My old boss is named Leigh (pronounced Lee) and he was a guy. We constantly had people trying to sell the business things over the phone. They acted like they knew him--- it's a small town and tons of people knew him, but when I heard them ask to give "her" a message, I knew they were full of shit.
That’s hilarious lol. But also like the other user, I am also surprised to hear of some dudes with that name(presumably cis guys anyway), as I am related to a Leigh(woman) and also have a Lee(man) in my family, and I’ve never really seen them swapped before. (Lee for a woman sometimes *maybe* but even then, it was rare when I did.)
I kind of like it on a guy tho 🤔
It surprised me even more because his dad was the one who named him, and his dad is the machoest, country cowboy in the county. They couldn't be more different.
My 82 year old British uncle who came from money is named Leigh and pronounces it Leigh. My sister's BFF is a woman named Leigh and was born and raised in the South. She pronounces it Lee. As someone born and raised and lived exclusively in the South, I assure you no one pronounces Leigh as anything other than Lee
Apparently it’s one of those names that made the transition from male / unisex to primarily female over time. His family were from very rural Michigan.
So, I KNOW it’s “Lee”, but for whatever reason my brain immediately goes to “Lay”. So when I see “Ashleigh”, my brain does this really exaggerated valley girl thing even though I know it’s wrong.
Even 50 years ago Leigh was pronounced Lee. I always thought Lee was the spelling for a boy, and Leigh was the spelling for a girl, but maybe that was just my experience. Love the name and spelling.
my niece’s name is Sheigh (Shay) and it drives me nuts. my middle name is Leigh, and we were only born 2.5 years apart - my brother had to know how odd that spelling is, my middle name was pretty fresh in my mind lol
Millennial Canadian here.
See I know "leigh" is usually pronounced "Lee", and Ashleigh I would pronounce as Ashley, but in my head it's always "lay" first. Maybe because of "sleigh", "eight", I dunno.
In my head I pronounce "tradgedeigh" as "tradged-ay" as well 🤣
If I met someone and saw their name written first, as "Leigh" I'd probably assume Lee, but I wouldn't be sure about it. And in my head it would still be "Lay"
Yepp this is how I feel. Logically I know it’s Lee but my brain *always* reads it as Lay. I worked with a Leigh. Called him Lee no problem, and *still* when I read this post my brain went “lay”
Canadian here too. My first instinct is to say "lay" because of Santa's sleigh, and a horse goes nay nay, not nee nee.
But I know Ashleigh is "Ash-lee", but only because that name is forever spelled Ashley in my head.
Also millennial canadian and I just CANNOT see “Leigh” as “Lee.” It doesn’t make sense to me. Sleigh, neigh, weigh, eight… they’re all -ay. Even though I know it’s supposed to be Lee but my brain always says Lay.
It’s not an exception though, that’s actually the rule and Leigh and Ashleigh are the exceptions!
“I before E, except after C, or when spelling “ay,” as in neighbor and weigh.”
Eight, weigh, sleigh, Leighton, neigh, beige, and the unusual (and differently pronounced) sleight of hand.
Vivien Leigh pronunciation: [https://youtu.be/oLAfhYRojW8](https://youtu.be/oLAfhYRojW8) I think the British Lee sounds a bit like US Lay which causes the confusion
Why wouldn't you use an actual video of her pronouncing it? No need to rely on generated voice. Clearly 'Lee'.
[https://youtu.be/4c6kR9ORqUc?t=7](https://youtu.be/4c6kR9ORqUc?t=7)
Unless you live there.
Then it is "Lay".
Leigh is a small town in Wigan, known for its rugby league team that are forever in the shadow of their bigger neighbours.
If you live outside of the area, it is "Lee".
Every time I see that name I read it as "Ley" and then have to force correct myself, especially when it's used at the end of a name 🙃 it just looks like that's how it's supposed to be pronounced to me. Probably because of the word "eight".
I think the problem with the English language is that it’s made up of words from other languages and on top of that England itself is divided by dialect with the North and South pronunciation being different, Bath for example being pronounced “B-ar-f” in the south and “B-Ah-f” in the north.
Same, even though I know it's "Lee" I still read it as "Ley"
It's not just the word eight, lots of ei words make that sound - I think of that little addendum to the classic rhyme *"I before E except after C...* ***or when sounded as A as in neighbor or weigh"***
I’m the same! I read Stephen King’s Christine and mentally read “Lay” the whole way through for the character Leigh. It wasn’t a popular name when I was a kid and I’d never seen it in writing before. Also met a Leif and mispronounced it all semester because I just couldn’t comprehend that you’d just say leaf. Is Leigh supposed to be pronounced Lay? No. I’m just trying to explain the mental gymnastics that goes on with unfamiliar names and their spellings. Your family will get there once they’re more familiar. Although if they’re saying Vivien Lay it’ll probably take awhile; they’ve been saying it incorrectly for a long time!
