Do you correct people who mispronounce your name?

[imagirliegirl]

Ugh.

My first name is not that difficult to pronounce. I am pretty sure that 99% of people who say it wrong do so out of laziness. Just say it like it's spelled. But I swear, I get called by the wrong name at least once a day.

It drives me crazy when I go places - like the doctor's office, pharmacy, salon, bank, places where they repeatedly call you by your name - and say it wrong. So, I correct them. I always do it really nicely and most people pleasantly apologize. I just say it's okay, happens all the time. But there are times, like today, where they get all huffy! The girl at the pharmacy looked all annoyed that I corrected her. Sorry, I don't want you to call me by the wrong name over and over. I could have been a bitch about it.

If you have a name that people mispronounce on a regular basis do you correct them or do you just let it slide? I hate feeling like I'm the rude one for wanting my own name to be said properly. :rolleyes:

[PinkMartini]

My first name is easy to pronounce and I don't think I've ever heard anyone mispronounce it.

Last name is a whole different story. It's so un-common (only people in the US who have it are family) that I don't think I've ever heard it pronounced the RIGHT WAY :rolleyes:

Same thing for my maiden name, I went from one difficult name to pronounce to another :o

And since NOBODY pronounces it right, I just let it slid. Unless DH is with me, then I correct them.

[laura]

My last name is not uncommon, but people constantly mispronounce it. I correct them if it makes sense to (like if I work with them and they will say my name regularly), but generally otherwise I don't bother, like with a telemarketer, store clerk, waiter, etc.

[imagirliegirl]

I edited my original post but just as a note - I'm talking about my first name, not my last. They actually get that right around here, there's a rich family with the same last name as me so they are always curious if we are related. I wish. :)

[phoenics]

Always. I used to get teased as a child because the kids couldn't remember my name (they made up a song about it), so I always correct people as nicely as I can when they mispronounce it. Otherwise, it could be embarrassing for them when they realize their mistake (like when others pronounce it correctly multiple times).

[tashaw6]

My first name is Natasha and I pronounce it Nat-ash (like stuff that falls off cigarettes)-a.

Here in the US everyone mispronounces it as Nat-arsh-a I hate it so I correct them. haha!

[yby1]

No. I gave up on that a long time ago. I do try to pronounce my name correctly in front of them when I have the opportunity. :)

[Yolanda]

I don't think my name is a hard one, but it is often mispronounced. If you aren't sure, just ask! It drives me crazy.

Now I am curious, what is your name and the correct way to say it?

Mine is Yolanda- Yo-Land (like Rhonda)-a. People often say Yo-land (like the 2 acres I own)-a.

[tenofcups]

I don't have a difficult name, but if I mispronounced someone else's name, I'd want to know so I can get it right next time.

[Adaya]

My first name is Natasha and I pronounce it Nat-ash (like stuff that falls off cigarettes)-a.

Here in the US everyone mispronounces it as Nat-arsh-a I hate it so I correct them. haha!

