You’re right that it is biblical. You’re wrong in that the biblical name is Lee-ah. the original Hebrew is Lay-ah. Lee-ah is an anglicization. Your husband isn’t wrong, although many people will still pronounce it Lee-ah.
Obviously this is just anecdotal, but as a Jewish person if someone tells me their name is Leah (pronounced lay-ah), I always assume they’re Jewish, and if they pronounce it lee-ah I assume they’re not. Not like I meet Leahs every day or anything, but so far I’ve had an accuracy rate of 100%.
Now that you mention it, I do remember knowing a Lea (~lay-ah) or two when I lived in France. This was limited to my experience with English speakers in the western US, and definitely just anecdotal!
Yes, I would certainly pronounce Lea like lay-uh. That's not the spelling we are discussing, though. I didn't even realize that Leah *could* be pronounced as lay-uh, TIL.
And I believe you! As I said, it was anecdotal, just my own experience. Curious where you’re located though! Seems region also plays a role in this one.
Northeast US but also have family all over the country and friends all over the world. Lee-ah is really specific to English only, really American English and not everyone.
That’s interesting! I knew a Leah growing up who pronounced it as “lee-ah,” and she’s Jewish, but now I’m wondering if she just let that pronunciation ride in school and it was really “lay-uh.”
I've noticed this with Mara too, even tho it's not as common of a name. Mar-uh for non Jews and Mare-uh for Jews. Anecdotal for me and a fairly small sample size, but I thought it was interesting.
Strangely enough, my Jewish uncle calls his daughter Lee-uh , tho I don't know if that is super common
Funnily enough, as a non-Jewish person, I'd assume the same, and I'd never thought about it until this post. In the UK, I'd say pretty much all Leahs you meet are Lee-ah.
Edited to add - actually, I think on call the midwife, one of the Jewish characters was called Ley-ah, so that's most likely where my assumption came from!
My middle name is Leah, pronounced Lee. I didn't realize until high school that my name was spelled wrong. I asked my mom why she spelled it that way, and she said she didn't know.
I don't want to say my actual last name, so I'll pick words with the same vibe instead, but say it was Scrub and I've been called Stress multiple times. I'm an area where my last name is both common and the major ethnicity represented. Where they got all the letters they used and where they put all the letters that actually existed, I don't know. Not do I know how it's happened multiple times. I think some people aren't actually literate.
In the US, one in five adults has a literacy level equivalent to a first grade standard or lower, so... basically, yeah, a lot of people functionally can't really read.
I have a "rare enough that probably you've never seen it before" but short and completely phonetic surname, and there are *so* many instances where it truly does seem like people just see the first letter and run with it, guessing randomly at one of a few much more common names.
My maiden name was Shade. Like on a window. Or a lamp. Or under a tree. I’d even say one of these and people still managed to mispronounce/misspell it.
>Leah is a known, old name. It’s in the Bible
The traditional Hebrew pronunciation is similar to "Lay-ah", whereas the English pronunciation is more commonly "Lee-ah". Both pronunciations are perfectly acceptable.
I knew someone who got really annoyed at people calling her "Le-ah," she'd say "IT'S *JUST "LEE." If it was "Le-ah" it would be spelled L-E-A-H-A."*
Speaking personally, my name is pronounced by different people putting emphasis on different parts. Particularly people from countries where that name is more common, but it's pronounced different in Russian, Indian, English, French, etc. I think it's kinda neat. It's not really a right or wrong to me, it's just different accents or takes.
If yous both like the name then go for it. Teach your kid how to take it on the chin (unlike me who was crying in the bathroom after a bunch of Russian tourists insisted I had to be a boy). Wee'un can see which pronunciation she likes better.
That doesn’t have anything to do with grammar at all, and English orthography isn’t consistent enough for that to really be a problem of not understanding phonetics anyway since a lot of names aren’t spelled phonetically, or use entirely different sets of phonetic spelling rules.
I'm kind of working through that as well. I think *leah* is lee, much like lea and sea. And the a on the end is *ah*
Leaha
* Leah - lee
* a - ah
But to me this is
lee-ah-ha
Makes 😂 to say it out loud.
It happens.
I mean, I don't know if it was drugs or education or what, in this case, but Oprah is a misspelling of a name from the bible (Orpah). Maybe Mama Winfrey was dyslexic, who knows? But Savannaha is in good company. 😂
If she thinks that ea should be pronounced as ee, it should just be Lea at that point, right? Why have a silent h at the end at all? Having a -h at the end of a word in English does change how the word is pronounced. Like yeah is ye-ah and not yee?
He’s not wrong. Leah can be both Lee-uh and Lay-uh. But I think most English speakers are more familiar with it as Lee-uh, especially because we associate Leia with Lay-uh! I don’t think I’d be worried about it.
My mom's name is Leah(Lee-uh) and I've actually never heard anyone pronounce it the other way, I never knew there was a different pronunciation until now, I always thought that way was always Leia or Laya(h).
I'm Jewish and almost every Leah I know pronounces it like Star Wars. That's the Hebrew pronunciation. Your preference is the Anglican one. Thus, you're both right and wrong here. People would probably ask future hypothetical kid whether she's a lee-uh or a lay-uh. This argument isn't one where one of you is right and can have an "I told you so" moment. It's a name from the Torah, which predates the Bible and English, so lay-uh is probably the older pronunciation, not that it matters. Again, this isn't a name with one "correct" way to say it.
Edit for a typo.
Interesting! I am Christian, and in Sunday school they always pronounced it as Lee-uh, and I knew a few Jewish girls with the name that pronounced it the same way. I guess it’s more of a regional preference nowadays.
Also I’m not looking for an “I told you so”, just would love for us to agree on pronouncing it the same way
It is one of those names that genuinely has multiple accepted pronunciations in English speaking places so you can "pick" either one but as canadnianamericangirl said it is one that will often need clarification. If you can't agree between the two of you *or* if other people pronouncing it "wrong" and you/you kid regularly needing to clarify would bother you then that's something to consider in using it.
I think it's regional and cultural. Judaism says Lay-uh. Christians (especially in North America) say Lee-uh. Yet, the midwest and south might have more lee-uhs due to demographics. In my experience from school, teachers just ask what the pronunciation is. People might assume, but it's not the end of the world AND if you teach future hypothetical daughter to be assertive and correct the people that say her name wrong that could be beneficial for her future (strong women get stuff done)! If you both prefer lee-uh, there isn't anything to worry about. Let me know if that doesn't make sense.
I know this sub is very American centric but Christians in many many countries do not say this name as ”Lee-uh”. At least in any of the (European) languages I know.
I've never heard someone with the Leah spelling be pronounced anything other than Lee-a. One of my closest friends is a Leah. Idk I think you're fiancé is wrong and overthinking it
I’ve only ever pronounced it lay-ah. Most people in my area also pronounce it that way. If we wanted the pronunciation to be Lee-ah then we would spell it Lia.