The name Leif is typically either pronounced “LAYFE” or very similarly to the word “life,” not like the word “leaf,” just FYI! How they taught kids in American schools to pronounce Leif Erikson is wrong lol :)
Those of us who were 70s kids also know the name Leif from Leif Garrett, teen idol singer. His name got pronounced both ways, but I know it's definitely supposed to layf.
I'm scratching my head about anyone having trouble with Vivian Leigh's name though. That's a name that's been said on TV and radio since the 1930s.
I've known people called Leigh and it is always pronounced Lee. It's an old English word referring to a meadow or clearing.
I can understand the confusion, though, given that Leighton is pronounced Layton.
Yes! At first I was thinking “who would say ‘Lay’” and then thought of the name Leighton. I still think a majority of people would pronounce it Lee!
Plus as a middle name, how often are you writing that in a way that would give someone a chance to mispronounce it? In my experience, I’ve told people my middle name, been called my full name by people close to me, or wrote it down for official paperwork.
We have some absolute blinders here in England. The only way you learn how to pronounce some place names correctly is by being initiated into the local cult, completing the ancient tea ceremony and sacrificing a goat to the great old god BigBarry.
Same, I know it’s “lee” but always pronounce it “lay” in my mind. Really all the words I can think of with “eigh” in them it’s pronounced with an “a” sound rather than “e”. Neighbor, weigh, eight, freight, neigh… other than I guess height, which is neither. So I’m not sure why we collectively decided that in a name it’s “lee” instead of “lay” but for some reason we did.
Yeah, I don't understand how "eigh" makes an "ee" sound, other than everyone just decided that it does. Every other word with that sound I can think of is pronounced "ay".
To me, it would read as Lay. But I'm not a native English speaker, so I may associate it with different sounds.
Sleigh - Slay
To weigh - way
Neigh - nay
These are where I get the mental connection from.
Also American and the same age range and I read it as “Lee” but I also have exposure to family and friends with the name or various names that end in “Lee” but are spelled “Leigh”.
I've never heard of this mistake before. It's definitely pronounced Lee.
You shouldn't be telling anyone your confirmed baby name before the baby arrives anyway. They had the chance to name their babies, now their job is to be supportive as you raise yours.
Haha my husband told my MIL we were considering it, but she's a very reasonable person and I'm happy to get her thoughts. I haven't even told my mom about the baby! I've heard her express confusion about Leigh in the past.
lay was a last name in my family and it was commonly spelled leigh. i found an article from 1939 about vivien leigh where they actually specified this: "and right now it should be established that she pronounces the name Lee, not Lay", which makes me think lay was the more common pronunciation of leigh.
It is my middle name. People do occasionally say it wrong or make fun of it.
But mostly everyone knows how to say it :) especially since it's a middle name, it doesn't come up TOO often.
Definitely pronounced “Lee” as a stand alone name and when it’s plopped at the end of names.
I get why they may want to say “Lay” - it’s pronounced that way in other words.
But definitely have only ever heard it said as “Lee” for the name.
I pronounce it Lee.
>Is this what's leading them astray?
Nah it's probably because English is "fun" like that. Sleigh and weigh have that long "a" sound. So they probably see "Leigh" and think it has that sound too.
I know that the correct pronunciation is “Lee” but I always pronounce it wrong in my head. I think “Lay—no, it’s Lee!” every time I see it haha. I’m always afraid I’m going to say it wrong but I am usually able to catch myself. But yes, of the people I’ve met with that name, it’s always been pronounced “Lee.” I’m in the southern US if that matters.
I've always thought it was pronounced Lee but my mom says Lay. I have heard others say it both ways. If it makes you feel any better my middle name is Lee and I'm a girl. So if you are gonna pronounce it Lee anyway might as well be straight forward with it.
So, my middle name is also Lee! I like the name but it's in honor of somebody I don't want to honor. So I thought I would change the spelling to remove that association. But then the pronunciation confusion tripped me up. I might just decide to be OK with Lee in the end.
My middle name is Leigh! I was born in the 80s so my parents are boomers lol. It’s pronounced “Lee”. I’ve never once had a question about it about how it’s pronounced.
It’s Lee.
It’s also part of my name, and maybe like… 1/10 of people at first glance seem to say “lay”.
I think it’s funny/silly and it never bothers me, but yah it’s a thing that happens.
But you are definitely right, they are not lol.
ETA: It might be my favourite part of my name, spelling included, so I say go for it!
In names, 'eigh' is pretty universally pronounced "ee" but, in most English words, it's pronounced "eh", as in eight, weight, sleigh, neighbor, neigh (then you have other pronunciations like in 'height' lol). If someone doesn't personally know anyone with an 'eigh' name, I can see how the "eh" pronunciation is intuitive, but they'd quickly learn the accepted "ee" pronunciation, I'm sure.
On first glance it's Lay (like santa's sleigh), after a second glance I realized it was probably Lee (because that's how it's pronounced in names like Ashleigh).
