I pronounce it eh-LAY-nuh and almost all of the time, people have pronounced it that way (99% of the time). The only time I get EL-en-nuh is when the CVS automated voice is telling me I have an Rx ready to pick up. Between
Elena and
Helena, I prefer
Elena although I do like
Helena. What I really dislike is
Helen due to the emphasis on the first syllable. That a on the end makes all the difference to me.
Your words reveal who you think you are, but your actions prove who you really are.