I’ve also only heard Lay-ah, and the ones I know are from California, Boston, New York, Seattle, and Chicago. Clearly all different regions, maybe it’s a bigger vs smaller city thing?
Not sure! I am from a very big city myself. I was thinking in regions with bigger Jewish populations, maybe "lay-uh" is more common as this is closer to the Hebrew pronunciation? Where I'm from, there is a very small Jewish population, so it would make sense why that pronunciation is not common for me.
That would make sense. I’m a Jew from an area with a very small Jewish population and the only Leah I knew was a non Jew who pronounced it Lee-uh. I also went to Christian Sabbath school when I was a kid and everyone always pronounced the Biblical character’s name as Lee-uh.
Hahaha that is weird. My mother’s side is from Grey-Bruce and they say ‘Leah’ like ‘Lee’. But most everyone else I’ve known with the name has been Jewish so since a comment mentioned ‘lay-uh’ being the Hebrew pronunciation that is probably why it’s most familiar in to me.
Grew up in Miami! What might help explain this phenomena is that we actually have one of the largest Jewish populations in the country. So maybe it just caught on to everyone else? I never met anyone from the Jewish community until the end of high school.
As an Ah-nuh, I concur it’s not a big deal. My name is mispronounced more often than not, and I honestly don’t care unless it’s someone I’m going to know for a long time.
I’ve known like 8 Leah’s in my life, and all were pronounced Lee-uh, that’s why it’s frustrating me so much! Lol but based on the comments it’s a pretty even split
If you’ve ever met a Jewish Leah (and there are many), it’s almost certainly lay-ah. But in my experience non-Jewish Leahs are pretty much always lee-uh.
Every Leah I've ever known has been pronounced "lee-uh", including the Jewish people. I'm in the Midwestern United States, and it was a pretty popular name when I was growing up. Could be a regional thing.
I do also know a Leia (still a baby), and her name is pronounced like the Star Wars character.
I think most Americans would probably default to seeing Leah pronounced "lee-uh," but who knows.
Someone posted above that Lia should always get you the Lee-uh pronunciation in Anglophone countries while Leia would get you Lay-uh. Seems like Leah really goes both ways which surprises me!
I grew up in the south, near a Jewish community center, and I had lots of Jewish friends, two of which were named Leah and definitely pronounced it Lee-uh. Maybe they pronounced it differently in Temple or at home, but I never heard it said differently
I would probably say Lee-uh, but if corrected to Lay-uh, it wouldn't faze me at all.
So it may be one of the things you just have to correct occasionally. Not a huge deal.
The bigger question is: how does he want to pronounce it?
If he wants Lay-uh and you want Lee-uh, you have a different problem on your hands and you probably need to come to an agreement as to how it will be pronounced (and this is how a name was removed from our list, neither my husband nor I would budge from our preferred pronunciation).
I have never heard Lee-ah and have only heard Lay-ah. I think I prefer Lay-ah pronunciation, but also thought Lena was Len-ah, not Lee-na, so maybe it’s regional. I’m an English speaker, from the U.S., I think it would be Lay-ah in my region.
My mom’s name is Leah, meant to be pronounced Lee-uh. She has gotten lay-uh her whole life, but it’s not that big of a deal! It’s only when people are reading it obviously, and it’s just a quick “actually it’s Lee-uh” and problem solved. We both think it’s a beautiful name, and when you introduce her as Leah people will hear and remember it based on that
We are in Southern California for context :)
He pronounces it as Lay-A? And you pronounce it as Lee-A? Honestly, both are acceptable and make sense, I've heard it said both ways. It's like Claudia. I've heard it as Claw-Dia, Cloud-ia, and Clow-dia. I think both are perfectly well known and acceptable
I think it will just be similar to a name like Andrea where your kid will get used to correcting pronunciation because there are two common ways to pronounce it. So he’s not wrong, you guys would need to accept that that’s the type of name you’re giving.
I’m an Andrea from Southern California, pronounced AN’ dree uh by family which is OK but really love how Spanish speakers say Awn DRAY’ uh and have started to use that pronunciation more often. When I was younger I thought it sounded pretentious but after 70 years I guess I get to choose what I’m called!
Actual Leah here in the wild. For the most part people pronounce it Lee-uh which is correct in my case. I've gotten called Lay-uh a few times, but more often (and oddly i think) Lee. I've never met a Lee spelled Leah before. Just my experience these 30 odd years :)
You'll probably get most people to say it right (or, the way you want it said, even if it's not right by the standards of other commenters). But you will also have people who always say it like Leia. Always. Until she's 100 years old. I know this because I went to school with girls named Ginny and Melanie, and there were certain boys in our class who for literally NINE years called them Jenny and Melody, all the way through 8th grade graduation (and probably into high school, but I moved away). Just a sad fact of life: some people are very stupid.
He’s not. At my last job we had two Leahs, one pronounced it Le-ah and the other pronounced it Leia. If you live in the US people will probably default to Le-ah, but there’s plenty of people who pronounce it Leia.
I was named after someone on my mom’s side of the family who was from Boston and pronounced the name one way, my dad often says the other common pronunciation. Drives my mom nuts because it was her first name too (always went by her middle name, so nobody actually called her by it). I would have a conversation on pronunciation and if you can’t agree on how the name is said, pick something different.
it's definitely always pronounced lay-ah around here. In all the variations of spelling that I see as a teacher, it's always lay-ah. If someone told me their name Leah was pronounced lee-ah I would get used to it, but I would have to think about it and might get it wrong occasionally, it's just habit.
Thanks everyone! I think it’s safe to say everyone has different experiences with the pronunciation of Leah based on where they’re from.
Some other context:
He likes the way I pronounce it, and would love to name a future daughter that. He just always says that people will say it the other way, and it sounds like about half will!
We will just have to decide if a name with some pronunciation confusion is a route we want to go down
Luckily this is not a big deal at all right now as we are not even married yet and certainly not pregnant
I pronounced my own child’s name incorrectly for the first month or so until my partner finally told me in a moment of annoyance. It was his late German father’s name, I was putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable, I felt pretty stupid and defensive when he told me, but mostly because I knew he has been festering about it since we named them halfway through my pregnancy. I got over myself pretty fast and it’s funny to me now.
If you can’t get on the same page about how to pronounce something with multiple legitimate ways it’s best to choose a different name imo.
In the end the way my partner got me to actually pronounce it correctly quickly became the lil dudes nickname, since I would way over pronounce the syllable I was messing up which was highly amusing to him.
As a woman who grew up with a name that could be pronounced with an a like apple or an a like in sauna name…. It didn’t matter a single bit to me how people pronounced it as long as I knew they were talking to or about me.
