1. Figure Out Your Pronunciation

Coming up with your name pronunciation can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. The easiest way to get started is to visit a pronunciation website, like nameshouts.com. Enter your name and you’ll get back some results that look like this:

Susan → /sOO-zuhn/

When letters appear in all capitals, it means you should emphasize that sound. For example, when you say the word, “baseball,” most people emphasize the first syllable, as in “BAYS-baal.” When you see a hyphen, it means the name has more than one syllable.

2. Use Your Pronunciation to Introduce Yourself

You can add your pronunciation to name tags and emails, like members of the Connecting for Kids board and staff, or share your pronunciation when you meet. One way to do that is to speak slowly and clearly. Identifying a common rhyming word can also help others to remember your pronunciation. For example, “my name is Brynne - it rhymes with win.”

Messing Up

It can be hard to learn to pronounce names from different cultures - especially when sounds don’t translate to your own language (like the rolled Spanish “r” sound, for example). If you’re not sure how to say a name, just ask. More than likely, the person you’re meeting will be happy that you’re taking the time to learn their name properly.

This article, from the Harvard Business Review, also offers some guidelines on how to continue the conversation once someone shares their name pronunciation.