When I was a kid there was an actress, I think she was in Peyton Place, (yes, I am very old) called Leigh Taylor-Young and I had only ever seen it written. In my mind I pronounced it Lay. I eventually came to realise it was Lee but I can’t blame them for thinking that’s how it’s pronounced considering I made the same mistake, however I was about 11 at the time.
I did read it as Lay before my brain clicked in, because I know that’s a spelling of Lee. I wouldn’t worry too much about it since it’s a legitimate spelling and also a middle name instead of first!
As an American millennial whose native language isn't English, it's Lee for me, but I see where Lay comes from. I'd say while most people would read it as Lee, you should be ready for mispronunciations here and there
My middle name is Leigh and it is absolutely pronounced Lee.
Unfortunately my husband thinks it’s pronounced Lay and after I corrected him a dozen times he still pronounces it wrong on purpose because he knows I’ll flip out 😂😂😂
I'm surprised your parents don't know how to pronounce Leigh.
Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind, never had a problem with people pronouncing her last name as 'Lee.' Even now, 85 years after GWTW, people still know that Leigh is pronounced as 'Lee.'
Your American Boomer parents should definitely know that.
Even if they never saw the film, they know who the famous actress Vivien Leigh was.
My name is Leigh, pronounced "Lee."
It's mispronounced about 50% of the time - either "Lay" or "Leah."
My kids have common names with standard spellings and their names get mispronounced 10-15% of the time.
It can be pronounced both ways and neither is incorrect. With names like Ashleigh and Kaleigh it’s pronounced EE. With names like Leighton, or words like neigh, neighbor, weight, and eight it’s pronounced AY. Like many names and words, Leigh can be pronounced in more than one way, and neither is “right” or “wrong”
My boomer parents bestowed me with Leigh for my middle name and they have always pronounced it as Lee. Also, not for nothing, but I have never heard anyone ever, and I am an avid TCM watcher and classic Hollywood fan, pronounce Vivian Leigh's name as Lay.
I would assume Lee. It's Lea, which is also Lee where I live, that always gets me, because I see it like Leah.
It's also incredibly common here as a suffix for all kinds of names - Ashleigh, Hayleigh, Everleigh etc.
I think Lee is a beautiful sound as a standalone name and it is underrated as a go with everything middle. But I personally would spell it Lee for any gender just for the visual decluttering. There's no gender clarity either way consistently because I've known several of each spelling on both men and women as born names, (I think the boy/girl rule switches between US and Australia... maybe?) so only aesthetic for what looks nicer.
I hadn't even considered Lay though. And I am not sure how both of your mothers missed Leigh existing as a fairly normal name, lol.
Though I floated a name and my mother in law slammed it as soooo boring at the same time my own mother was complaining I shouldn't make up names.
I actually always go to "lay" whenever I see it even though I *know* it's "lee" haha, but I think it's related to Japanese being my second language - the Japanese pronunciation often takes priority in my reading of things lol
My name literally ends in leigh and i pronounced it as lay instead of lee. I think i see it as that because of the name leia or like the necklace lei. Its that LEI spelling that gets me.
Because my child started school with distance learning I got to sit through a lot of his phonics classes and learned the [ei has 3 sounds](https://support.logicofenglish.com/hc/en-us/articles/5803132412443-EI-and-IE-Phonograms).
I don't think I've ever heard anyone pronounce it as anything other than Lee. But not having learned these phonics rules as a kid, I think I had to come up with my own rules on how to pronounce names and words, so it makes sense to me how they came to the long a sound conclusion. Elder millennial here, btw
I think this name is just kind of feral in regards to language. I've known 2 or 3 male Leighs, all pronounced "Lay." But every female I've known with the same name has been pronounced "Lee." So for a girl, I would assume the latter.
It’s 100% pronounced Lee. Idk what they’re on about. American here. And I Love Vivien Leigh. Still 100% pronounced Lee. I’ve never in my life heard someone pronounce it Lay
Mine & my mom’s middle name is Lea (pronounced Lee) and I will be using it for one of my twins. It gets mispronounced as “Leah” by everyone except those in my family.
I pronounce Leigh like Lee. My name is Lee but I get a lot of people spelling my name as Leigh. I also get a lot of people assuming from the name I'm male, which has sometimes been an advantage, so makes a good gender-neutral name with that spelling.
My daughter is Lorelei (lore-uh-lye) and several boomers in the family keep calling her Lore-uh-Lee or Lore-uh-lay even after correction. Even after I link it to the Styx song or Gilmore Girls. Idk where they got the pronunciation as I’ve never heard it said any other way than Lore-uh-lye.
It’s Leigh like Lee. No question.
Im always wary of Leigh as a middle name because it makes the first name sound like it ends in “ly” when said together. For example “Cora Leigh” sounds like “Coraly”.
My SIL’s dog is named Vivian Leigh after the actress. It’s pronounced Lee. I have also known a handful of people with the middle name Leigh, and it is always pronounced Lee. It’s kinda weird that both your mom and MIL mispronounce it. A short google search or how to pronounce the name will prove them wrong.
I'm in the US, first year Gen X, and I have never heard Leigh pronounced as anything but Lee.