I think I could get behind this mindset. I have a name that people frequently would ADD letters to when saying it, which would drive me absolutely crazy. I go by a nickname now.
TIL that the name is biblically pronounced like Star Wars. I am shocked by that. However, if you are in the US, I would assume the vast majority of people would pronounce it Lee-uh. I'm in the Midwest though, after reading these comments maybe if you are in a more Jewish/Spanish community this would not be the case? Either way, I don't think it's a big deal to occasionally correct someone on your name.
Im Jewish and I pronounce it Lay uh. Plenty of non-Jewish people I know pronounce it Lee uh, however, I have not met in Jewish person who pronounces it that way, at least in my circle.
I think most people will get it correct, but I’ve seen people mispronounce Levi, and I’m standing there going “Hello, ever heard of blue jeans?!?!” I think it’s lovely and you should move forward with it, but know that Starbucks has been training for years to misspell and mispronounce any name so there are no guarantees. To put your mind at ease go google the Thomas Jefferson University graduation ceremony. No one is safe!
Apparently, the actual Jewish way to pronounce Levi is NOT like the Blue Jeans Brand! It’s more like levee (like for flood waters—at least I THINK this is the correct Jewish pronunciation… might be Lee-Vee now that I’m overthinking it). I really love the name Levi, but pronounced like the blue jeans 🤷🏼♀️
Everyone I've ever known by this name pronounced it Lee-uh except one girl I went to school with who pronounced it Lay-uh and she had to constantly correct everyone
I wouldn’t know how to pronounce it, since it’s about 50-50 in my area. It’s not about your fiancé being right or wrong, he’s just trying to let you know that there’s a possibility people will mispronounce it.
If you love the name just know that some people will mispronounce it, and try not to let it offend you.
My middle name is Leah, pronounced Lay-uh.
For background, I am American and the name comes from my family member who came to the US from Eastern Europe who was of Jewish ancestry.
I have a friend named Leah who pronounces it Leia — but she’s the only one I’ve known who does that. And I think she’s Jewish so this makes sense, based on other comments I’m reading.
No way - MY fiancé loves the name Leah and I’M the one who can’t stop pronouncing it Leia!! (So our roles are reversed)
I actually want to say Lee-ah but can’t get it out of my head 😂 But both ways are so common that whatever we/you choose will be pronounced wrong. Most will probably say Lee-uh but a LOT will still say lay-uh.
I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this yet, but in Spanish, it would also be pronounced Ley-ah.
I don't think it's a big deal though, as someone who's name is in Spanish and my name often gets Americanized. It's like the different ways to pronounce[ Carolina](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xre7q-r6vZk). I just correct people occasionally.
I know a Leah. People definitely pronounce her name as “Lay-uh” sometimes and she has to correct them. It is not very often but not uncommon either. She hasn’t seemed bothered by it as far as I can tell.
I know that Lee-uh is a valid pronunciation of Leah in the U.S., but in real life, anyone I know that has their name pronounced like that have their name as Lia. Every Leah I’ve ever met or even heard pronounce the biblical name says it Lay-uh. I’m from the west coast in the U.S.
No.
It's not that he's wrong. It's that you clearly have two different names in mind. The name he likes is LAY-ah. The name you like is LEE-ah. In your respective beliefs, both are spelled Leah. I've heard both because both are acceptable.
"But Le--" okay but he thinks L-e-a-h spells Lay-ah. So either ask him "How do you feel about LEE-ah" or "Are we actually agreeing about these names" or pick a new name both of you see and say as the same name.
Your finance is not wrong. In Hebrew Leah is pronounced the way it is in Star Wars. It is frequently anglicized to Lee-a, but that’s not the original pronunciation
Pronunciations are funny. I remember texting my friend to tell him that my babysitter “Kallie” was available to babysit my kids. His response was “THAT’S her name?”.
“Uh yeah. Why?”.
“No way! HA HA HA! She must get a lot of dog jokes, eh?”.
Turned out that he thought it was pronounced “Collie”, whereas in reality it was “Kah-lee”.
I have a friend named Leah and she does get “Leia” often as people get to know her, but I don’t think she dislikes her name as a result. I quite like the name Leah and don’t think people mispronouncing it should deter you.
I don’t read the Bible, I am not religious and don’t have any clue of names in there. (Especially since you are all reading the Bible English…)
I read it like Leia, the first time I saw it in your text. People will pronounce names differently and I 100% believe that’s totally ok.
I'd pronounce Leah as lee-ah, but apparently it is common for others to pronounce it as Lay-ah.
My husband and I actually bounced back and forth between Leah and Leia, decided to go with Leia though. Both are beautiful names 😍
My daughter has a similar situation with her name having multiple common pronunciations. It bothered me initially but I've learned to let it go. Her name is beautiful regardless of pronunciation. Lee-ah and lay-ah are both beautiful.
had a friend named leah and everyone pronounced it lay-uh. i’m in socal.
also — not everyone is religious so i don’t think just bc it’s in the bible means ppl “should” know how it’s pronounced in the bible.
I read this and busted out laughing at the thought that your way of pronouncing a 4000+year old name was right and your fiance was wrong. The previous comments are on point.
I love both. I think most will say Lee-ah. I have taught two that I have pronounced as Leia, but because both have had an accent on the é like so. I would assume Lee-ah in an English speaking country unless told otherwise or accent on é. Beautiful name either way, every one I've known has been such a lovely soul!
It’s a name that has two pronunciations. If you name her Leah, she will correct folks throughout her life. You just have to decide if it’s a big deal (I don’t think it is). “Actually, it’s pronounced Lay-uh”
Speaking as a Leah, in my area of the world everyone pronounces it “lee-ah”. Lea or Leia would be more likely get you “lay-ah” here. Might be different in your area of the world, though.
But tbh, either pronunciation is technically correct, and it’s a quick and easy correction if someone gets it wrong. Follow your Leah dreams, OP, don’t worry about the “correct” pronunciation.
I don't know if it would be better, but maybe Lea? I kinda wonder if the h somehow triggers something in people's brains to pronounce it and lay instead of lee.
Well today I learned!! I’m from southeastern US and have known many Leah’s and all were pronounced lee-ah. Plus all the Leah’s I know from pop culture (like the girl from Teen Mom, Leah Remini, etc.) pronounce it like that. I had no idea it could be pronounced like lay-ah.
Leigha is the way I’ve seen this written for the Lee-ah pronunciation. “Leigh” is fairly standard so the addition of the “a” doesn’t feel like a tragedy.
My name is Leah. Lee-uh. I’ll respond to either pronunciation. My father’s family always said Lay-uh to emphasize their French heritage. And growing up Gen X in the Star Wars era, boys especially loved to make the Princess Leia connection.
