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How do you pronounce Helena?
It's probably been asked before. It's a name I really like, but the prn issues stop me from putting it up higher on my list. Also, if you don't mind can you tell me what country you're from. Thanks. :)http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/170600

This message was edited 8/9/2017, 7:29 PM

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Intuitively, I pronounce it heh-LAY-nuh although I actually prefer HEH-leh-nuh. I've just never heard it pronounced that way where I live (Southeastern US). ;-)
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HE-le-na (German p)
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Hel-en-uh or Huh-lay-na. I'm from the U.S.
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I say HEL-en-a and I have an American accent (from midwest and west regions)
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I naturally pronounce it HELL-leh-nah.Which I find really ugly.So now I'm training myself to say it hel-LAY-nah which I much prefer the sound of as I love Elena.I'm from England (the middle of it).
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I've heard HELL-uh-nuh and heh-LAY-nuh. For heh-LEE-nuh I'd go with the Polish name Halina.
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*hah-LEE-nah
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I'm English and would automatically pronounce it HEL ə nə but I have a friend, also English, who pronounces her name Hə LAIN ə
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HEL-ə-nəI'm from the US

This message was edited 8/10/2017, 5:46 AM

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I'm Danish so I've always pronounced Helena as 'he-LE-nah', but when I pronounce it in English it's that classic way as described on this site. :)
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Samenm
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HELina in English; heLEEuhnah in Afrikaans.As you might have gathered, I'm from South Africa.
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I say HEL-uh-nuh, since that's how I've mostly heard it. I live in the UK. I think I prefer Heh-LAY-nuh, but I came across Helaina a while ago, which is apparently legit, and I think simplifies it a little. I don't have it on my list anymore though.
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Haha, yeah I asked this a while ago because I was curious as well. (-:I pronounce it HEL-eh-nuh. I'm from the US.
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West coast USA, heh-LAY-nuh

This message was edited 8/9/2017, 7:18 PM

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Hel-ay-nuh. Australia.
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I pronounce it Hel-EE-nah.That may easily be wrong, but I've only known one Helena, and that's how she pronounced it.I live in Canada, east coast.

This message was edited 8/9/2017, 7:09 PM

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I'd say Hel-LAY-nuh is my first instinct, but I do think the hel-en-uh pronunciation is pretty. Also, I forgot that it could be hel-EE-nuh, as well, until I read the comments, and that's nice too.Basically, even if someone is "mispronouncing" it from whatever way, you really can't go wrong! XDI'm from Florida, USA.
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Hell-ay-nuh. NC, USA

This message was edited 8/9/2017, 6:33 PM

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I've always said HEL-ə-nə. (California, USA)
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I say Hel-en-a most often. And I'm a Yank, living in New England.
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I say huh-LAY-nuh, but the only Helena I've ever known pronounced it heh-LEE-nuh. (Florida, USA)
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HEL-en-a. I'm in the UK. That's the usual pronunciation here.My great-great-grandmother in Northern Ireland was a Helena pronounced hel-EE-na. I think that's the most common pronunciation in Ireland.
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I'd assume as a name it would be pronounced hel-LAY-na, but in my head I read it HEL-en-a, like the city. I've never met anyone with this name though. I live in the US (upper midwest).
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I say heh-LAY-nuh and wait to be corrected. I'm in North Carolina and I've heard Hell-en-uh and huh-LEEN-uh also within about 20 miles of my house.
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