Never in my life have I heard the Nat-arsh-a. I've always pronounced it Nat-ah-sha (like say ahhhh). Guess I'd still be wrong too. ;)

~~~~
I don't have a people pronouncing my name wrong, Tracie. They just call me something else. A lot of times people call me Stacie, so heck yeah I correct them because that's not me. LOL!

[Soulmate]

I have a decently easy and common name but it is always mispronounced badly too. If I work with them I will correct them once or twice but if they keep doing it I just let them look stupid. People I meet once I let it slide. I had a co-worker who continued to mispronounce it wrong and it felt like it was a test to see if I respected myself or something. It was just weird. She even wrote the label for my mailbox so there was no way she didn't know what it was.

[ejs]

And since NOBODY pronounces it right, I just let it slid. Unless DH is with me, then I correct them.
Pink, why do you only correct them if your husband is with you?

As Laura said, unless it's someone I'll be dealing with regularly, I don't bother correcting them.

[TracieB]

I don't have a people pronouncing my name wrong, Tracie. They just call me something else. A lot of times people call me Stacie, so heck yeah I correct them because that's not me. LOL!

Ditto this! WHY is it people see a "S" there instead of a "T"?? I don't get it. :confused:

[Niobe]

My name can be either an English female's name, or due to my mother's brilliant kre8tive spelling, an Hispanic male's name. So, I have to do a lot of correcting, often of gender as well. Yeah, thanks Mom. I hate kre8tive spellings. :rolleyes:

[tashaw6]

Never in my life have I heard the Nat-arsh-a. I've always pronounced it Nat-ah-sha (like say ahhhh). Guess I'd still be wrong too. ;)

Yeah, I get that too! haha! And you'd be wrong... :p

[Marisa]

Natasha, are you Canadian? It reminds me of how they pronounce Tanya (first syllable rhymes with 'man', rather than 'on').

Everyone pronounces my first name wrong. You're probably doing it right now, but I forgive you because it's the internet and you can't hear me say it. The "i" has a long "e" sound, it's Italian, my nickname amongst friends and family is "Reese".

I do try to correct people when given the opportunity -- today I got a message for "Marissa" from the midwives office (and I'm only 40+ weeks pregnant, the receptionist should know me by now, ya think?). I called her back and said this is ma-REE-sa... I have no idea if it sunk in....

At this point I answer to whatever, though. It's been a lifetime of annoyance for me, which is why my kids will have common, easy-to-pronounce-on-sight names.

[PinkMartini]

Pink, why do you only correct them if your husband is with you?

Because it doesn't bother me when people say my name wrong but it bothers him. He ALWAYS corrects people...

[amwilson615]

My first and last name are VERY common, so absolutely no mispronunciations there. My mom's name is Melanie, and for some reason, people CONSTANTLY refer to her as Melody--written and orally. I don't get that AT ALL.

[emmjay]

My name doesn't get pronounced incorrectly, but DS has a name that is not common in the US outside of the Northeast - Seamus (pronounced SHAY-muss). So he's probably going to have to correct people unless he lives in Boston or something. I do correct people on his behalf (like the nurses at the pediatrician's office) when they say "See-muss".

Although now that there was a Seamus in Harry Potter maybe he won't have to as much correcting with people closer to his age!

[diam124]

You know, I don't think I've ever had someone mispronounce my name (first or last). I guess that's one benefit to being named Amy!

[Jess71903]

This thread has me so curious about all of your names (if it's not obvious)! Jessica is easy enough...I thought our last name was easy enough, too...people usually don't mess it up if it's written, but if I have to say it I ALWAYS have to spell it and usually say things like "F, as in fish" (as opposed to "S", which I get a lot). It gets on my nerves. DH goes by a shortened form of his middle name, so he always gets called by his first name, which drives me batty, but he won't correct them so they keep saying it over and over again. This is why our children will have easy to pronounce names and go by their 1st!

[Southlooper]

Yes I always correct people. When I was in grade school teachers would mispronounce mine and my brother's name all the time, even though they were reminded time and time again how to pronounce it correctly. Needless to say it is a pet peeve.

[imagirliegirl]

Well, anyone who read my old journal would know, my name is Rachelle. That is pronounced Rashell...NOT Rachel. I am SO sick of being called Rachel!

I do not think my name looks like Rachel. I think people see Rach and assume it's Rachel without bothering to look further.

[PinkMartini]

I'd automatically call you "Rachel" as well, I had a friend in H.S. that pronounced her name Rachel and spelled it Rachelle :shrug:

[sewhappy]

I think I would be inclined to pronounce your name correctly - the ending looks like that in "Michelle" - but with the creative spellings that have become popular over the last how many years? 30? I can sort of maybe see why people might be tempted to (unknowingly) mispronounce it. I also think Rachel is more common, at least it is to me - still I would definitely correct people, and don't think it's rude to do so.

BTW, I would pronounce "Natasha" as "Nah-TAH-sha". For the life of me I can't wrap my tongue around "Nat-ah-sha" or "Nat-ash-ah", but part of the problem is that I don't know where the emphasis is placed.

ETA - I have also NEVER heard anyone say "Nat-arsh-ah" - surely that must be a regional thing?

[Jaeschelle]