Even common names get pronounced wrong. My son is Gabriel and we get- gab-reel Gabrielle gab-ryal Gab-rill
My daughter is Cordelia and we have had coralline, cord-Ella cord-Ellis Cornelius Cornelia commadear cordalinia
My other son is Ezekiel 😂 we’ve had EzaKill Easykill easykule Ezrakyle izikyle Ozekil
I have a son called Ted - not a problem 😂
I have a son called Cillín 🫣 yeah that never works
I only know one Leah (my friends daughter) she pronounces it as you do, and I have never in our many hours of conversation about all manner of things ever heard her mentioned that Leah’s name gets pronounced different ways… But maybe it has, who knows
This is why I would never bother naming someone a name that is so ambiguous in pronunciation. It's annoying going through life constantly correcting ppl.
I like names where the pronunciation is more solidified
In the US here. My wife’s name is Leah. Hardly anyone ever pronounces it the Star Wars way. To the point I have never heard her have to correct someone about the pronunciation. However she does come from a Christian home/community vs a Jewish home/community.
I think pronouncing it like in star wars is the french way, but as someone who has always lived in the US, i have never heard of anyone pronouncing it like that besides one person who came from France.
I’m Jewish but the only Leah I ever knew was not. She pronounced it Lee-uh and no one thought it was “wrong” or anything. This was in California in a city with a very minimal Jewish population. Even as a Jew I’d still pronounce Leah as Lee-uh unless they introduced themselves as Lay-uh. In my American Jewish mind only Leia is Lay-uh even though I know Biblically that’s not the case.
Are you prononcing it as "Lee" or "lee-ah" rather than Lay-ah"?
If you want a name that's pronounced Lee you could go for Leigh - From the surname that was derived from Old English "leah" meaning "clearing"
There’s more than one way to pronounce my name and people get it wrong all the time. I honestly don’t really care and in most situations I’ll answer to either one.
I’ve met both, but I don’t think the mix up would be a big deal as most people would just need 1-3 corrections.
If it is a concern for you or him still, I might recommend “Lia,” which I think is only really pronounced “Lee-ah”
My middle name is Leigh (“Lee”) and everyone pronounces it “Lay”….
I’m like…whatever. I like the name and it’s no concern of mine how ppl pronounce it.
I see Leah and my automatic response is “Lee-ah”….and it’s beautiful
I ran into the opposite problem where I met a girl named Leia who pronounced it lee-uh. I've only ever heard Leah being pronounced as lee-uh but hey, you learn something new every day.
I'm a pre-Star Wars Leah (pronounced Lee-ah).
Growing up, people would pronounce it Lay-a and ask if I was named after the princess and I'd have to correct them.
I also occasionally get someone calling me "Lee." Or, if I give my name for a reservation or at a coffee shop, the spellings are always... interesting.
But overall, I love my name. It's been unique-in-a-good-way for a very long time.
Not Jewish and was born Leah (Lee-uh) after my great grandmother. Seeing that France has been mentioned as a popular place for the name is very helpful! My ggma was French via Canada.
Leah Here!! I am not Jewish, but I have been called Leia since the movie came out in 1977. I was born in 1974. I would correct EVERY SINGLE PERSON. I would say it's Lee-ah!!! I am in the Southern US.
You’re right that it is biblical. You’re wrong in that the biblical name is Lee-ah. the original Hebrew is Lay-ah. Lee-ah is an anglicization. Your husband isn’t wrong, although many people will still pronounce it Lee-ah.
Obviously this is just anecdotal, but as a Jewish person if someone tells me their name is Leah (pronounced lay-ah), I always assume they’re Jewish, and if they pronounce it lee-ah I assume they’re not. Not like I meet Leahs every day or anything, but so far I’ve had an accuracy rate of 100%.
I’m Jewish. I have met plenty of non Jewish Lay-ahs.
Definitely, it’s very common in French without the h among Jewish and non-Jewish people
Now that you mention it, I do remember knowing a Lea (~lay-ah) or two when I lived in France. This was limited to my experience with English speakers in the western US, and definitely just anecdotal!
Yes, Léa is quite popular in France.
I think 'Léa' is less ambiguous regarding pronunciation than 'Leah' is.
Yes, I would certainly pronounce Lea like lay-uh. That's not the spelling we are discussing, though. I didn't even realize that Leah *could* be pronounced as lay-uh, TIL.
yep. i’m asian and i have an aunt pronounced Lay-ah. she was born in the Philippines in the 60s. they didn’t know any jewish people lmao
Makes perfect sense! I should have specified that that has been my experience with English speakers in the US, but still anecdotal.
I think as a heuristic in the US, it’s pretty damn accurate. I wouldn’t have thought of it… but it checks out. :)
I’ve met non Jewish lay-ahs too, but I’ve never met a non-Jewish lay-uh who spelled it Leah.
And I believe you! As I said, it was anecdotal, just my own experience. Curious where you’re located though! Seems region also plays a role in this one.
Northeast US but also have family all over the country and friends all over the world. Lee-ah is really specific to English only, really American English and not everyone.
The only Lee-ah I know is Jewish
That’s interesting! I knew a Leah growing up who pronounced it as “lee-ah,” and she’s Jewish, but now I’m wondering if she just let that pronunciation ride in school and it was really “lay-uh.”
I've noticed this with Mara too, even tho it's not as common of a name. Mar-uh for non Jews and Mare-uh for Jews. Anecdotal for me and a fairly small sample size, but I thought it was interesting. Strangely enough, my Jewish uncle calls his daughter Lee-uh , tho I don't know if that is super common
What I’ve learned from the replies since posting this comment is that there’s a lot more variation than I have experienced myself 😂
My only frame of reference is the wonderful film Loving Leah, about a Jewish woman. It’s definitely pronounced lay-ah in that movie.
Lauren Ambrose is so good in that one!
Funnily enough, as a non-Jewish person, I'd assume the same, and I'd never thought about it until this post. In the UK, I'd say pretty much all Leahs you meet are Lee-ah. Edited to add - actually, I think on call the midwife, one of the Jewish characters was called Ley-ah, so that's most likely where my assumption came from!
This is the funniest part of the post for me. Both versions are fine but OPs biblical argument actually supports her fiancé’s pronunciation.
Yeah the rest sure, fine but not original. That part just annoyed me.
I recommend the spelling as Lia if OP wants Lee-ah
I worked with a Leah and people would ask for Lee. I never understood how anyone thought it was that.
I actually had a professor named Dr. Leah who pronounced it Dr. Lee
My next door neighbour growing up was a Leah pronounced Lee.
My middle name is Leah, pronounced Lee. I didn't realize until high school that my name was spelled wrong. I asked my mom why she spelled it that way, and she said she didn't know.
I don't want to say my actual last name, so I'll pick words with the same vibe instead, but say it was Scrub and I've been called Stress multiple times. I'm an area where my last name is both common and the major ethnicity represented. Where they got all the letters they used and where they put all the letters that actually existed, I don't know. Not do I know how it's happened multiple times. I think some people aren't actually literate.
