"Mispronouncing Names In Class Has Lasting Impact"

KimmySchmidt · June 2016

A teacher friend shared a link with me about teachers chronically mispronouncing names. (We both have ethnic last names and are teachers)

But I thought it would be an interesting discussion as it applies to first names, as we are all naming future students of our own.

Does "readability" matter when picking a name? Was it somethig you took into consideration?

https://abc7ny.com/family/mispronouncing-a-kids-name-in-class-could-have-lasting-impacts-claims-new-report/1366717/

diagonalley · June 2016

Yes, readability matters. I don't understand why people choose odd/"younique" spellings for their kids. That makes your kid stand out, and not in a good way. I see an odd name choice and my first thought is wtf were their parents thinking!? And even though the kid didn't pick the name themselves, I think the general consensus is those kind of names are judged without knowing anything about the kid yet, at all.

diagonalley · June 2016

I'd like to add that when I come across a student whose name I'm not sure how to pronounce, I always ask how they say it. However, that is usually met with some sort of sigh or eye roll because how dare I not know? (Granted, I also teach middle school so lots of things are met with a sigh or eye roll

) but I can definitely see kids getting frustrated when their names aren't easy to pronounce at first glance.

kosmo86 · June 2016

I have an 80's top 10 name so it was never an issue with me but I do know I few people that have had a hard time with this to the point that when they get asked their name (like at Starbucks or a restaurant wait) they tell them a different name.

I know someone who recently gave birth who named their child Ariele. To me that is Ariel- like as in the little mermaid but apparently it is pronounced R-E-L and she always adds the # REL next to each Facebook post.

asht · June 2016

No. Everybody always did and still does get my last name wrong. Doesn't bother me. If people continue to get it wrong they are not listening to correct it. Even my four year old can same some of the challenging names at her daycare without issue. Adults can as well

AnnaS930 · June 2016

I think it's understandable for a last name and my married name is more difficult than my maiden name was, as that was a common word and never needed spelling. As for first names, I would never choose an oddly pronounced/spelled version of a common name because it's just not necessary. Naming a child is choosing what they'll go by for their entire lifespan, it's not just choosing some cutesy/weird/unique name that sounds cool in the moment.

SLou24 · June 2016

I agree, I think it's one thing with last names-- those we have no control over and don't necessarily have "correct" spellings. But for first names, I don't understand unique or special spellings just for the sake of being different-- if you want to be different, just choose an uncommon name. One thing that gets me, working with students, is when they have a "common" name but I still have to look up how to spell it every time because it's a special spelling. And I don't want to offend them by spelling it wrong.

noelani42 · June 2016

I have encountered many students in my career he wouldn't dare speak up if you pronounce their names wrong. I teach at an incredibly diverse school (I have kids from 19 different countries in my class). It is so important to me to figure out how to say each of their names correctly, and I think they really appreciate that. It pisses me off when I hear a teacher continually butcher a kid's name...I'm not sure if I contributed anything to this conversation...but my daughter's name is Eliana and people have called her Elaina a lot on first read...I think with her personality she wont have any trouble correcting people....

sareej521 · June 2016

I have a first name that's butchered constantly yet it is spelt exactly how it's said. It's never bothered me and half the time I don't even bother correcting people, I'll answer to anything. Hubby has a very common name so it frustrates him when people can't say my name and he used to constantly try and correct them which made me laugh. I agree on the super crazy unnecessary spellings though, and the really "unique" but actually stupid names. The kid has to live with it!

RG1 · June 2016

I just saw this one Reddit...this must be a joke

https://i.imgur.com/egZ02aJ.jpg

geminigirl16 · June 2016

sareej521 said:

I have a first name that's butchered constantly yet it is spelt exactly how it's said. It's never bothered me and half the time I don't even bother correcting people, I'll answer to anything. Hubby has a very common name so it frustrates him when people can't say my name and he used to constantly try and correct them which made me laugh. I agree on the super crazy unnecessary spellings though, and the really "unique" but actually stupid names. The kid has to live with it!

@sareej521 I feel like I could have written the EXACT identical post! It used to bother me when I was younger and I think I've finally gotten over it as an adult.

abberson · June 2016

In defense of unique spellings: My name is spelled very uniquely, it was my dad and my grandpa's middle name. So I grew up with a weird masculine spelling of a girl name (I had that less than 5 thing happen in the name generator on the other thread). I didn't get side-eyed much growing up (but maybe I do now?), but I don't think unique spellings were as big a thing in the early '80s. Plus I just say I'm named after my dad when people ask. Anyway, maybe that experience has made me more forgiving. Unique spellings are just how some people want to roll, and that's ok. My cousin has a Khloe and a Kameron. Not the way I would have gone, but good for her. People misspell my name all the time, and I judge them a tiny bit for being thoughtless (it's in my email address!), but for the most part don't really care (unless it was, you know, a diploma or something important). Just my thought (maybe an UO on a Friday!)

