her name all her life. Do you have a name that other people keep mispronouncing and does it do your head in or do you like having a more unusual name?

I have a non-rhotic accent but the "My-la" pronunciation I've heard in the US doesn't have quite the same second-syllable sound as me saying "Smiler". I think they put more emphasis on the second syllable than I do, or maybe draw it out longer?

I would pronounce it Milla which sounds like Miller to me. DD knows a girl who is spelt Mila but it’s said
Milla/er

"Mee-la"

Mila - Meela
So yes, I'd change it to Myla
(people know Miley and Isla but Myla is less common but is the feminine form of Milo)

The Bulgarian person I know with this name pronounces it Meela.

BlueBiro, wrote a really interesting informative post. A really,oh I didn’t know that reaction
Gin wrote an obvious attempt at being provocative.no reaction as it’s usual online to goad

I’d change it to Myla or Milah.

I know a Milla who pronounces it Myla. He is Welsh.

It's actually pronounced Mee-la

Yes it is odd isn't it, I've never heard Milo pronounced as Meelo either. I've also never heard the girl's name Lila pronounced Leelo.

It's because of Mila Kunis ... If not for her I would've said Meyela

I’d pronounce it as Meela
If you want Myla you should spell it with the Y

It could also be pronounced Miller (which I’d say with a silent R as I’m from London) and like Milla

But I think most people would pronounce it Meela

What’s your thoughts reading the thread op?
Stick with it and dd corrects people or change the spelling

Thanks everyone. It sounds like we need to change the spelling if we want people to pronounce it the way we intended.

And yes with the confusion with the "er" is to do with regional accents. We pronounce smiler as smil'ah'. You do just read something in your own accent & forget there are so many different regional accents that might say things differently.

Congratulations on new baby,op

Salukish we pronounce Ximena as He-men-ah. My dd is an instant friend to anyone who pronounces it correctly.

Congrats OP!

I'm hopeless with any Mila/Lila type names. I always get them wrong! Pretty name anyway!

Regardless of the rest of the world thinks, of your family is confused then changing it is the way to go 😄

I would pronounce it Myla

My-Lah

Sashkin Yeah I'm pretty sure it's only a boys name too. I always imagined her Mum had got it out of one of those big baby name books and just guessed how to say it.

Bevelino I might have half a chance at your dd's name - but only because I have a long-standing love of Pedro Ximenez sherry (which is sort of pronounced him-in-eth, at least before you start drinking lots of it ) so would go for that and just switch the ending to a vague a/ar/ah and hope it was close enough!

I realise however that it is very unfashionable to like sherry - although I've always loved it since being allowed sips of my mum's when I was little and she was having a glass of it while cooking sunday roast... Didn't discover PX until I was a little older and given it (and a pronunciation lesson!) by spanish friends.

Myla is too much like Myler, a family of well known rugby league players. Nice lads but I wouldn’t name my daughter after them.

I've heard of Lila being pronounced Leela in the part of the world where there are also lots of girls called Mila and boys called Milo.

Li-la. Lee-la
Mi-la. Mee-la
Mi-lo. Mee-lo.

Milo isn't pronounced differently there.

It's pronounced differently by some English speaking people because they've mispronounced it and it stuck as Mi-loh.

Well, I automatically pronounce Mila to rhyme with Smiler too so it's not just you!