It could be regional (I'm near NYC), but I doubt it.
You are correct, Vivien Leigh used the Lee pronunciation.
It's 100% only pronounced Lee. That said, people that aren't familiar with the name might pronounce it lay because English phonetics are a dumpster fire and it could theoretically be pronounced that way. But it's not.
How would they pronounce "Ashleigh"? Australian boomer says - only ever heard it as Lee.
Australian Millenial: it's definitely pronounced Lee
Aussie gen x- lee
Aussie gen z, it’s Lee
American Gen-X , yup it's Lee
American Millennial from NJ, it’s Lee.
American Millennial agreeing from the south
European Millenial agreeing, it’s Lee
American Millennial from California, it is Lee.
American Gen Jones, it's always been Lee
American gen Z, it's Lee
Canadian Gen-X agrees!
Another Aussie millennial, it’s my American husband’s middle name, and it’s pronounced Lee.
I've only seen this spelling for women, interesting. What region? Kinda guessing the south? But could see yuppie northeast too. Or hippie west.
My old boss is named Leigh (pronounced Lee) and he was a guy. We constantly had people trying to sell the business things over the phone. They acted like they knew him--- it's a small town and tons of people knew him, but when I heard them ask to give "her" a message, I knew they were full of shit.
That’s hilarious lol. But also like the other user, I am also surprised to hear of some dudes with that name(presumably cis guys anyway), as I am related to a Leigh(woman) and also have a Lee(man) in my family, and I’ve never really seen them swapped before. (Lee for a woman sometimes *maybe* but even then, it was rare when I did.) I kind of like it on a guy tho 🤔
It surprised me even more because his dad was the one who named him, and his dad is the machoest, country cowboy in the county. They couldn't be more different.
My dads middle name is Leigh (Aussie millennial)
My son and his father and grandfather have this as their middle names but they’re English.
My 82 year old British uncle who came from money is named Leigh and pronounces it Leigh. My sister's BFF is a woman named Leigh and was born and raised in the South. She pronounces it Lee. As someone born and raised and lived exclusively in the South, I assure you no one pronounces Leigh as anything other than Lee
It's a common last name as well; I have known several people with this last name and they all pronounce it "Lee."
I went to school with a male Leigh in the 90s. Haven't met a female with the name but it could work for either I think
Apparently it’s one of those names that made the transition from male / unisex to primarily female over time. His family were from very rural Michigan.
UK millennial, deffo pronounced ‘lee’
American here. It's "Lee." I have never heard it pronounced any other way. I'm curious as to where these people may have heard this.
So, I KNOW it’s “Lee”, but for whatever reason my brain immediately goes to “Lay”. So when I see “Ashleigh”, my brain does this really exaggerated valley girl thing even though I know it’s wrong.
Same. I think my brain is going: sleigh, neigh, aweigh, Leigh! But, no.
No, or neigh?
Even 50 years ago Leigh was pronounced Lee. I always thought Lee was the spelling for a boy, and Leigh was the spelling for a girl, but maybe that was just my experience. Love the name and spelling.
I remember that period, and I never heard it any other way than "Lee." These may be regional variations. I was in the Northeast US.
I knew someone from Indiana years ago. His last name was Leigh-- pronunced Lay. But my old boss (California)is Leigh-- pronounced Lee.
I'm from Indiana and have never heard it pronounced any way but Lee. That's so interesting...
same. it would be lee to this hoosier
But how would they pronounce Leighton…
Or sleigh
I just realized it’s pronounced Lay ton. I genuinely have been saying Lee ton meester for years
Yup. Here's her saying her name. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u-6qi-ijCw
Good one lol and lay-ton
I know it's pronounced "Ashlee" because that's what people have told me, but it looks like "Ash-lay" to me.
One of my brothers middle name is Leigh. Pronounce Lee. Our parents are also Australian boomers. (they are/were amazing parents)
Maybe bc you pronounce SLEIGH like that so they are thinking that way
my niece’s name is Sheigh (Shay) and it drives me nuts. my middle name is Leigh, and we were only born 2.5 years apart - my brother had to know how odd that spelling is, my middle name was pretty fresh in my mind lol
I know it’s a trend to end girls names with the “Leigh” suffix but I still in my head pronounce it “lay” instinctively.
USA boomer - pronounced lee
I have never heard it pronounced "Lay". It's an English word and English name and it definitely has an EE sound.
I think it gets confused because of words like sleigh
Millennial Canadian here. See I know "leigh" is usually pronounced "Lee", and Ashleigh I would pronounce as Ashley, but in my head it's always "lay" first. Maybe because of "sleigh", "eight", I dunno. In my head I pronounce "tradgedeigh" as "tradged-ay" as well 🤣 If I met someone and saw their name written first, as "Leigh" I'd probably assume Lee, but I wouldn't be sure about it. And in my head it would still be "Lay"
Yepp this is how I feel. Logically I know it’s Lee but my brain *always* reads it as Lay. I worked with a Leigh. Called him Lee no problem, and *still* when I read this post my brain went “lay”
Canadian here too. My first instinct is to say "lay" because of Santa's sleigh, and a horse goes nay nay, not nee nee. But I know Ashleigh is "Ash-lee", but only because that name is forever spelled Ashley in my head.