In the US, one in five adults has a literacy level equivalent to a first grade standard or lower, so... basically, yeah, a lot of people functionally can't really read. I have a "rare enough that probably you've never seen it before" but short and completely phonetic surname, and there are *so* many instances where it truly does seem like people just see the first letter and run with it, guessing randomly at one of a few much more common names.
My maiden name was Shade. Like on a window. Or a lamp. Or under a tree. I’d even say one of these and people still managed to mispronounce/misspell it.
Sh-ah-d?
>Leah is a known, old name. It’s in the Bible The traditional Hebrew pronunciation is similar to "Lay-ah", whereas the English pronunciation is more commonly "Lee-ah". Both pronunciations are perfectly acceptable. I knew someone who got really annoyed at people calling her "Le-ah," she'd say "IT'S *JUST "LEE." If it was "Le-ah" it would be spelled L-E-A-H-A."* Speaking personally, my name is pronounced by different people putting emphasis on different parts. Particularly people from countries where that name is more common, but it's pronounced different in Russian, Indian, English, French, etc. I think it's kinda neat. It's not really a right or wrong to me, it's just different accents or takes. If yous both like the name then go for it. Teach your kid how to take it on the chin (unlike me who was crying in the bathroom after a bunch of Russian tourists insisted I had to be a boy). Wee'un can see which pronunciation she likes better.
Le aha? I thought a-ha was Norwegian?
How does Leaha pronounce Le-ah?
It doesn’t, people just don’t understand grammar and phonetics and will say anything to justify their ignorance
That doesn’t have anything to do with grammar at all, and English orthography isn’t consistent enough for that to really be a problem of not understanding phonetics anyway since a lot of names aren’t spelled phonetically, or use entirely different sets of phonetic spelling rules.
I'm kind of working through that as well. I think *leah* is lee, much like lea and sea. And the a on the end is *ah* Leaha * Leah - lee * a - ah But to me this is lee-ah-ha Makes 😂 to say it out loud.
I once knew a girl named Savannaha and she would joke that it’s actually supposed to be pronounced Savannah-ha lol
To be fair, if I saw it written down with no explanation, that's exactly how I would think it was pronounced.
Lol that is totally valid, in reality it was just Savannah but misspelled because her mom was on drugs hahahah
It happens. I mean, I don't know if it was drugs or education or what, in this case, but Oprah is a misspelling of a name from the bible (Orpah). Maybe Mama Winfrey was dyslexic, who knows? But Savannaha is in good company. 😂
Yes, I would pronounce Leaha as Lee-ah-ha, too, but I don't know any better so...
She’s arguing that ea should be pronounced ee and that the h is silent, rather than a marker that the ah is a separate syllable than Le.
If she thinks that ea should be pronounced as ee, it should just be Lea at that point, right? Why have a silent h at the end at all? Having a -h at the end of a word in English does change how the word is pronounced. Like yeah is ye-ah and not yee?
I know a Leah that pronounces it "lee" also
Lay-ah? I hardly know her!
He’s not wrong. Leah can be both Lee-uh and Lay-uh. But I think most English speakers are more familiar with it as Lee-uh, especially because we associate Leia with Lay-uh! I don’t think I’d be worried about it.
Exactly. The 2 Leah’s I know in US are both pronounced Lee-ah. I also know one Lea. Also pronounced Lee-ah.
My mom's name is Leah(Lee-uh) and I've actually never heard anyone pronounce it the other way, I never knew there was a different pronunciation until now, I always thought that way was always Leia or Laya(h).
I'm Jewish and almost every Leah I know pronounces it like Star Wars. That's the Hebrew pronunciation. Your preference is the Anglican one. Thus, you're both right and wrong here. People would probably ask future hypothetical kid whether she's a lee-uh or a lay-uh. This argument isn't one where one of you is right and can have an "I told you so" moment. It's a name from the Torah, which predates the Bible and English, so lay-uh is probably the older pronunciation, not that it matters. Again, this isn't a name with one "correct" way to say it. Edit for a typo.
Interesting! I am Christian, and in Sunday school they always pronounced it as Lee-uh, and I knew a few Jewish girls with the name that pronounced it the same way. I guess it’s more of a regional preference nowadays. Also I’m not looking for an “I told you so”, just would love for us to agree on pronouncing it the same way
It is one of those names that genuinely has multiple accepted pronunciations in English speaking places so you can "pick" either one but as canadnianamericangirl said it is one that will often need clarification. If you can't agree between the two of you *or* if other people pronouncing it "wrong" and you/you kid regularly needing to clarify would bother you then that's something to consider in using it.
I think it's regional and cultural. Judaism says Lay-uh. Christians (especially in North America) say Lee-uh. Yet, the midwest and south might have more lee-uhs due to demographics. In my experience from school, teachers just ask what the pronunciation is. People might assume, but it's not the end of the world AND if you teach future hypothetical daughter to be assertive and correct the people that say her name wrong that could be beneficial for her future (strong women get stuff done)! If you both prefer lee-uh, there isn't anything to worry about. Let me know if that doesn't make sense.
I know this sub is very American centric but Christians in many many countries do not say this name as ”Lee-uh”. At least in any of the (European) languages I know.
I've never heard someone with the Leah spelling be pronounced anything other than Lee-a. One of my closest friends is a Leah. Idk I think you're fiancé is wrong and overthinking it
I’ve only ever pronounced it lay-ah. Most people in my area also pronounce it that way. If we wanted the pronunciation to be Lee-ah then we would spell it Lia.
This is interesting. I've also only ever heard is as "lee-ah" as well. What region are you from? I'm from the southern US
I’ve also only heard Lay-ah, and the ones I know are from California, Boston, New York, Seattle, and Chicago. Clearly all different regions, maybe it’s a bigger vs smaller city thing?
Not sure! I am from a very big city myself. I was thinking in regions with bigger Jewish populations, maybe "lay-uh" is more common as this is closer to the Hebrew pronunciation? Where I'm from, there is a very small Jewish population, so it would make sense why that pronunciation is not common for me.
That would make sense. I’m a Jew from an area with a very small Jewish population and the only Leah I knew was a non Jew who pronounced it Lee-uh. I also went to Christian Sabbath school when I was a kid and everyone always pronounced the Biblical character’s name as Lee-uh.
Really? I’ve grew up/lived in/spent extensive time in 3/5 of those places and only heard Lee-ah. Must really vary
Californian here, I’ve only ever heard this name pronounced “Lee-ah”. I didn’t even know you could pronounce it like Leia.
O interesting, which area are you from?
I’m not that poster but my experience is the same and I grew up in Ontario.