SuperFudge00 · June 2016

Readability and spellability are crucial. On days where my assignment is to check in and quickly triage a patient, I'm amazed by how many patients and parents of patients will just say a name and expect me to magically know how they chose to spell it. That would work for traditional names spelled traditionally, but not for these "younique" names.

Ask yourself how irritating it might be if you had to spell your name all the time?

My last name is extremely traditional and classic, it also has become a very popular first name with countless variations. Now people ask how to spell my last name. NO. I refuse. My last name is only spelled one way as a surname. I will only repeat my last name, I won't spell it. Huge pet peeve.

sareej521 · June 2016

@SuperFudge00 I wouldn't be a good one to ask because I just habitually spell my first name out after I say it, I spell my last one out a lot of the time too even though it's a classic name that a person really couldn't screw up anyways. Just habits! I could see how it would be totally irritating though trying to get patients booked in quickly, that's why I've always just spelled it out quickly! And after being with me for so many years while I've done it my husband put his foot down about crazy first names or spellings, but it is pretty amazing how many people ask how to spell or pronounce our first daughter's name, it's Ava...

Kimmy717 · June 2016

SuperFudge00 said:

Ask yourself how irritating it might be if you had to spell your name all the time?

THIS! I think about this all the time. I believe i will give my daughter my SO's last name because with mine, as much as i love it and have no issues, it really gets old spelling it EVERY TIME i say it to someone...when it is a common English word that people see everyday. I guess they just dont believe me or something.

As per first names, i hate traditional names spelled "wrong" as i call it. If there is no significant meaning behind it, like someone mentioned above with their name, i think its just plain inconsiderate to your child and everyone in your future child's life. "HOW DO YOU SPELL IT, SPELL YOUR NAME FOR ME!?" PLUS-- NEVER finding your name as a child on souvenir keychains is so disappointing. lol

camichael84 · June 2016

I also habitually spell my name out. Totally normal first name with normal spelling. My married last name is more difficult, so it doesn't surprise me when people ask about it. My maiden name was a comman man's name spelled the right way, and people still screwed it up. I've just come to expect that when it comes to spelling names, most people have no clue.

However, I wanted my kids to have easy to pronounce, phonetically correct first names. It's one thing for them to have to spell it. It's quite another for them to hear it butchered every time someone says it.

I have second guessed myself on capitalizing the 'k' in McKenna's name (due to it causing annoyances rather than pronunciation reasons). I went with it because her name came from someone I knew, and that's how she spells it. But I take comfort in knowing, legally, the capitalization isn't recognized (every letter is capitalized on her legal documents), so if she hates it when she's older, she can switch it to lower case.

skoto · June 2016

My first name is Sarah which is a very popular name but I have to spell it everywhere I go because everyone wants to know if it is with or without an h. I feel like both spellings are popular but I still don't avoid having to spell my name even with a popular name.

camichael84 · June 2016

skoto said:

My first name is Sarah which is a very popular name but I have to spell it everywhere I go because everyone wants to know if it is with or without an h. I feel like both spellings are popular but I still don't avoid having to spell my name even with a popular name.

I have the same thing. If I don't spell it, I end up saying "Christina with a 'Ch'."

skoto · June 2016

@camichael84 ya I say Sarah with a h a lot of the time and people still get confused where I mean the h is. They think j mean in the middle or something haha must be because of al the crazy spelling no one knows anymore

steminist · June 2016

I'm a teacher and I work hard at the start of the year to get all my students' names right. I always start the first roll call with a blanket apology and ask them to please correct me so I can make a note of the right pronunciation. I also will leave a phonetic spelling of it on the roll for any sub I have so they hopefully won't make the error, too.

Personally, my name was mispronounced a lot and it is annoying, but not the end of the world. I'm Jillian, but often get Julie or Julian. Actually, my name on my mortgage was misspelled and then when we tried to correct it, it was still wrong! We will properly need to address that before we move... My sister is Andra and had had lots of issues with pronunciation and spelling. My brother Stephen is the lucky one, but still...