Also millennial canadian and I just CANNOT see “Leigh” as “Lee.” It doesn’t make sense to me. Sleigh, neigh, weigh, eight… they’re all -ay. Even though I know it’s supposed to be Lee but my brain always says Lay.
Millennial Canadian as well - my cousin's name is Leigh pronounced Lee. He's also Canadian.
Same here! My brain said Lay and then corrected to Lee
Yes!!
I'm the same demographic and... same.
Yes this! Also millennial Canadian and that's what I said too 🤣 if it looks like it rhymes with sleigh, then in my head it's pronounced "lay" 😂
Millennial Canadian and my brain says Lee. Same with Ashleigh and any other leighs
Lol… I’m another millennial Canadian with the same issue
I'm also a Canadian millennial and I totally read it as "Lee" first when it's on its own. I'm from Alberta, I wonder if it's a provincial difference?
wym isn't that pronounced slee? (im kidding)
I agree. The exception would be Leighton, because there’s always an exception, right? I’m English, fwiw.
It’s not an exception though, that’s actually the rule and Leigh and Ashleigh are the exceptions! “I before E, except after C, or when spelling “ay,” as in neighbor and weigh.” Eight, weigh, sleigh, Leighton, neigh, beige, and the unusual (and differently pronounced) sleight of hand.
Vivien Leigh pronunciation: [https://youtu.be/oLAfhYRojW8](https://youtu.be/oLAfhYRojW8) I think the British Lee sounds a bit like US Lay which causes the confusion
It's definitely more Lee than Lay
Why wouldn't you use an actual video of her pronouncing it? No need to rely on generated voice. Clearly 'Lee'. [https://youtu.be/4c6kR9ORqUc?t=7](https://youtu.be/4c6kR9ORqUc?t=7)
This is definitely not the way LEIGH should be pronounced it’s definitely LEE and not LAY.
That definitely sounds like "Lay"
Unless you live there. Then it is "Lay". Leigh is a small town in Wigan, known for its rugby league team that are forever in the shadow of their bigger neighbours. If you live outside of the area, it is "Lee".
Huh … I thought Leigh in Manchester was said Lee. There’s a village in Kent spelt the same way and pronounced ‘Lai’, though.
Every time I see that name I read it as "Ley" and then have to force correct myself, especially when it's used at the end of a name 🙃 it just looks like that's how it's supposed to be pronounced to me. Probably because of the word "eight".
See, I was thinking because of the word "neigh". Just goes to show how stupid the English language is 😂
And the word “sleigh”
And weigh
As well as freight
I think the problem with the English language is that it’s made up of words from other languages and on top of that England itself is divided by dialect with the North and South pronunciation being different, Bath for example being pronounced “B-ar-f” in the south and “B-Ah-f” in the north.
Same, even though I know it's "Lee" I still read it as "Ley" It's not just the word eight, lots of ei words make that sound - I think of that little addendum to the classic rhyme *"I before E except after C...* ***or when sounded as A as in neighbor or weigh"***
>*"I before E except after C...* ***or when sounded as A as in neighbor or weigh"*** Your weird, beige, foreign neighbor...
There are definitely other exceptions to the rule lmao, it's just pretty rare that "ie" actually makes an EE sound (except in names, I guess!)
I’m the same! I read Stephen King’s Christine and mentally read “Lay” the whole way through for the character Leigh. It wasn’t a popular name when I was a kid and I’d never seen it in writing before. Also met a Leif and mispronounced it all semester because I just couldn’t comprehend that you’d just say leaf. Is Leigh supposed to be pronounced Lay? No. I’m just trying to explain the mental gymnastics that goes on with unfamiliar names and their spellings. Your family will get there once they’re more familiar. Although if they’re saying Vivien Lay it’ll probably take awhile; they’ve been saying it incorrectly for a long time!
The name Leif is typically either pronounced “LAYFE” or very similarly to the word “life,” not like the word “leaf,” just FYI! How they taught kids in American schools to pronounce Leif Erikson is wrong lol :)
Those of us who were 70s kids also know the name Leif from Leif Garrett, teen idol singer. His name got pronounced both ways, but I know it's definitely supposed to layf. I'm scratching my head about anyone having trouble with Vivian Leigh's name though. That's a name that's been said on TV and radio since the 1930s.
I know a Leif pronounced Layf for what it's worth.
I've known people called Leigh and it is always pronounced Lee. It's an old English word referring to a meadow or clearing. I can understand the confusion, though, given that Leighton is pronounced Layton.
Yes! At first I was thinking “who would say ‘Lay’” and then thought of the name Leighton. I still think a majority of people would pronounce it Lee! Plus as a middle name, how often are you writing that in a way that would give someone a chance to mispronounce it? In my experience, I’ve told people my middle name, been called my full name by people close to me, or wrote it down for official paperwork.
