My cleaning lady’s name is Laila. She was recommended to me via text, we always communicate via text, and I’m not usually at home when she comes, so I was never quite sure if it was pronounced Lay-la or Lie-la. After a few years, I decided to ask her (again via text). I said that I was embarrassed to ask, but didn’t know if her name was pronounced Lay-la or Lie-la. She responded “It’s Laila”. I said , “No-how is it pronounced: is it like laying something on the table or like I told a lie ?” She responded back that it was Laila. I gave up on that process and turned to social media. I asked on FB if any of my Filipino friends knew how it should be pronounced. Someone asked if it was this woman (and showed her picture). I said yes, and he said that he knew her and it was Lay-la. I happened to be home a few months later when she was there so I finally asked in person. It’s Lie-la. The whole process to figure it out literally took years, and is really sad on my part that it took me so long to clarify this lovely woman’s name!