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Original poster

How would you pronounce the name 'malia'

85 replies

ShazGranger · 17/06/2019 14:28

Hi all!

We are wanting to call our baby girl 'malia' but am wondering how it's going to be pronounced? We want it pronounced like Obama s daughter. Will that work in the UK do you think?

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PrincessScarlett · 17/06/2019 17:22

I think you need to spell it differently as Malia immediately reminds me of the party destination in Crete.

TheVanguardSix · 17/06/2019 17:44

Molly-yuh.
Similar to Amalia.
I’m American and immediately thought of Malia Obama. Good name!
Malaika is another beautiful name

AdelaideK · 17/06/2019 18:03

Mal ee a with the emphasis on the Mal

MikeUniformMike · 17/06/2019 18:49

Maleah is awful.
Malia pron Mal-ee-ah is fine. Pretty.

JustTheCrowsAndTheBeef · 17/06/2019 20:20

Malia Obama is muh-LEE-ah rather than MAH-lee-ah.

MikeUniformMike · 17/06/2019 20:29

That's right. Mal-EE-A.

Iwalkedaway · 17/06/2019 20:30

Mah- Leah?

Quintella · 17/06/2019 20:38

Muh-LEE-ah, as Malia Obama is the only person I know with that name.

piperk · 17/06/2019 21:04

I would pronounce it like ma-lee-a as in the Greek holiday destination

Sophronia · 17/06/2019 23:26

I would spell it Maliyah if you want it said the Obamas way.

CantspellWontspell · 17/06/2019 23:34

Mah-lee-a.

HeronLanyon · 17/06/2019 23:36

Mah Lee ah. Stress in first syllable

DawgLover · 17/06/2019 23:39

I'm confused as to why there's an R being added in for some posters? Mah- lee- ah is how I would say it in the context of the name rather than the greek location

I can imagine it being pronounced as Muh-lee-ah based on some of the regional accents near me. Both are quite pretty.

JustTheCrowsAndTheBeef · 17/06/2019 23:49

dawg non rhotic accents.

DawgLover · 17/06/2019 23:55

Non-rhotics/an intrusive R still wouldn't explain the mar-lee part, as there is already a consonant separating the syllables.

Either way, its a very pretty name. I spent some time in Hawaii and always thought it beautiful

TooMuch87 · 17/06/2019 23:56

Mally-a (Mally rhyming with Sally).

GeorgiaGirl52 · 18/06/2019 00:03

Rhymes with Dahlia

Kokeshi123 · 18/06/2019 02:19

My brain thinks "MAH-lia" but then I self correct to "Ma-LEE-a" because that is Malia Obama's pronunciation.

Pretty name but the pronunciation issues would put me off a bit.

Durgasarrow · 18/06/2019 05:21

ma-LEE-a

Fullmoons · 18/06/2019 06:46

Ma lee a with the stress on the first syllable

I'm surprised how some pronounce the first syllable as Muh, Mar or Mall?

Original poster
ShazGranger · 18/06/2019 15:04

Thanks for all your help all!

Any spelling you guys can think of to guarantee its pronounced muh-lee-uh?

A bit of background - Malia is a Persian name (I'm Persian) and we would than like to shorten it to Mali, a Welsh name (pronounced like Sally) I'm also Welsh ☺️

OP posts:
Fullmoons · 18/06/2019 17:10

Any spelling you guys can think of to guarantee its pronounced muh-lee-uh?

Muhleeuh? Muleea?

anyoldvic · 18/06/2019 17:20

I don't understand muh-lee-uh... That to me would sound almost like Moo-lee-uh which isn't very pretty.

Do you want it pronounced Mally-uh so that the NN Mali rhymes with Sally? If so then spell it Mallia

DonkeyHohtay · 18/06/2019 17:23

Mah-lee-ah.

No "r" in it anywhere.

Quintella · 18/06/2019 17:25

Don't mess with the spelling, it looks nice as it is. Besides, some people will get it wrong no matter how you spell it.