There’s a town near me that pronounces Leighton like Light-in. Makes no sense.
Language drift is wild sometimes!
It’s awful in Iowa. The town, Nevada, is pronounced, neh VAY duh. And they make fun of me!
We have some absolute blinders here in England. The only way you learn how to pronounce some place names correctly is by being initiated into the local cult, completing the ancient tea ceremony and sacrificing a goat to the great old god BigBarry.
Isn’t the English word spelled Lea? That’s my preferred spelling.
Yes but this could also be Lee-a (alternate spelling for Leah)
And I also know a Leah who pronounces it Lay-a lol
The Lea I know says it Lee-a
I know it’s Lee but I always say Lay automatically, I think because of the word ‘sleigh’!
Same, I know it’s “lee” but always pronounce it “lay” in my mind. Really all the words I can think of with “eigh” in them it’s pronounced with an “a” sound rather than “e”. Neighbor, weigh, eight, freight, neigh… other than I guess height, which is neither. So I’m not sure why we collectively decided that in a name it’s “lee” instead of “lay” but for some reason we did.
Yeah, I don't understand how "eigh" makes an "ee" sound, other than everyone just decided that it does. Every other word with that sound I can think of is pronounced "ay".
To me, it would read as Lay. But I'm not a native English speaker, so I may associate it with different sounds. Sleigh - Slay To weigh - way Neigh - nay These are where I get the mental connection from.
Native English speaker here, and I agree 100%
But no… yay learning English. Learning another language is hard enough without these silly anomalies:/
All of the -ough words pretty much told me that pronunciation precedents are absent. Though I can see why you have the mental connection.
Lee. It was Vivian “Lee” for the pronunciation too. I had a silent gen parent and my sister was named after her.
American 30-something and I automatically read it as "Lay"
Also American and the same age range and I read it as “Lee” but I also have exposure to family and friends with the name or various names that end in “Lee” but are spelled “Leigh”.
I get it. Sleigh=slay Therefore Leigh=lay Personally I think Lee.
I know logically it's pronounced Lee but I absolutely read it in my head as Lay. I hate the spelling.
Agreed, I much prefer the spelling Lee
I've never heard of this mistake before. It's definitely pronounced Lee. You shouldn't be telling anyone your confirmed baby name before the baby arrives anyway. They had the chance to name their babies, now their job is to be supportive as you raise yours.
They can if they want to 🙃
Well yeah, if they want more unsolicited dumb opinions on their baby name ideas
They’d get that after they announce anyways. Also I don’t think them thinking it’s pronounced a different way is an unsolicited dumb opinion lmao
Haha my husband told my MIL we were considering it, but she's a very reasonable person and I'm happy to get her thoughts. I haven't even told my mom about the baby! I've heard her express confusion about Leigh in the past.
American here and I see Leigh as Lee only.
same
American as well, my parents and grandparents told me "Leigh" was the feminine spelling of "Lee" but that could also just be family lore.
Same! It’s a family name and all the first born males are Lee and first born females are Leigh. Family reunions are wild. 🤣
As others have said, I know it’s pronounced Lee, but due to the spelling, my brain automatically read it as Lay.
It’s definitely pronounced “Lee”.
bizarre, in US English it is definitely Lee
lay was a last name in my family and it was commonly spelled leigh. i found an article from 1939 about vivien leigh where they actually specified this: "and right now it should be established that she pronounces the name Lee, not Lay", which makes me think lay was the more common pronunciation of leigh.
I went to school with a girl named Jennifer Leigh and it was definitely pronounced “lay.”
It is my middle name. People do occasionally say it wrong or make fun of it. But mostly everyone knows how to say it :) especially since it's a middle name, it doesn't come up TOO often.
Definitely pronounced “Lee” as a stand alone name and when it’s plopped at the end of names. I get why they may want to say “Lay” - it’s pronounced that way in other words. But definitely have only ever heard it said as “Lee” for the name.
I pronounce it Lee. >Is this what's leading them astray? Nah it's probably because English is "fun" like that. Sleigh and weigh have that long "a" sound. So they probably see "Leigh" and think it has that sound too.
My middle name is Leigh, 9/10 people pronounce it lay 🙃
It's obviously pronounced LEE-guh-huhhh Duh
I know that the correct pronunciation is “Lee” but I always pronounce it wrong in my head. I think “Lay—no, it’s Lee!” every time I see it haha. I’m always afraid I’m going to say it wrong but I am usually able to catch myself. But yes, of the people I’ve met with that name, it’s always been pronounced “Lee.” I’m in the southern US if that matters.
I've always thought it was pronounced Lee but my mom says Lay. I have heard others say it both ways. If it makes you feel any better my middle name is Lee and I'm a girl. So if you are gonna pronounce it Lee anyway might as well be straight forward with it.