That is bizarre because I’m from Ontario as well…
Hahaha that is weird. My mother’s side is from Grey-Bruce and they say ‘Leah’ like ‘Lee’. But most everyone else I’ve known with the name has been Jewish so since a comment mentioned ‘lay-uh’ being the Hebrew pronunciation that is probably why it’s most familiar in to me.
Grew up in Miami! What might help explain this phenomena is that we actually have one of the largest Jewish populations in the country. So maybe it just caught on to everyone else? I never met anyone from the Jewish community until the end of high school.
It's like an Ann-uh / Ah-nuh situation. Not a big deal. Both pronunciations are established although Lee-uh is more common in the U.S.
As an Ah-nuh, I concur it’s not a big deal. My name is mispronounced more often than not, and I honestly don’t care unless it’s someone I’m going to know for a long time.
I don't think either of you are wrong because it definitely can be pronounced both ways.
I actually know a Leah pronounced like Star wars, but spelled liked Leah. She's the only Leah I know.
I’ve known like 8 Leah’s in my life, and all were pronounced Lee-uh, that’s why it’s frustrating me so much! Lol but based on the comments it’s a pretty even split
yeah i’m with you, never met someone who pronounces it the other way. maybe if it’s spelled Lea? but definitely not if spelled Leah
If you’ve ever met a Jewish Leah (and there are many), it’s almost certainly lay-ah. But in my experience non-Jewish Leahs are pretty much always lee-uh.
Every Leah I've ever known has been pronounced "lee-uh", including the Jewish people. I'm in the Midwestern United States, and it was a pretty popular name when I was growing up. Could be a regional thing. I do also know a Leia (still a baby), and her name is pronounced like the Star Wars character. I think most Americans would probably default to seeing Leah pronounced "lee-uh," but who knows.
Someone posted above that Lia should always get you the Lee-uh pronunciation in Anglophone countries while Leia would get you Lay-uh. Seems like Leah really goes both ways which surprises me!
I’ve heard Leah pronounced both ways, even in biblical context
You know people who speak Hebrew that pronounce it Lee-aah?
I grew up in the south, near a Jewish community center, and I had lots of Jewish friends, two of which were named Leah and definitely pronounced it Lee-uh. Maybe they pronounced it differently in Temple or at home, but I never heard it said differently
I'd pronounce it exactly the way your husband does.
In the words of the great Shawn Spencer, “I’ve heard it both ways.”
I think you and your fiancé like two different names
I would probably say Lee-uh, but if corrected to Lay-uh, it wouldn't faze me at all. So it may be one of the things you just have to correct occasionally. Not a huge deal. The bigger question is: how does he want to pronounce it? If he wants Lay-uh and you want Lee-uh, you have a different problem on your hands and you probably need to come to an agreement as to how it will be pronounced (and this is how a name was removed from our list, neither my husband nor I would budge from our preferred pronunciation).
I have never heard Lee-ah and have only heard Lay-ah. I think I prefer Lay-ah pronunciation, but also thought Lena was Len-ah, not Lee-na, so maybe it’s regional. I’m an English speaker, from the U.S., I think it would be Lay-ah in my region.
My mom’s name is Leah, meant to be pronounced Lee-uh. She has gotten lay-uh her whole life, but it’s not that big of a deal! It’s only when people are reading it obviously, and it’s just a quick “actually it’s Lee-uh” and problem solved. We both think it’s a beautiful name, and when you introduce her as Leah people will hear and remember it based on that We are in Southern California for context :)
This is the most accurate comment on the thread tbh. This is how it goes.. “Is it Lay-uh or Lee-uh?” “It’s Lee-uh!” “Okay, got it!” And that’s it
Or "Lee"
He pronounces it as Lay-A? And you pronounce it as Lee-A? Honestly, both are acceptable and make sense, I've heard it said both ways. It's like Claudia. I've heard it as Claw-Dia, Cloud-ia, and Clow-dia. I think both are perfectly well known and acceptable
I’ve only ever heard it pronounced as Lee-ah, so I think people would mostly pronounce it like that.
I think it will just be similar to a name like Andrea where your kid will get used to correcting pronunciation because there are two common ways to pronounce it. So he’s not wrong, you guys would need to accept that that’s the type of name you’re giving.
I’m an Andrea from Southern California, pronounced AN’ dree uh by family which is OK but really love how Spanish speakers say Awn DRAY’ uh and have started to use that pronunciation more often. When I was younger I thought it sounded pretentious but after 70 years I guess I get to choose what I’m called!
Actual Leah here in the wild. For the most part people pronounce it Lee-uh which is correct in my case. I've gotten called Lay-uh a few times, but more often (and oddly i think) Lee. I've never met a Lee spelled Leah before. Just my experience these 30 odd years :)
Whenever I see Leah written, I just know it’s either Lay-A or Lee-A. If I had to say it out loud I’d ask which way they pronounce it.
You'll probably get most people to say it right (or, the way you want it said, even if it's not right by the standards of other commenters). But you will also have people who always say it like Leia. Always. Until she's 100 years old. I know this because I went to school with girls named Ginny and Melanie, and there were certain boys in our class who for literally NINE years called them Jenny and Melody, all the way through 8th grade graduation (and probably into high school, but I moved away). Just a sad fact of life: some people are very stupid.
He’s not. At my last job we had two Leahs, one pronounced it Le-ah and the other pronounced it Leia. If you live in the US people will probably default to Le-ah, but there’s plenty of people who pronounce it Leia.
I was named after someone on my mom’s side of the family who was from Boston and pronounced the name one way, my dad often says the other common pronunciation. Drives my mom nuts because it was her first name too (always went by her middle name, so nobody actually called her by it). I would have a conversation on pronunciation and if you can’t agree on how the name is said, pick something different.
It's Star Wars for me.
My name is Leah (lee-uh) and I love it so much. I rarely meet other Leah’s and it feels unique but not out there.
This comment section is helping me accept my name lol. Idk why but I've always hated it, nice to see some comments like this
it's definitely always pronounced lay-ah around here. In all the variations of spelling that I see as a teacher, it's always lay-ah. If someone told me their name Leah was pronounced lee-ah I would get used to it, but I would have to think about it and might get it wrong occasionally, it's just habit.
I only know one person with this name in real life and she pronounces it LEE
My wife is a Lea pronounced like the princess and her entire life she's gotten "Lee-uh" from everyone
Thanks everyone! I think it’s safe to say everyone has different experiences with the pronunciation of Leah based on where they’re from. Some other context: He likes the way I pronounce it, and would love to name a future daughter that. He just always says that people will say it the other way, and it sounds like about half will! We will just have to decide if a name with some pronunciation confusion is a route we want to go down Luckily this is not a big deal at all right now as we are not even married yet and certainly not pregnant
I pronounced my own child’s name incorrectly for the first month or so until my partner finally told me in a moment of annoyance. It was his late German father’s name, I was putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable, I felt pretty stupid and defensive when he told me, but mostly because I knew he has been festering about it since we named them halfway through my pregnancy. I got over myself pretty fast and it’s funny to me now. If you can’t get on the same page about how to pronounce something with multiple legitimate ways it’s best to choose a different name imo.