Well, anyone who read my old journal would know, my name is Rachelle. That is pronounced Rashell...NOT Rachel. I am SO sick of being called Rachel!

I do not think my name looks like Rachel. I think people see Rach and assume it's Rachel without bothering to look further.

I feel your pain! My name is Raechelle, pronounced Ray-shell. Not RACHEL! My name doesn't look like Rachel at all to me (and neither does yours, lol).

[cactus]

Um, yes. I correct people. My full name is Alexandra. I grew up when this was an uncommon name, and you would not believe how many times I was called Alexander (man's name) or Alexandria (city in Egypt). It's kind of a bigger problem with people misspelling my name in writing...especially when I became an adult and started getting bulk mail and telemarketing calls for "Mr. Alexander XXX" instead of "Ms. Alexandra XXX."

It's actually one of the reasons I go by Alex almost 100% of the time now (although I must say that this does nothing for the mistaken gender issue).

My last name gets butchered most of the time too--usually by people who think it's either pronounced like the name of an Ivy League school in New Jersey or like the most famous New Jersey-born rock star of the 1980s (there's a riddle for you!). It's actually neither. :)

[hdewey]

Its hard to mispronounce Heather, but i correct my last name if it is mispronouced or mispelled. :rolleyes: Silly but thats my name.

[Sol]

I don't correct people. I have a very common Spanish name, but practically unheard of in English (Soledad). Plus, I go by my middle name and I always get called by my first (which is Carolina, pronounced Caroleena). When someone needs to write it down I pronounce it correctly and then I say "like Carolina, the state", so that I don't need to spell it out. I do, however, remind my midwives that I go by Sol, but they keep calling me Carolina (in English) anyway. Life is a lot easier when I'm with Indian people and I can go by my Indian name, though :D

[Annette]

My name has been mispronounced as Anita and Antoinette. There are no "i"'s in my name. Even the doctor's office screws it up sometimes when they call me back in to the exam room. I usually end up asking if they meant Annette.

[Aimee]

All the damn time. I use the French pronunciation A-may but more often than not, I get Amy. Even after repeatedly correcting a lot of people they still call me Amy. Nothing wrong with it, but it's not my name.

[sublime311]

My first name is Kelli - I think it would be hard to say it wrong!

On the other hand, my last name is Polish, starts with Z and ends in ski. I get some funky interpretations! I'm a teacher so it's always fun to hear our admin assistant slaughter it over the intercom. A lot of my kids just call me "Mrs. Z."

[salysaturn]

My first name is easy. My married last name is pretty easy as well, though I always get it pronounced like a famous actor :(

My maiden name, well, thats a whole other story. It's Italian, and the last syllable can be is spelled sone, but can be pronouced in a way that it rhymes with ZONE, or said like SONY. I always got SEENY....where they see the I is beyond me.

[Dally]

When I was growing up, my first name was uncommon (though not rare) and people often looked at it and then called me by a similar name that was much more common. I almost always corrected them because it wasn't my name! Teachers did this to me the most.

Nowadays, that rarely happens.

[Mrs. M.]

Americans NEVER get my name right. Even when I've just said it and all a person would have to do is repeat after me. They just can't do it.

It depends on my mood whether or not I correct people. Like for food take-out or a salon appointment, I have used a similar name that's easier for people so I don't have to explain and repeat over and over.

Hehe, I had a very old thread on here on how people would pronounce it, I got all kinds of versions.

[Hello Kitty]

I have a Russian first name and a Polish maiden name - they're both 'real' names but uncommon. I grew up with people butchering both of them. :rolleyes: It actually caused me a good bit of angst as a kid and I thought it was sad that people didn't even try to pronounce it. I pretty much don't bother correcting them and go by an abbreviated version of my first name now; thankfully DH's name is as easy as it gets.

[IrishEyes]

My last name is only 4 letters, but mispronounced all the time. People tend to look quick and swap the middle two letters.

ETA - I only correct them if it's necessary (for them to find a Rx or something). After years of not correcting people on how to spell my first name unless it's necessary, it's the same thing here.

[Neen]

My first name isn't hard, Janeen, but people always call me something else. Just yesterday, one of our faculty members walked up to my desk and goes "hey Denise" I looked at him and said "WHO?" He was like, oh, yea, sorry. Jerk. :D I get called JoLene all the time too by people around here (she was one of our computer techs). Sigh, we look nothing alike. It just blows my mind that I have worked here for 8 years and people still get my name wrong!

My sons last name always get mispronounced, well at least one part of it. It's pronounced like "low" and people will say it as "loo" DRIVES. ME. NUTS. I actually corrected someone not too long ago.

[roberta]

Usually when people mispronouce my name, they are calling me my father's name. ;) I also get called Rachel and Rebecca.
Like for food take-out or a salon appointment, I have used a similar name that's easier for people so I don't have to explain and repeat over and over.
I do this too. Just easier.

[hub1176]