VeraMali · June 2016

I think that no matter how traditional of a spelling or simple of a pronunciation you try for in a name you are still going to run into idiots who just aren't going to be able to handle it. My daughter's name is Penelope. I've had people not only ask me how to spell it but how to pronounce it as well. I had a nurse spell her name Pinelopy on paperwork before and when I corrected her on the spelling she mentioned how much "prettier" it looked the way she spelled it. I died a little inside at that comment

geminigirl16 · June 2016

VeraMali said:

I had a nurse spell her name Pinelopy on paperwork before and when I corrected her on the spelling she mentioned how much "prettier" it looked the way she spelled it. I died a little inside at that comment

@VeraMaliWTF?! I hope you said something to her?

I just plainly spell my first and last name when I need to provide it to someone or provide them with my drivers license to copy from. It's just easier and even when I do spell them, people still get it wrong.

Years ago before smart phones, I once missed a flight because I had forgotten my check in info at home and the agent couldn't find me on the flight. He kept misspelling my last name despite me spelling it numerous times and telling me I had no reservation. I have a common French last name but it's the masculine spelling and most people have the feminine spelling.

There are times I thought my parents were trying to punish me for something!

RedMar · June 2016

@VeraMali wow, how rude of her!!

I mentioned this in another thread, but it's pretty common for names to be slaughtered in the English language considering it is not phonetically correct 100% of the time. For example, I have students with the name Madeline and phonetically it should end with the sound "line", but a couple of them pronounce it with "Lyn". The same with Caroline (being mistakingly pronounced as Carolyn) and Megan with the "May-gan" or "Mee-gan" sound. Sometimes it depends on the person's background and where they grew up, what their accent is. Considering America is a melting pot, pronunciation errors are inevitable.

ruemcclanahan · June 2016

@RedMar oh my lanta I can't stand when people call me mee-gan or may-gen.
My name is Megan! Megg-an.
simplest pronunciation and spelling.
I've had somone misspell it Meagean once

toimadness1 · June 2016

@Megan324 I'm also Megan and it drives me crazy how many different ways people try to spell or say my name. I always just say the simplest way but then usually have to spell it out anyways. I think they weirdest spelling I ever got was Mayghen. I'm pretty sure no one spells it that way. I'll sometimes get frustrated and just say it's Meg.

ruemcclanahan · June 2016

@toimadness1 wow that's the weirdest spelling lol.
No one calls me Meg except for 2 of my residents when I was a RA.

UnwritteN12 · June 2016

Jabreen said:
Personally, my name was mispronounced a lot and it is annoying, but not the end of the world. I'm Jillian, but often get Julie or Julian. Actually, my name on my mortgage was misspelled and then when we tried to correct it, it was still wrong! We will properly need to address that before we move... My sister is Andra and had had lots of issues with pronunciation and spelling. My brother Stephen is the lucky one, but still...

I'm a Jillian as well and regularly get Julian. Some people have tried to spell it Gillian. Nope, that's the English spelling and I've only ever seen Gillian Anderson spell it that way.

DS's middle name is Stephen, after my dad. Because of that I've always felt it's the normal way to spell the name and I get annoyed if people spell it wrong. A little Irrational, I know.

beachmama14 · June 2016

We have a difficult to spell and pronounce Italian last name. I can't even tell you how many times I have to spell it to people to get it right. I figure the least I can do is give my kids an easy to spell and pronounce first name.

KimmySchmidt · June 2016

beachmama14 said:

We have a difficult to spell and pronounce Italian last name. I can't even tell you how many times I have to spell it to people to get it right. I figure the least I can do is give my kids an easy to spell and pronounce first name.

I could have written this myself!

marajay6 · June 2016

skoto said:

My first name is Sarah which is a very popular name but I have to spell it everywhere I go because everyone wants to know if it is with or without an h. I feel like both spellings are popular but I still don't avoid having to spell my name even with a popular name.

I am a Sara without the h. During my childhood, I went through phases where I was really particular about people spelling it correctly, but these days I only sometimes care. Like my SIL - she always spells my name with an h but complains when people spell either her or her daughter's name wrong - both of which have multiple normal spellings. She does a number of passively bitchy things towards me, so I think her constantly misspelling my name is intentional.

homebird · June 2016

Yes, absolutely!

When we were picking DS's name, I fell in love with the name Graham. I wanted to use the traditional Scottish spelling (Graeme) but realized that he would always have his name mispronounced, so we went with the modern/English spelling. Occasionally I get annoyed because people will say "Oh, like the cracker?" lol. But whatever. At least they can say it correctly.

This is probably a huge UO, but I think that "you-niquely" spelled names look trashy.

*ducks*

VeraMali · June 2016

@homebird that's because they are. Trashy, ghetto, low class etc however you want to say it. I worked in the payday loan industry for a few years and saw more than my fair share of oh so younique clients pass through my doors.

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