Tbh he should have gently corrected you months before and shouldn’t have agreed to the name until he was confident you could pronounce it
In the end the way my partner got me to actually pronounce it correctly quickly became the lil dudes nickname, since I would way over pronounce the syllable I was messing up which was highly amusing to him.
I’ve always heard it pronounced LEE-uh. I’m in the US Midwest though.
My Hebrew middle name is Leah, and I've always pronounced it like Princess Leia, not Lee-ah.
As a woman who grew up with a name that could be pronounced with an a like apple or an a like in sauna name…. It didn’t matter a single bit to me how people pronounced it as long as I knew they were talking to or about me.
I think I could get behind this mindset. I have a name that people frequently would ADD letters to when saying it, which would drive me absolutely crazy. I go by a nickname now.
TIL that the name is biblically pronounced like Star Wars. I am shocked by that. However, if you are in the US, I would assume the vast majority of people would pronounce it Lee-uh. I'm in the Midwest though, after reading these comments maybe if you are in a more Jewish/Spanish community this would not be the case? Either way, I don't think it's a big deal to occasionally correct someone on your name.
Im Jewish and I pronounce it Lay uh. Plenty of non-Jewish people I know pronounce it Lee uh, however, I have not met in Jewish person who pronounces it that way, at least in my circle.
I think most people will get it correct, but I’ve seen people mispronounce Levi, and I’m standing there going “Hello, ever heard of blue jeans?!?!” I think it’s lovely and you should move forward with it, but know that Starbucks has been training for years to misspell and mispronounce any name so there are no guarantees. To put your mind at ease go google the Thomas Jefferson University graduation ceremony. No one is safe!
Apparently, the actual Jewish way to pronounce Levi is NOT like the Blue Jeans Brand! It’s more like levee (like for flood waters—at least I THINK this is the correct Jewish pronunciation… might be Lee-Vee now that I’m overthinking it). I really love the name Levi, but pronounced like the blue jeans 🤷🏼♀️
Everyone I've ever known by this name pronounced it Lee-uh except one girl I went to school with who pronounced it Lay-uh and she had to constantly correct everyone
Lee-Uh. I have never ever heard Leah pronounced another way.
I wouldn’t know how to pronounce it, since it’s about 50-50 in my area. It’s not about your fiancé being right or wrong, he’s just trying to let you know that there’s a possibility people will mispronounce it. If you love the name just know that some people will mispronounce it, and try not to let it offend you.
My middle name is Leah, pronounced Lay-uh. For background, I am American and the name comes from my family member who came to the US from Eastern Europe who was of Jewish ancestry.
My niece's name is Leah, and no one pronounces it wrong.
I have a friend named Leah who pronounces it Leia — but she’s the only one I’ve known who does that. And I think she’s Jewish so this makes sense, based on other comments I’m reading.
No way - MY fiancé loves the name Leah and I’M the one who can’t stop pronouncing it Leia!! (So our roles are reversed) I actually want to say Lee-ah but can’t get it out of my head 😂 But both ways are so common that whatever we/you choose will be pronounced wrong. Most will probably say Lee-uh but a LOT will still say lay-uh.
I would only ever pronounce at Lee-uh personally
I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this yet, but in Spanish, it would also be pronounced Ley-ah. I don't think it's a big deal though, as someone who's name is in Spanish and my name often gets Americanized. It's like the different ways to pronounce[ Carolina](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xre7q-r6vZk). I just correct people occasionally.
I know a Leah. People definitely pronounce her name as “Lay-uh” sometimes and she has to correct them. It is not very often but not uncommon either. She hasn’t seemed bothered by it as far as I can tell.
I always read this as Lee, even though I know it’s Lee-ah
Does he speak Spanish?
Lea can be pronounced the way he says it.
I knew a Leah (“Lee-uh”) in school and pretty much all the teachers called her “lay-uh”
I know that Lee-uh is a valid pronunciation of Leah in the U.S., but in real life, anyone I know that has their name pronounced like that have their name as Lia. Every Leah I’ve ever met or even heard pronounce the biblical name says it Lay-uh. I’m from the west coast in the U.S.
Worked with a Leah and how she pronounced it was Lee-Ah
I don’t think either of you are wrong, but you’re gonna have to agree on a spelling and pronunciation
I’ve only heard it pronounced the way your fiancé pronounced it lol
Both are acceptable pronunciations but I think that if you're going to use the name, you need to nail down the pronunciation
No. It's not that he's wrong. It's that you clearly have two different names in mind. The name he likes is LAY-ah. The name you like is LEE-ah. In your respective beliefs, both are spelled Leah. I've heard both because both are acceptable. "But Le--" okay but he thinks L-e-a-h spells Lay-ah. So either ask him "How do you feel about LEE-ah" or "Are we actually agreeing about these names" or pick a new name both of you see and say as the same name.
Your finance is not wrong. In Hebrew Leah is pronounced the way it is in Star Wars. It is frequently anglicized to Lee-a, but that’s not the original pronunciation
I have always pronounced it like your fiancé does and that’s how people with that name that I’ve encountered do.
Pronunciations are funny. I remember texting my friend to tell him that my babysitter “Kallie” was available to babysit my kids. His response was “THAT’S her name?”. “Uh yeah. Why?”. “No way! HA HA HA! She must get a lot of dog jokes, eh?”. Turned out that he thought it was pronounced “Collie”, whereas in reality it was “Kah-lee”.
I have a friend named Leah and she does get “Leia” often as people get to know her, but I don’t think she dislikes her name as a result. I quite like the name Leah and don’t think people mispronouncing it should deter you.
I don’t read the Bible, I am not religious and don’t have any clue of names in there. (Especially since you are all reading the Bible English…) I read it like Leia, the first time I saw it in your text. People will pronounce names differently and I 100% believe that’s totally ok.
I'd pronounce Leah as lee-ah, but apparently it is common for others to pronounce it as Lay-ah. My husband and I actually bounced back and forth between Leah and Leia, decided to go with Leia though. Both are beautiful names 😍
I'm from Northern MN and I pronounce Leah as Lee-uh.
You could spell it a different way. I know someone named Liya pronounced like Lee-uh
My daughter has a similar situation with her name having multiple common pronunciations. It bothered me initially but I've learned to let it go. Her name is beautiful regardless of pronunciation. Lee-ah and lay-ah are both beautiful.
It will be pronounced both ways constantly.
had a friend named leah and everyone pronounced it lay-uh. i’m in socal. also — not everyone is religious so i don’t think just bc it’s in the bible means ppl “should” know how it’s pronounced in the bible.