Not with me (because really, how can you mess up "Kate?") but my youngest DD is Mia (like Mia Farrow, Mia Hamm, Momma MIA!) and is always getting called Maya. Now I like Maya, but for Heaven's sake it's Mia. This usually happens at our peditricians office and even though I've corrected it numerous times, they still do it.

[jh124]

I always correct people on my name. Jill isn't difficult, but people always hear "Jo." Just spell last name, I don't even try.

[LDS Angel 19]

Michelle is pretty hard to mess up, other than skipping an L. Our last name is usually pronouced right and almost always spelled wrong.

[Amaye]

Not with me (because really, how can you mess up "Kate?") but my youngest DD is Mia (like Mia Farrow, Mia Hamm, Momma MIA!) and is always getting called Maya. Now I like Maya, but for Heaven's sake it's Mia. This usually happens at our peditricians office and even though I've corrected it numerous times, they still do it.

OMG!! I thought we were the only ones going through that. DD's name is also Mia and we get Maya ALL THE TIME!! Mia is such an easy name - never thought we would have this issue.

As for me, both my first and last names are non-english names so it's a given that they will be butchered. If the person almost gets the pronunciation of my first name, I don't correct them but if it gets butchered, I definitely correct them once. My co-workers/close friends - I try to ensure they pronounce it properly. As for my last name, I don't stress about it anymore. I guess it looks so complicated to people that they do not know where to start. When I graduated college, my dean was in such a tizzy about my name that I ended up going behind the podium, announced my self and then walked to get my diploma. It was kinda fun!:D

My first name is pronounced phonetically so it annoys me when people start saying it with a different letter/sound than what it is spelt! UGH!:cool:

[Belm]

Yep, I always correct them regarding my first name. My first name is Brenna but I get a lot of Brenda's, Briannas, etc. Our last name is unique and people have a hard time with it a as well, I sometimes correct them depending on who it is.

[longislandlolita]

This thread is the reason I always roll my eyes when people give their kids "kree8tiv" names. Why would you sentence your kid to a lifetime of having to correct people who butcher his/her name?

[heather 8^)]

I misprounounced someone's name a couple of days ago: it was a Hispanic name, and I had seen it written by a gringo, so it lacked the accent on the right syllable. She corrected me right away, I then corrected myself, and we moved on. I took no offense, but would have felt like a moron if she didn't correct me.

Of course, I then went on to make probably a bazillion Spanish errors in the rest of our conversation, and she very kindly pretended not to notice. ;)

[NYN]

My name is Teba (pronounced with a short e, like Debra) but people often mispronounce it as Teeba or Tayba. I only correct people depending on the situation we are in and don't really care that much either way.

My takeout food name is Maria. :)

[wideopenskies]

My name is Sharon, which really shouldn't cause anyone any difficulty, but everyone always calls me Shannon. I just give up and answer to it...it's like my second name :p

[Mrs. M.]

This thread is the reason I always roll my eyes when people give their kids "kree8tiv" names. Why would you sentence your kid to a lifetime of having to correct people who butcher his/her name?

Yeah, we made sure to choose names for our DDs that are easy to spell/pronounce in both our languages. No kree8tyvitee here :p

[pride&prejudice]

With my last name, yes I correct people. It's an unusual last name, but its usually the spelling and not the pronunciation that get them. But hey, some Polish names are known for that. ;) And I went from a maiden name to a married name with that problem. Oh well.

With my first name its pretty easy. The only problem I have is people try to seperate it into 2 names, and its only one. Same thing with DD's middle name. It's one name, and people always keep splitting it into two. I actually was in an argument with the hospital and SS about it, until the hospital actually looked at the paperwork and saw they were wrong. :rolleyes:

[kdotp]

My first name (Kari) is fairly easy to pronounce. Occasionally I'll get someone puts in 'ah' instead of 'a', but they'll often frame it as a question, so I have a chance to correct it then. It's not the most common spelling of the name, but common enough that there was another girl with my same name in my small high school class.

Last name, on the other hand, is all over the board. I went from one long, difficult-to-pronounce German last name to a slightly shorter, slightly less-butchered German last name.

[katmg]

My name is Sharon, which really shouldn't cause anyone any difficulty, but everyone always calls me Shannon. I just give up and answer to it...it's like my second name :p

My name is Katherine but when I get a table at restaurants they always think I say Heather. I told my coworkers this once and they didn't believe me b/c it is such an odd thing to think - they don't sound alike at all! Wouldn't you know it, that day at lunch the hostess called out for a table for Heather! I just go with it now. ;)

[hub1176]

What I think is worse than not pronouncing a name correctly is when you give your name somewhere and they try to shorten it - at the doctors office I put "Katherine" on the forms - as it's my legal name. I HATE when the NP comes to the waiting room and calls out for "Kathy" and means me...WTH? If someone introduces themselves as Edward, I'm not going to call them "Eddie" it's just rude.

[Wrighty26]

People don't mispronounce my first name - as much as they just say the wrong name (I get Melissa a lot -- my name is Michelle).

