Pronunciation Problems!

[MuffinMouse]

I am due in 6 weeks. I love Helena (as in Helaina) but don't know how to get it spelled/pronounced correctly (without the french accenty things).

Any ideas?

I'd pronounce it Hell-enna. Lovely name.

Thing is I really like the Helaina prounciation - and my Londoner relatives will say Helina (which I loathe....)

The Helena I know also gets called Hell-ena to rhyme with Elena. Never heard it pronounced Hel-AYna

I had a friend with that pronounciation and we had no problems with saying it etc.

Saying that a friend has a very scottish name for her child and no-one can pronounce that.

Grabaspoon - did she spell it Helena?

If you like it, just go with it. Introduce her how you want it said and expect people to copy your lead. I instictively pronounce it Hell-n-a (to rhyme with enema!) but I've taught a Hell-ee-na and once she'd said it to me once I had no problems remembering, neither should anyone else. If your problem is relations intentionally pronouncing it wrongly though (again, something we get in my family), they're just rude so sod them!

You could always spell it Helayna - that way there is no ambiguity about the pronounciation.

It is the Scandinavian pronounciation and personally I like it much bettre than the "hell ena" pronounciation. the right way to spell it is "helena" and then spend her first 6 months correcting people and they will eventually get it.

Beautiful name

Cheers Lonnie. I was thinking of the Danish Helena Christianson.

It was in our top 3 for our oldest but she didnt look like a Helena and looking at her 13 years later we were right :) she isnt at all still a gorgeous name and Helena Christianson gets it pronounced the way you prefeer

I would assume it was pronounced Hel-Ay-na. Lovely name.

i know helena's who are heleena, helina and halaina. its not a totally horrid spelling, coul you not spell it how you pronouce it if you dont want the other 2 pronouncations getting in the way?

I know a Helena, there is an accent on one of the e's but not sure which, I think it does indicate pronunciation although people won't always heed it. She is Hel-ayna, whereas I know a Helena-Jane who is like HELL-enna (emphasis on the "hell" part, not that she is hellish or anything!!). It's a pretty name but I am a bit more partial to Elena or Elayna. Eleni is nice too, very Greek.

I kow a Heleine, pron Helaynee, perhaps you could go Heleina?

Hilarious to change the spelling to Helayna just so that people will know how to say it! Chavtastic!

Please don't end up spelling it Helayna if that's how you want it pronounced. I don't think Helena is too difficult for the majority of Brits nowadays, it's probably the older generation who will say "Helayna". Just correct them really early on if they get it wrong.

Ok I am a Helena . I have had it pronounced all the ways described and am used to people who don't know me getting it wrong (as in not how I prefer) initially. I have found that once I've told them how I pronounce it they get it right. Apart from one or two who no matter how many times I say, still pronounce it another way! I wouldn't spell it differently if I were you, but then I love my name as it is!