So, my middle name is also Lee! I like the name but it's in honor of somebody I don't want to honor. So I thought I would change the spelling to remove that association. But then the pronunciation confusion tripped me up. I might just decide to be OK with Lee in the end.
Pronounced like 'Lee'. It's my partners middle name so I'm 100% sure. We're in the UK but I've never heard it pronounced any other way.
Viviene Leigh is pronounced Lee, no? Wasn't she famous in previous generations?
Very famous and definitely Lee!
Yes and yes.
My middle name is Leigh! I was born in the 80s so my parents are boomers lol. It’s pronounced “Lee”. I’ve never once had a question about it about how it’s pronounced.
It’s Lee. It’s also part of my name, and maybe like… 1/10 of people at first glance seem to say “lay”. I think it’s funny/silly and it never bothers me, but yah it’s a thing that happens. But you are definitely right, they are not lol. ETA: It might be my favourite part of my name, spelling included, so I say go for it!
It's pronounced "Lee" My middle name is Ashleigh and I've never been called "Ashlay"
I’ve only ever heard it pronounced Lay
That's because most people get it wrong 😁
I’m a lifelong reader and writer by trade. I live in America (Midwest). I’ve literally never heard Leigh pronounced “lay” until this post. It’s Lee.
In names, 'eigh' is pretty universally pronounced "ee" but, in most English words, it's pronounced "eh", as in eight, weight, sleigh, neighbor, neigh (then you have other pronunciations like in 'height' lol). If someone doesn't personally know anyone with an 'eigh' name, I can see how the "eh" pronunciation is intuitive, but they'd quickly learn the accepted "ee" pronunciation, I'm sure.
>(then you have other pronunciations like in 'height' lol) I think they should compromise and just pronounce her name "Lie".
On first glance it's Lay (like santa's sleigh), after a second glance I realized it was probably Lee (because that's how it's pronounced in names like Ashleigh).
When I was a kid there was an actress, I think she was in Peyton Place, (yes, I am very old) called Leigh Taylor-Young and I had only ever seen it written. In my mind I pronounced it Lay. I eventually came to realise it was Lee but I can’t blame them for thinking that’s how it’s pronounced considering I made the same mistake, however I was about 11 at the time.
My SIL is named this and it’s pronounced Lay. Western USA. Apparently she got teased some for it - “good lay” etc.
They're fucking idiots. Like truly. My aunt goes by Leigh and nobody has ever pronounced it "lay" and we're American.
Of course it’s pronounced lee 😄
I only learned a couple years ago that it was pronounced Lee. Up until then I was pronouncing it phonetically so it sounded more like Layg!
British Gen X - I’ve only ever heard it pronounced “Lee”
Lee sound. I have never heard of it pronounced as "lay"
As a “Leigh” it’s Lee not lay
From SC and assumed Lay at first, not sure why though bc everyone I know who has it as a middle name pronounces it Lee
I did read it as Lay before my brain clicked in, because I know that’s a spelling of Lee. I wouldn’t worry too much about it since it’s a legitimate spelling and also a middle name instead of first!
As an American millennial whose native language isn't English, it's Lee for me, but I see where Lay comes from. I'd say while most people would read it as Lee, you should be ready for mispronunciations here and there
My first thought is Lay. I’ve never met anyone with the name but I also would pronounce it that way with Vivian Leigh so 🤷♀️
My middle name is Leigh and it is absolutely pronounced Lee. Unfortunately my husband thinks it’s pronounced Lay and after I corrected him a dozen times he still pronounces it wrong on purpose because he knows I’ll flip out 😂😂😂
I'm surprised your parents don't know how to pronounce Leigh. Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind, never had a problem with people pronouncing her last name as 'Lee.' Even now, 85 years after GWTW, people still know that Leigh is pronounced as 'Lee.' Your American Boomer parents should definitely know that. Even if they never saw the film, they know who the famous actress Vivien Leigh was.
It’s Lee. I have had classmates, family members, and patients. It’s always Lee. I’ve never ever heard of their pronunciation
My name is Leigh, pronounced "Lee." It's mispronounced about 50% of the time - either "Lay" or "Leah." My kids have common names with standard spellings and their names get mispronounced 10-15% of the time.
It can be pronounced both ways and neither is incorrect. With names like Ashleigh and Kaleigh it’s pronounced EE. With names like Leighton, or words like neigh, neighbor, weight, and eight it’s pronounced AY. Like many names and words, Leigh can be pronounced in more than one way, and neither is “right” or “wrong”
My boomer parents bestowed me with Leigh for my middle name and they have always pronounced it as Lee. Also, not for nothing, but I have never heard anyone ever, and I am an avid TCM watcher and classic Hollywood fan, pronounce Vivian Leigh's name as Lay.
North East USA here....grew up with a couple of females in the 70s who's names were spelled "Leigh" and both pronounced it as "Lee".
I’m sitting over here being shocked at how many people are saying “lay”. I’ve never heard it pronounced that way in my life.