My maiden name is Greek and it was always pronounced incorrectly. I was very happy to change my name! I did correct people who said it wrong, mostly because they were unsure how to say it.

My son has a somewhat unique-ish name (it's not SUPER common, but I don't think it's off the wall crazy/creative) - Braeden- and he gets called "Brandon" or "Brendan" all.the.time. If it's a friend or someone who will be saying his name more than once, I will correct them. If it's someone I don't really care about - I let it slide.

[Ericka_Jarett]

My first name is always mis-spelled. It's not pronounced wrong usually.

My Julianna gets called Julianne a lot. IL's called her Julie a time or 2, wrote on the check back to them in the memo spot it was Julianna and Katelyn. Ever since it's been Julianna and Katelyn (she was being called Katie)

People if they don't know me or hear me call Easton, if they don't listen correctly they will say Ethan. I do correct them on that. I politely tell them that he won't answer to Ethan, since his name is actually Easton. People always apologize.

Our last name is another story. It's always spelled wrong and pronounced wrong. It's 4 letters long and I spell it and pronounce it for people and still when they read back the spelling they switch the 2 middle letters and pronounce it wrong. Sometimes I correct them, other times I don't bother like telemarkers.

[diam124]

My Julianna gets called Julianne a lot. IL's called her Julie a time or 2, wrote on the check back to them in the memo spot it was Julianna and Katelyn. Ever since it's been Julianna and Katelyn (she was being called Katie)

Good for you! My sister's name is Christy and my grandfather always called her Chrissy. Drove my Mom nuts!

Then again I have been married for 5 years and when I married I dropped my middle name and I use my maiden name instead. This year for my birthday BOTH of my parents (who are divorced) sent checks with my old middle name even though in the past it caused problems because the bank wouldn't let me deposit the check.

[Ericka_Jarett]

diam - The first check we ever received for them said Katie and Julie. I just looked t DH and he was going to tell them about it, we waited though (check was a nice gift) but this was the 3rd card we had received that we noticed it was changed. Now if my mom can remember she is Julianna instead of Julianne things will be good

[Sabrina]

What I think is worse than not pronouncing a name correctly is when you give your name somewhere and they try to shorten it - at the doctors office I put "Katherine" on the forms - as it's my legal name. I HATE when the NP comes to the waiting room and calls out for "Kathy" and means me...WTH? If someone introduces themselves as Edward, I'm not going to call them "Eddie" it's just rude.

LOL - my SIL gets the opposite of this. She is an X-ray tech and she always calls people by their full first name. She gets lots of patients who say "Oh did you mean me? My first name is Joe but I go by Bob. Why didn't you call me Bob?"

[kari]

Most of the time, yea.

[jesseybell]

My first name is always mis-spelled. It's not pronounced wrong usually.


I get this a lot too. It's Jessie. Not Jesse. I am a girl. But then again it doesn't help that the show with Christina Applegate was called "Jesse" - I don't know why.

[emmjay]

Americans NEVER get my name right. Even when I've just said it and all a person would have to do is repeat after me. They just can't do it.

It depends on my mood whether or not I correct people. Like for food take-out or a salon appointment, I have used a similar name that's easier for people so I don't have to explain and repeat over and over.

Hehe, I had a very old thread on here on how people would pronounce it, I got all kinds of versions.
Is that just an accent thing or are they really mispronouncing it? I knew a Russian girl named Olga who said that I wasn't saying her name correctly, but it was really was because I have an accent when I'm speaking Russian. Just like when she said my name it wasn't really correct but it was with a Russian accent.

[myshel]

My first name isn't an issue, although my maiden name always was mispronounced. It seems as though we have more problems with our DCs' names.

DS's name is LUKA. He has been called LUKE and LUKAS a number of times. The last time it happened was during a trip to the ER. The nurse came out and called, "Luke?" Since Luke is so common a name, I just sat tight. When she called it out again, I responded by saying, "Luka, maybe?" She looked down at the chart and said, "Yeah, that's it."

DD's name is Carolina. DD's name is pronounced CARE-O-LEENA (sometimes, it gets pronounced more like CAR-O-LEENA by Spanish speakers, and I don't really freak about that. Half of DH's family is Hispanic). We often get CARE-O-LINE-A; we also get CAR-O-LINE-A too. I usually let it go, but sometimes I correct people.

[eponymous]

My last name is often mispronounced. I don't correct people unless they're someone that I will need to deal with frequently.

I have an auditory processing learning disability, and it's hard for me to pronounce names. I simply can't say S-names properly, and it hurts me when people who I will never talk to again become angry that I can't say their name properly. I'm trying, but there are a lot of words that have s-sounds that I can't say (secretary, shoulder, soldier, etc.). There are also regional differences that are hard to eliminate - for example, I say ah-na instead of an-na. If your name is "Maryanne," I'm still going to call you "Mary-Ahn" even if you say "Mary-Ann" because that's the shape that my mouth makes. (I will try, but don't get angry if I can't do it!)

[docoNY]

all the time

its Deirdre - dear dra
I get dee dree
die dra
des dra
dee dra

