The name game: How badly do people butcher your name?
There's this underlying awkwardness when it comes to addressing someone who gets your name wrong...
Have you ever had someone repeatedly mispronounce your name, despite your best efforts to correct them?
For many, it's almost a rite of passage to have at least one person butcher your name in your lifetime. Often, it's not about the pronunciation, but a simple misunderstanding or mishearing.
As names have become more diverse over the years, it's no surprise that the "name game" has become trickier.
If people struggle to say names like Brittany or Sandil, how can we expect them to wrap their tongues around names like Ntwenhle and Yaganathan?
It’s frustrating when someone consistently gets your name wrong, and let’s be honest – how many times should you correct them before it feels pointless?
It's a valid question, especially when the situation becomes awkward after multiple attempts. Even worse is when someone casually says, "I'm sorry, I'm not good with names." If that were true, why do you remember some names and not others?
The issue can be particularly tricky in the workplace, where it can sometimes feel like the mispronunciations are intentional.
But here's the good news: there are a few ways to handle it when someone keeps butchering your name. Check them out below.
1. Be direct
Too often, people shy away from addressing the issue head-on because of the awkwardness. However, many people appreciate straightforwardness, and some genuinely don’t realise they’re mispronouncing your name.
Save yourself the frustration and just clear the air – trust us, it’s quicker and more effective.
2. Be strategic
What if the person mispronouncing your name is your manager, and you feel uncomfortable addressing it directly? In that case, you could approach the situation a little differently.
Instead of outright correcting them, you can subtly reinforce the correct pronunciation by using your name in a sentence during a conversation.
For example, Kat Boogaard from The Muse offers a clever way to handle this:
Person One: "So, how did you find yourself on this career path, Kate?"
Person Two: “That’s a great question! After getting my degree, I took some time to think to myself, ‘Kat, what can you truly see yourself doing for the next 10 years?’”
3. Be cool
There's no need to make a big deal out of it – just mention it naturally when the opportunity arises. For instance, if they call you by the wrong name, "Thanks for your work on this, Priya; everything looks great!"
You can respond with something like, "Thanks so much! I really appreciate your feedback. By the way, my name is pronounced Kriya with a K, not Priya."
If you'd like some more tips, be sure to check out this video from YouTube.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
- Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
- Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606.
- Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
Follow us on social media:
Image courtesy of iStock