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The most mispronounced word in the world...


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Lay-LON-ee

 

I've seen people try to read it and come out with lee-A-lan-ee, lil-E-on-ee, LEE-I-lan-ee and dozens more variations.

 

She also gets introduced to people and most stumble over it and seldom remember it. I got it the first time because my father played the song "Sweet Leilani" on his oo-koo-LAY-lee. My dad played violin, trumpet, ukulele, and late in his life organ.

 

People just don't get that Lei is pronounced LAY - even though in every Hawaiian theme party they are given a Lei to wear around their neck. But then they don't see it written often if at all.

 

When on the cruise ships the Italian crew got it closest because Lei is roughly "and you" in Italian.

 

But to her advantage, if she calls someone on the phone, she just says "It's Leilani" and they know who she is. If I just say "It's Bob", I'll probably get a "Bob who?" response.

 

Hawaii is the only US state Leilani and I haven't visited (yet). The story goes that she went to a Hawaiian theme hotel in Chicago with her dad, and came home with her mom ;)

 

Notes

 

 

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Lay-LON-ee

 

I've seen people try to read it and come out with lee-A-lan-ee, lil-E-on-ee, LEE-I-lan-ee and dozens more variations.

 

She also gets introduced to people and most stumble over it and seldom remember it. I got it the first time because my father played the song "Sweet Leilani" on his oo-koo-LAY-lee. My dad played violin, trumpet, ukulele, and late in his life organ.

 

People just don't get that Lei is pronounced LAY - even though in every Hawaiian theme party they are given a Lei to wear around their neck. But then they don't see it written often if at all.

 

When on the cruise ships the Italian crew got it closest because Lei is roughly "and you" in Italian.

 

But to her advantage, if she calls someone on the phone, she just says "It's Leilani" and they know who she is. If I just say "It's Bob", I'll probably get a "Bob who?" response.

 

Hawaii is the only US state Leilani and I haven't visited (yet). The story goes that she went to a Hawaiian theme hotel in Chicago with her dad, and came home with her mom ;)

 

Notes

 

 

When and if, you ever make it to Hawai’i , specifically where the locals reside..you and your lovely wife will/should hear the definite separation of vowels in the ‘Lei’ part of ‘Leilani.’

 

If you stay in Waikiki, your entire visit, probably not.

 

So, technically the first line of your post is correct...i.e.the people who allegedly ‘stumble’ over the pronunciation are more correct to the traditional pronunciation by separating the vowels, than a ‘Hawai’ian themed Chicago Hotel’ sobriquet.

 

Da kine.

 

 

Also, the Locals on Hawai’i ( also known as ‘The Big Island’) cringe every time CONUS News Stations mispronounce the erupting Volcano KILAUEA. As ‘Kil-away -a ‘ .. Again failing to pronounce each vowel.

 

The correct pronunciation is ‘Kill -a- OO -Ay- A’

 

Just some other fun facts....Hawai’i is a State, an Island chain of (quite a few Islands) more than most people can imagine...

The local women do not all wear coconut bras, grass skirts, and live in grass shacks by the Ocean.

 

Shaka,braddah .🤙🏽

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Notes, they took me awhile to get used to ( coconut shell bras) ..but after my ‘Haole’ toes got some tropical sun on them from the lovely weather, I shed my traditional Maidenform bras for something more natural...and never looked back.

🌴

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My wife's name, Leilani is the most difficult to read. I've heard it mangled a million ways.

 

How would you pronounce it without looking it up?

 

Notes

 

I went to high school with a girl named Leilani. We were pretty good friends. She was part Hawaiian. Her name is Polynesian. I know how to say it right, but I'm not sure how to spell how to say it. Hers was kinda between Lay and Lai (Lie) for the first part, and Lon-ee for the second. She had a long string of "First-names." One of them was Patricia. I wont say the rest of her names because yours might be her. :cool:

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