and my maiden name is pronounced wrong and married name too

I correct people if I am in the mood or if I will be dealing with them in the future - otherwise I let it slide.. I had an aunt that couldn't say it in the 35 yrs she was around
she called me dee dra
some people have r issues

my parents got sick of my name issues and chose Stephen for their 2nd child and didn't have much luck their either

[katmg]

What I think is worse than not pronouncing a name correctly is when you give your name somewhere and they try to shorten it - at the doctors office I put "Katherine" on the forms - as it's my legal name. I HATE when the NP comes to the waiting room and calls out for "Kathy" and means me...WTH? If someone introduces themselves as Edward, I'm not going to call them "Eddie" it's just rude.

Oh dear lord, I hate that! Especially Kathy (no offense to Kathy's) - it seems to be the most common nickname that people will try. If people insist that they call me some nickname then they can use Kat.

[imagirliegirl]

You know what else I hate?

Person: Rachel?
Me: It's Rachelle.
Person: Oh, sorry Rachelle.

(2 minutes pass)

Person: So Rachel...

[mkvh]

My first name used to stymie people since it was totally uncommon, then...now it's quite popular, though there are way too many kree8tyv spellings for it. I went from a very simple, very common maiden name to an obscure--but completely phonetic--married name. NO ONE can pronounce it. So frustrating.

More frustrating? DD1's name is Clara. WITH AN A. Can I tell you how many times I've had to say that? And still people call her Claire. ClarA, people.

[Ellyn]

DS' name is Broderick. The stupid nurse at the peds office calls him Bro-derick (with a long O), but it's Brah-derick. It drives me crazy, and I didn't correct her the first few times, and now I just feel stupid correcting her after all this time (he's 2.5yo)...we just switched peds anyways, so it doesn't matter now - looking back I should have said something the first time, and will if it gets screwed up again.

DD is Winona (like the actress and town in MN) NOT WYNONNA the singer...she is not a Judd. :p

My last name is a common German name - and is pronounced how it's spelled...but people screw that up all the time too. ahhh, I miss my 4 letter maiden name :D

ETA: I hate the nickname thing too. It annoys me when people say "Winona? Can I call her Winnie?" Ummm, NO...I just said her name was Winona. Sorry, I get defensive over my kids' names. People think we're weird for choosing unique names (although, I don't think they're that strange) and I don't think my mother likes Broderick, because she called him Brody for a long time (which I like, but am not ready to nickname him) until I finally told her it was driving me crazy and then she asked if she could call him "buddy". Is he a dog? :rolleyes: :)

[morningdew]

People misprounounce my first name most of the time (I'm actually surprised and may even compliment the speaker when they get it right on the first try), and misspell it nearly always. But I perpetuate this myself - when I'm on the phone with people (and it's not something official) I often spell it 'the easy way' just so I don't have to take the time to do it twice when they go "Wait, what?" :rolleyes: And when I'm getting my latte at Starbucks I always shorten it to the first syllable. I guess I just got so used to having it spelled wrong that it doesn't bother me anymore.

I do correct most people that pronounce it wrong though.

[Mrs. M.]

Is that just an accent thing or are they really mispronouncing it? I knew a Russian girl named Olga who said that I wasn't saying her name correctly, but it was really was because I have an accent when I'm speaking Russian. Just like when she said my name it wasn't really correct but it was with a Russian accent.

Nope, they completely change it. Don't know why.

The name is Birgit. Pronounced Beer-git (emphasis on the first syllable, the g as in get).

I have heard Beer-gut, Bird-sh!t, Bridget, Beer-get, Beer-dsheeet, and oddly, Megan :confused:

[Miriam]

Rachelle - I would have mispronounced your name; but it wouldn't be because I'm lazy. Kind of insulting that you'd think so many people are lazy just because they say your name differently.

[emmjay]

Nope, they completely change it. Don't know why.

The name is Birgit. Pronounced Beer-git (emphasis on the first syllable, the g as in get).

I have heard Beer-gut, Bird-sh!t, Bridget, Beer-get, Beer-dsheeet, and oddly, Megan :confused:
Hmm, well that is weird! Especially if you are telling them how to say it and they say something different anyway. I don't know anyone with that name so I I would probably say "Beer-geet" (with the g as in get) if I just saw it written. And um, Megan?? :confused:

[imagirliegirl]

Rachelle - I would have mispronounced your name; but it wouldn't be because I'm lazy. Kind of insulting that you'd think so many people are lazy just because they say your name differently.

So are you telling me that you would pronounce Michelle like Mitchel and think that is perfectly reasonable? I mean, I don't understand how people can look at "Elle" and think it's not Elle.

Anyway, sorry that it offends you, but a lot of people look at it again and admit they just read the first 4 letters and went with Rachel. I'd say not bothering to look at someone's whole name is lazy. *shrug*

You know, I forgot to mention that people also call me Rochelle. It's an A, people! Not an O. But they just pop that O right in there.

Of course, now that I read this thread, I'm less shocked that people say it wrong. I can't believe the things people say to some of you guys! People need to take a second a read if they are going to say someone's name. If I'm unsure of how to pronounce a name, I will ask. Or at least preface it with "I'm sure I'm saying this wrong but ___".

