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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

PRONUNCIATION OF NAMES

16 replies

AngelsOnHigh · 28/06/2018 03:14

AIBU to think that a name spelt Lena would be pronounced LENA, not LAY-LA.

My DGM's name was Lena and that is what she was called.

Have read somewhere that the Queen's newest granddaughter is named Lena but pronounced Lay-La.

Yes I know IMBU to even notice or care about it. I guess I noticed because it is my Grandmother's name.

OP posts:
AngelsOnHigh · 28/06/2018 03:15

Should be the Queen's newest great grandaughter

OP posts:
pilesup · 28/06/2018 03:20

They’ve said it’s pronounced Lay-na

I would say Lay-na or Lee-na are both right.

Not sure where you’re getting Layla from

TheyCanGoInTheBucket · 28/06/2018 03:22

^^ what they said

AngelsOnHigh · 28/06/2018 03:24

Must have been a misprint in the on line paper. Never could trust the news to be accurate

OP posts:
Copperbonnet · 28/06/2018 03:27

I would pronounce Lena as Lay-na rather than Leen-a personally. But I’ve seen it both ways.

Many names have more than one pronunciation.

AngelsOnHigh · 28/06/2018 03:30

Just re-checked the newspaper. Definitely says Ley-la. Guess it makes a bit more sense if it is Lay-na

Having said that, back to my AIBU. Why not just spell it Lay-na

OP posts:
Phosphorus · 28/06/2018 03:32

It probably comes from Helena, which can be pronounced Helen-a or Helayna.

TheOriginalEmu · 28/06/2018 04:01

Because Lay-na is ridiculous? And Lena is a perfectly acceptable spelling of the name?

Copperbonnet · 28/06/2018 04:27

Think of the name Elena. It’s pronounced E-lay-na, not E-leen-a.

If your Granny pronounced it Leen-a that’s fine OP, but with the greatest respect to your Granny she doesn’t own the name.

Lay-na is hardly an unusual pronounciation.

OliviaStabler · 28/06/2018 04:33

This is from The Telegraph:

Lena is pronounced Lay-na and Elizabeth is in honour of Zara's grandmother the Queen.

MentalUnload · 28/06/2018 05:42

probably because they’re German 😂

BlitheringIdiots · 28/06/2018 05:51

I pronounce Elena as El-en-a. I pronounce Lena as leena. I also pronounce Helena as Helen-a.

It's the same as Esme. Some people say Es-may. I say the more traditional Es-mee

Babybearsporij · 28/06/2018 06:24

Our neighbour is Lina pronounced Lee-na. Ergo I'd say Lay-na for Lena. Or Lenna.

AuntieStella · 28/06/2018 06:29

I think it's the German pronunciation

As opposed to the Italian one - everyone who remembers Lena Zavaroni will 'see' it as Lee-na

ZoeWashburne · 28/06/2018 07:25

Lena Dunham. Lena Horne. All pronounced Lay-na.

So its not that far out of the box.

UnicornPug · 28/06/2018 07:31

I taught 3 Lena’s and they all pronounced it differently. Len—a, Lee-na and Lay-na. So when I meet one now, I check!

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