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Baby names

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Original poster

Leah, Lia, Lea?

51 replies

NZmum40 · 07/09/2021 05:11

Thinking of using the name Lea but not keen on the traditional spelling with an H on the end.
Partner prefers the spelling Lia but I feel like it reads as 'liar'
Others thoughts please?

Lea vs Lia

Or other spelling suggestions?

OP posts:
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Jemma2907 · 07/09/2021 05:15

I'm afraid I think the traditional spelling is the only way her name won't be mispronounced. I read Lea as L-ee and Lia as Liar. It depends how much that would bother you I suppose.

BritishSummertime · 07/09/2021 05:22

Agreed with PP, you'll be forever clarifying what her name is if you don't spell it Leah

Attiladahun · 07/09/2021 05:22

Leia?

EdgeOfACoin · 07/09/2021 05:25

I would pronounce Lea as Lee.

I think it needs to be Leah or Lia, if you don't want to be constantly correcting people.

CakesOfVersailles · 07/09/2021 05:35

I would assume Lea was pronounced lee and Lia was lyre.

For the pp suggestion of Leia I would pronounce sort of like layer as in the Star Wars character.

If you want the sound lee-ah I think Leah is the safest bet and would give her the least trouble.

Having said that if you did use Lea or Lia although I would only need to be corrected once to get it right after that.

PermanentTemporary · 07/09/2021 05:38

I have a friend with a Lia, I think it's lovely and she hasn't said anything about it being mispronounced. She has hyphenated it with something else though.

WhatALump · 07/09/2021 05:45

I know a Lia and a Lea and neither have issues with their name. Personally I prefer the look of Lia

Itstime1 · 07/09/2021 06:42

Outing but I’m a Leah. Lea is the girl version of Lee and I don’t don’t answer to it haha! Never have as I have a family member with that name and it’s different to mine.

Lia is more Li-a as you said.

To be fair there aren’t many of us around that I know with the name Smile

Original poster
NZmum40 · 07/09/2021 06:43

Thanks all. It's funny how much thought I give to the way a name looks when in reality it's going to be heard / spoken the majority of the time.
I'm still going to mull this one over some more

OP posts:
daisypond · 07/09/2021 06:58

I would think Lea is like Lee. Lia I would pronounce as Lee-ah, but it does always look like liar on first glance. I think the normal spelling of Leah is by far the best. It’s a stronger-looking name because it doesn’t end in the ubiquitous and girlie -a.

CrackerGal · 07/09/2021 07:02

I know a Lia, it would have never crossed my mind that it looked like liar 😂 Always been Lia to me & all the school friends 🤷‍♀️ I think its a nice way of spelling it it's kinda different.

Ikeameatballs · 07/09/2021 07:04

I really like the name but would definitely spell it Leah.

stilldumdedumming · 07/09/2021 08:12

My dd has Lia as a name. Ex vito'd Rosa (as in Parks) so I chose Lia from Rosalia. Also Lia is biblical- Benjamin's sister but didn't make it into the Joseph musical.

Anyway in answer to your question, it seems people don't mispronounce it as liar. She uses it as her first name quite often. I would pronounce Lea as Lee.

user1493494961 · 07/09/2021 08:57

Leah is a much nicer spelling than Lia.

Comedycook · 07/09/2021 08:59

Lovely name. Just spell it correctly! And spare her a life of correcting people all the time

Synchrony · 07/09/2021 09:29

I really find it surprising that anyone would assume Lea is pronounced Lee. I think it's obviously Lea. Like Lea Salonga and Lea Michele. Not that unusual.

I haven't come across the Lia spelling before but think the pronunciation is also obvious and it didn't make me think of Liar. But it doesn't sound like you're overkeen yourself.

Satnightfakeaway · 07/09/2021 09:39

My niece is called Leia, I think it's a lovely name.

VanillaAndOrange · 07/09/2021 09:52

I prefer Lia, which I think is the Italian version. I know they sound exactly the same but I just don't like how Leah looks written down - like someone saying "yeah" in a really lazy way with their tongue hanging out! I didn't really like the name at all until I saw the Lia spelling.

Saisong · 07/09/2021 10:00

I have a niece Lia, always been pronounced Lee-ah, she doesn't seem to have any problems.

My DD name actually gets shortened to Lee, which we spell Lea (because of the spelling of her actual name). Around here there are lots of place names with Lea in (pronounced Lee) so it never really crossed my mind that there was a Leah pronunciation. Though I did come across it in a book once, that was translated from French so I though that must be more typical there.

Elisemum · 07/09/2021 13:09

Love the name, was always on my list for a baby girl. But spell it the correct way- Leah! Gorgeous

urbanbuddha · 07/09/2021 13:15

Leah is "Lee-ah".
Lia is "Lie-ah".
Lea is "Lee".

I prefer Leah.

drspouse · 07/09/2021 13:24

My DD has a Leah and a Lia in her class (Lia's parents speak another language). She always says their last name when she mentions them, nobody is confused by the pronunciation of Lia, they sound the same.

I actually have heard Leah pronounced Lee, and Lea would definitely be Lee (that's how you'd pronounce it for a geographical feature or for the place name, so I'm assuming for the last name too) - I'd go with Lia myself.

DinaofCloud9 · 07/09/2021 13:27

I'd say Lea as Lee.
Leia could be pronounced as Laya like Star Wars.
Lia is OK but I'd go with Leah. It looks nicer.

Cotswoldmama · 07/09/2021 13:55

I like Leah best, I did know a girl who spelt it Liya but like previous posters if I saw it written I might assume it was pronounced liar!

manhattenrain · 07/09/2021 18:49

Lia or Leah, definitely not Lea.

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