[Kanga]

Nope, they completely change it. Don't know why.

The name is Birgit. Pronounced Beer-git (emphasis on the first syllable, the g as in get).

I have heard Beer-gut, Bird-sh!t, Bridget, Beer-get, Beer-dsheeet, and oddly, Megan

I have lol at bird-shit. Somewhat similar, but not really. I can't imagine "bird-shit" popping into my head when you say "Beer-git"! And Megan:confused:

Dd1 is Daytona. Once in awhile people will say Dakota but usually not more than 2 times. After that it gets old and I get annoyed. She's gotten LaTonya (Leh-Tahn-ya) a couple times as well. Not sure how the D turned to a T and the A went from long to short.

Dd2 is Camdyn. I expected to get Cameron a lot but we don't really. Most people just call her Cam or Cami (which is fine because we do too a lot of times).

My name is the equivalent of Sarah Jones. Pretty hard to screw up, but my maiden name was a relatively short French name. The only person to get it right on the first shot was my HS French teacher. Even after several times, people would still not be able to get it.

I correct people if I'll have to listen to them mispronounce it more than once.

[shimmerstar]

Well, anyone who read my old journal would know, my name is Rachelle. That is pronounced Rashell...NOT Rachel. I am SO sick of being called Rachel!

I do not think my name looks like Rachel. I think people see Rach and assume it's Rachel without bothering to look further.

I am a Rachel and get "Ra-shell" all the time. How funny. I do correct them unless it's at a place like a restaurant or a pharmacy, then I don't care that much.

[ABirney]

imagirliegirl I went to school with a Rachelle (k-12) but have never known anyone else with that name.
First name, no problem, it's a very common name. My original last name always got butchered (spelling and pronunciation). My dad adopted my brother and me 2 days before I turned 16 and it got changed to something very easy to pronounce and spell. Married name usually gets pronounced correctly if someone sees it written, but if I say it and they try to spell it, I always have to spell it out and correct them. (B as in bird.... etc)

[lbs27]

imagirliegirl--I would have pronounced your name correctly.

I have a pretty easy first and last (I use maiden at work) name, but they each have multiple acceptable spellings--I have the easiest and shortest of each yet get all kinds of combinations. First name is Lori, and I get Laurie ALL THE DAMN TIME and I hate it. I get it spelled and pronounced that way. I can understand misspelling if I just say it, but if I'm pronouncing it like Door, why would you spell it with an au? I've also seen Lorrie, Lorie, Lorry (seriously). I also get Rory a lot, with takeout for example, I must mumble or something. :rolleyes: It's funny, my parents almost named me Lissa (pronounced like Miss, not Lisa), but were afraid people would mispronounce it or think it was short for Melissa. So, thankfully, they were smart and didn't do the kre8tive spelling. :D

[suzfuzsunflower]

I don't have a problem with people mispronouncing my first name, just a problem with spelling it. It's Susannah, but people often use a z instead of the second s, use only 1 n, and leave off the h. Growing up I hated my name for this reason - I was ALWAYS spelling it! Now it doesn't really bother me. I am used to spelling it for people, and I just figure that there are so many variations out there that it is an honest mistake.

I wouldn't think that our last name would be easy to mess up, but it's almost always mispronounced.

I wanted my son to have an easy to pronounce and spell first name since I'm always spelling mine. His name is Benjamin. People can spell it just fine, but I've run across a lot of people who pronounce it Ben-jar-min :rolleyes: I have no idea where the "r" came from? :confused: I had never heard it pronounced that way until we had him.

People also want to call him Ben or Benji. That's not his name! If he wants to go by a nickname when he's older, fine. But his full name suits him right now, and it's Benjamin.

[LittleFredPunkinHead]

People inevitably get my first and last name wrong. I only correct them if I'm going to be dealing with them long term.
In the long run, I just don't see that it does any harm, so I don't let it bother me.

[PinkMartini]

Bird-sh!t

:eek: Someone actually called you Birdshit? Did you look at them and say "What did you just say?"

[LeslieR]

People always mispronounce my name. It's Less-lee not Lez-lee. I don't correct them because I would be correcting everyone. If my mom hears someone say it wrong, she will correct them in a heartbeat, though.:p My married name is always mispronounced as well. Maiden name was 50/50.

[bamboo]

My name is constantly mispronounced, but usually people say it in a questioning way so it's easy to correct them. My name is a Hebrew word spelled phonetically in English, so I don't mind when people get it wrong, it's not a name that the vast majority of people have seen or heard before. If someone says it incorrectly and not in a questioning way, I only bother to correct them if they're someone I'll be interacting with again.

[imagirliegirl]

:eek: Someone actually called you Birdshit? Did you look at them and say "What did you just say?"

No crap. That is just ignorant. :eek:

I just thought of something else - I have a friend named Shayna. People call her Shayne ALL the time. They just don't bother to look at that last letter. It's funny though, we were looking at her passport from when she was a baby and it said Shayne! Her mom never even noticed. She's a wee bit of a dingbat. :p

[Reenie]

