Spelling Conundrum

[LaDuchesse]

Hello. Please can you help? My DH and I have chosen a very grown up name for our little girl but have agreed that until she makes it to the House of Commons/ Supreme Court/ Forbes list, she might need a shorter, simpler nickname to bide the time. Lily has come up as a possibility but we are a bilingual household and I find it sounds just a little too frilly in French.

Therefore, I am putting in a motion for Lila but pronounced à la française: Lee-lah. (as in Lilac in French)

Now... How would one spell that to avoid confusing it with Leila (Lay-Lah) or Lila (Lie-Lah)

Thank you!

Oh an you Horry!

In a French accent there would be scarcely any difference between Lilla and Leela, but in an English accent they're as different as "rue" and "roue" in French which English speakers would just say as "roo" for both.

Do you see what I mean?

I do! I think Lilla is the best solution in both languages... Leela in French will inevitably come out as Leila. Sorted! She can come any old time now, we're ready for her. :)

As long as you don't call her Conundrum, which was my fear when I opened this thread!

Haha! No but it's not the worst name I've ever heard. A friend (male) subscribes to the theory that most STD's make great names, including but not limited to Candida, Gonorrheah, Chlamydia, Syphillis... He's currently single, but looking, if anyone's interested?

Sorry to be a pain, but Lilla would be lil- as in Lily -ah in English. Which I don't think is what you want, is it? The
double L shortens the i.

Yes I agree. Lilla has a shorter vowel sound than Lila. Could you possibly call her Lilac, but pronounce it Leela, as this is where you're coming from anyway?