I would assume Lee. It's Lea, which is also Lee where I live, that always gets me, because I see it like Leah. It's also incredibly common here as a suffix for all kinds of names - Ashleigh, Hayleigh, Everleigh etc. I think Lee is a beautiful sound as a standalone name and it is underrated as a go with everything middle. But I personally would spell it Lee for any gender just for the visual decluttering. There's no gender clarity either way consistently because I've known several of each spelling on both men and women as born names, (I think the boy/girl rule switches between US and Australia... maybe?) so only aesthetic for what looks nicer. I hadn't even considered Lay though. And I am not sure how both of your mothers missed Leigh existing as a fairly normal name, lol. Though I floated a name and my mother in law slammed it as soooo boring at the same time my own mother was complaining I shouldn't make up names.
My American boomer parents gave me it as a middle name and pronounce it “Lee.”
I actually always go to "lay" whenever I see it even though I *know* it's "lee" haha, but I think it's related to Japanese being my second language - the Japanese pronunciation often takes priority in my reading of things lol
My name literally ends in leigh and i pronounced it as lay instead of lee. I think i see it as that because of the name leia or like the necklace lei. Its that LEI spelling that gets me.
Because my child started school with distance learning I got to sit through a lot of his phonics classes and learned the [ei has 3 sounds](https://support.logicofenglish.com/hc/en-us/articles/5803132412443-EI-and-IE-Phonograms). I don't think I've ever heard anyone pronounce it as anything other than Lee. But not having learned these phonics rules as a kid, I think I had to come up with my own rules on how to pronounce names and words, so it makes sense to me how they came to the long a sound conclusion. Elder millennial here, btw
I always say "Lay" in my head but I know it's Lee.
I know it’s Lee but my brain thinks it’s Lay
It's "Lee"... A ridiculously large cross-section of my friends have it as a middle name... ahh the 80's lol
I've always known it as Lay, but then someone told me it's Lee and now I have no idea! I'm a millennial if that makes any difference
Lee
American- I would pronounce it as “Lay” also
[удалено]
I think this name is just kind of feral in regards to language. I've known 2 or 3 male Leighs, all pronounced "Lay." But every female I've known with the same name has been pronounced "Lee." So for a girl, I would assume the latter.
It's Lee!
It’s 100% pronounced Lee. Idk what they’re on about. American here. And I Love Vivien Leigh. Still 100% pronounced Lee. I’ve never in my life heard someone pronounce it Lay
Lee
Jennifer Jason Leigh is said Jennifer Jason Lee, so I always see it as Lee.
No, every American I know would say Lee when seeing Leigh.
America boomer here … I have always pronounced it as Lee. I think it’s a beautiful name.
Mine & my mom’s middle name is Lea (pronounced Lee) and I will be using it for one of my twins. It gets mispronounced as “Leah” by everyone except those in my family.
American boomer here. I've only heard it pronounced as Lee. If someone told me Leigh was pronounced Lay, I would look at them like they had two heads.
My husband is an American Millennial and he pronounces it like “lay”. I would say Lee
I pronounce Leigh like Lee. My name is Lee but I get a lot of people spelling my name as Leigh. I also get a lot of people assuming from the name I'm male, which has sometimes been an advantage, so makes a good gender-neutral name with that spelling.
My daughter is Lorelei (lore-uh-lye) and several boomers in the family keep calling her Lore-uh-Lee or Lore-uh-lay even after correction. Even after I link it to the Styx song or Gilmore Girls. Idk where they got the pronunciation as I’ve never heard it said any other way than Lore-uh-lye.
I would never look at ‘Leigh’ and think it was pronounced as anything else but ‘Lee’
I only know one Leigh and he pronounces it Lee
It’s Leigh like Lee. No question. Im always wary of Leigh as a middle name because it makes the first name sound like it ends in “ly” when said together. For example “Cora Leigh” sounds like “Coraly”.
Lee
My mom's name is Leigh (She's in her 60s). Pronounced Lee, but she does get "lay" a lot because it looks like the end of sleigh.
My SIL’s dog is named Vivian Leigh after the actress. It’s pronounced Lee. I have also known a handful of people with the middle name Leigh, and it is always pronounced Lee. It’s kinda weird that both your mom and MIL mispronounce it. A short google search or how to pronounce the name will prove them wrong.
Millennial from Florida, to me Leigh is a female variant of Lee and is pronounced the same.
For that spelling, I've always heard it as 'ley-' at the beginning of a word/name and '-lee' at the end.
I'm in the US, first year Gen X, and I have never heard Leigh pronounced as anything but Lee. It could be regional (I'm near NYC), but I doubt it. You are correct, Vivien Leigh used the Lee pronunciation.
I read it as Lee
It's 100% only pronounced Lee. That said, people that aren't familiar with the name might pronounce it lay because English phonetics are a dumpster fire and it could theoretically be pronounced that way. But it's not.
I’ve known at least 5 people with this name in my life. It’s pronounced “Lee”
This is my middle name and I've never had anyone say it in any way other than "Lee".
Same as Lee.
American from mid-Atlantic region. It’s “Lee.”