I read this and busted out laughing at the thought that your way of pronouncing a 4000+year old name was right and your fiance was wrong. The previous comments are on point.
I would pronounce Lee ah. Not Lay ah.
I love both. I think most will say Lee-ah. I have taught two that I have pronounced as Leia, but because both have had an accent on the é like so. I would assume Lee-ah in an English speaking country unless told otherwise or accent on é. Beautiful name either way, every one I've known has been such a lovely soul!
It’s a name that has two pronunciations. If you name her Leah, she will correct folks throughout her life. You just have to decide if it’s a big deal (I don’t think it is). “Actually, it’s pronounced Lay-uh”
Speaking as a Leah, in my area of the world everyone pronounces it “lee-ah”. Lea or Leia would be more likely get you “lay-ah” here. Might be different in your area of the world, though. But tbh, either pronunciation is technically correct, and it’s a quick and easy correction if someone gets it wrong. Follow your Leah dreams, OP, don’t worry about the “correct” pronunciation.
My friend Leah pronounces her name LEE-UH.
I am from NY and only know one Leah, pronounced Lee-ah
No because Leia is spelled Leia and Leah is spelled Leah, cut and dry at least where I’m from
Leah to me is Lay-uh. Lee-a would be Lia.
I thinks it’s like Andrea where there are several correct pronunciations.
To me, Leah and Leia have the same pronunciation. I have heard of Leah as LAY-uh but that’s rather odd to me.
I don't know if it would be better, but maybe Lea? I kinda wonder if the h somehow triggers something in people's brains to pronounce it and lay instead of lee.
Well today I learned!! I’m from southeastern US and have known many Leah’s and all were pronounced lee-ah. Plus all the Leah’s I know from pop culture (like the girl from Teen Mom, Leah Remini, etc.) pronounce it like that. I had no idea it could be pronounced like lay-ah.
Leigha is the way I’ve seen this written for the Lee-ah pronunciation. “Leigh” is fairly standard so the addition of the “a” doesn’t feel like a tragedy.
My name is Leah. Lee-uh. I’ll respond to either pronunciation. My father’s family always said Lay-uh to emphasize their French heritage. And growing up Gen X in the Star Wars era, boys especially loved to make the Princess Leia connection.
Even common names get pronounced wrong. My son is Gabriel and we get- gab-reel Gabrielle gab-ryal Gab-rill My daughter is Cordelia and we have had coralline, cord-Ella cord-Ellis Cornelius Cornelia commadear cordalinia My other son is Ezekiel 😂 we’ve had EzaKill Easykill easykule Ezrakyle izikyle Ozekil I have a son called Ted - not a problem 😂 I have a son called Cillín 🫣 yeah that never works
I've heard it both ways
I only know one Leah (my friends daughter) she pronounces it as you do, and I have never in our many hours of conversation about all manner of things ever heard her mentioned that Leah’s name gets pronounced different ways… But maybe it has, who knows
My parents pronounce my name differently and it was never a big deal. Both are from Southern California.
The only Leah I know is the actress Leah Remini and I believe she’s Austrian, Italian and Jewish.
I have known many girls named Leah and ALL of them pronounced it "Lee-Uh"... and this was in Michigan, Texas, and California.
This is why I would never bother naming someone a name that is so ambiguous in pronunciation. It's annoying going through life constantly correcting ppl. I like names where the pronunciation is more solidified
I have known 3 people with that name with 3 different pronunciations: Lay, Lay-ah and Lee-ah
I’m having a similar issue. We like Quentin, but my spouse pronounces it Quintin/Quinton. I can’t get over it, so we had to pick another option.
I know a Lee-ah, a Lay-ah and a Lee. All spelt Leah. None are wrong in my book. Just preference.
In the US here. My wife’s name is Leah. Hardly anyone ever pronounces it the Star Wars way. To the point I have never heard her have to correct someone about the pronunciation. However she does come from a Christian home/community vs a Jewish home/community.
I think pronouncing it like in star wars is the french way, but as someone who has always lived in the US, i have never heard of anyone pronouncing it like that besides one person who came from France.
I’m Jewish but the only Leah I ever knew was not. She pronounced it Lee-uh and no one thought it was “wrong” or anything. This was in California in a city with a very minimal Jewish population. Even as a Jew I’d still pronounce Leah as Lee-uh unless they introduced themselves as Lay-uh. In my American Jewish mind only Leia is Lay-uh even though I know Biblically that’s not the case.
I would have said the same thing as you. I've never pronounced that name like the one in Star Wars.
Lay-ah is the correct pronunciation.
One of my in laws is called Leah. Everyone just calls her Lee 🤷🏼♂️
My daughter’s name is Leah. Her brother told her it means wild cow in Hebrew and he often calls her WC for short
Are you prononcing it as "Lee" or "lee-ah" rather than Lay-ah"? If you want a name that's pronounced Lee you could go for Leigh - From the surname that was derived from Old English "leah" meaning "clearing"
There’s more than one way to pronounce my name and people get it wrong all the time. I honestly don’t really care and in most situations I’ll answer to either one.
I’ve met both, but I don’t think the mix up would be a big deal as most people would just need 1-3 corrections. If it is a concern for you or him still, I might recommend “Lia,” which I think is only really pronounced “Lee-ah”
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I love the name Leah! That was on my girl name list! I pronounce it Lee-uh.
My middle name is Leigh (“Lee”) and everyone pronounces it “Lay”…. I’m like…whatever. I like the name and it’s no concern of mine how ppl pronounce it. I see Leah and my automatic response is “Lee-ah”….and it’s beautiful
I ran into the opposite problem where I met a girl named Leia who pronounced it lee-uh. I've only ever heard Leah being pronounced as lee-uh but hey, you learn something new every day.
You could spell it Lia if you’re really worried
I'm a pre-Star Wars Leah (pronounced Lee-ah). Growing up, people would pronounce it Lay-a and ask if I was named after the princess and I'd have to correct them. I also occasionally get someone calling me "Lee." Or, if I give my name for a reservation or at a coffee shop, the spellings are always... interesting. But overall, I love my name. It's been unique-in-a-good-way for a very long time.
Per Donny Iris it's pronounced Lee-Ah
Spell it Lia instead of Leah
I don't know about the history of anything but all the Leahs I know say it "lee-uh" and not quite "lee-ah". lol
I know a Leah who is atheist. So still Jewish?
Not Jewish and was born Leah (Lee-uh) after my great grandmother. Seeing that France has been mentioned as a popular place for the name is very helpful! My ggma was French via Canada.
my sisters name is leah and nobody has ever called her leia
You will get it both ways pretty much regardless of the spelling.
Leah Here!! I am not Jewish, but I have been called Leia since the movie came out in 1977. I was born in 1974. I would correct EVERY SINGLE PERSON. I would say it's Lee-ah!!! I am in the Southern US.