I have a very common married last name, so it is almost always said correctly (although some of my students' Spanish-speaking parents mistake that it's a short "e" as in "egg" because "e" phoneme in Spanish makes long "a" sound as in "cake"... but mispronounced this way, my last name is just another very common last name, so whatever, they're trying).

I had a very uncommon but very short maiden surname, pronounced exactly how it looked. I think people always figured it had to be harder than it was :rolleyes: and would pronounce what should have been a short "u" as in "us" as a long "u" as in "cute".

Mispronouncing my surnames, in either case, didn't/doesn't bother me.

Now, mispronouncing my first name is another story. I find it absolutely frustrating with people that I see on a daily basis. My name is Maureen. I've never heard it pronounced differently than I do, which is More-een. I have repeatedly been called Mah-reen and Mureen (as in the Army, the Navy, and the Marines?), however. I don't mind with people who don't know me or I won't see again, but my collagues I've worked with for five years? A little annoying.

[kindermom]

My name is Noel, with an umlaut over the e. In type it is read as Nole, a name in which I have only met Hispanic men with. So much of my junk male comes to Mr. S. My name is pronounced No-elle. As in the French word for Christmas. Thanks mom for the different spelling.

For some reason, I also have been called Nicole quite a bit. In fact, my ILs called me Nicole off and on for a good 3 years. And most people realize what they did as soon as they said it.

[udsweetpea]

First name's Andrea, and it is always mispronounced. It's Ann-dree-uh, not Ohn-dree-uh, or Ann-dray-uh. But I understand because it is a name that can be said several different ways.

I would pronounce Rachelle like Rachel at first because I've known a few Rachelles who pronounce it as Rachel. But I wouldn't continue to say it wrong after I find out how to say it.

I have a friend named Brynn (rhymes with Len), and she always gets Brian or Byron.

[MelissaLovesPugs]

Mine is an easy one--Melissa--but I am surprised how often people think I say "Martha" or "Marsha". Makes me wonder if I mumble.

My DH's name is Jeffrey, but goes by Jeff usually, and he gets called "Jess" or "Jesse" sometimes. Also he really hates if people spell it "Jeffery".

[Jaeschelle]

Thought of this thread today because someone mispronounced my name. It's Raechelle (Ray-shell) not Rock-well. I did correct them.

I've also gotten Raquel, Rochelle, and ... Horatio. :confused: Oh, and Grace. :confused: I mean, if I say "Ray-shell" to you, does it really sound like "Horatio"?

[kimbyj]

Kimberly - easy to pronounce yet people insist on shortening it to "Kim". NO! I am not KIM, Kimmy or anything else. Cut it out and call me by my name!

[tgr68]

Kimberly~That is a major pet peeve of mine and DH's. I think that's why we picked names for our kids that can't really be shortened.

I have an unusual name as well - Naamah (pronounced "Name-uh"). I usually correct people or pronounce it for the ones who are too scared to attempt it. :p The most annoying mispronunciation is "Naomi". Ummm.....do you see an O or an I in my name at all?

DDs name is Shylah, and it is often mispronounced as Shiloh. Darn Brangelina!!

DSs name is going to be a fun one too I already know - Caedmon. When DD pronounces it, sometimes it sounds like "Caveman". LOL!

[betsyboop]

Now, mispronouncing my first name is another story. I find it absolutely frustrating with people that I see on a daily basis. My name is Maureen. I've never heard it pronounced differently than I do, which is More-een. I have repeatedly been called Mah-reen and Mureen (as in the Army, the Navy, and the Marines?), however. I don't mind with people who don't know me or I won't see again, but my collagues I've worked with for five years? A little annoying.


I think you're confusing mispronouciation with differences in regional dialect. My mother's name is Maureen as well and around here, the "au" is pronounced like the "aw" in awful. If someone called her "more-een", she wouldn't think it was being pronounced incorrectly, she'd think the person saying it wasn't from the northeast.

[PGirl26]

You know, I forgot to mention that people also call me Rochelle. It's an A, people! Not an O. But they just pop that O right in there.


My middle name is Rachelle, pronounced just like yours. I get Rachel and Rochelle alot. My mom swears she meant for it to be spelled Rochelle, and the nurses messed it up... well tough luck!!! My name is Rachelle. And she will still call me Rochelle. Drives me up the walll. But yeah, I get called Amanda Rachel all the time.

[udsweetpea]

[b]

DSs name is going to be a fun one too I already know - Caedmon. When DD pronounces it, sometimes it sounds like "Caveman". LOL!

How do you pronounce Caedmon?

[Natasha]

My friend's son is Caedmon, and they pronounce is kade-men.

If someone was calling me by the wrong name (Rachelle vs. Rachel), yes, I'd correct them. If it was just mispronounced, nope.

My name is Natasha (duh) pronounced Na-tah-sha, not Na-taa-sha (long a on the second a). I have family from Texas who have always called me NatAAsha, and it drives me crazy. But, it's just how they saw it. No big deal. I have also occasionally gotten Natalie. When spelling my name, people very often leave off the last A. Couldn't tell you why, but it happens all the time. Even friends and family members do it.

Last name, no problem. I went from a simple, phonetic 4 letter last name, to a simple, common Chinese last name.

My kids are Ethan and Kelly, and no real issues with them, either. Although, people are usually shocked that her name is Kelly, not Kellie, Kelli, or Kelley. We haven't chosen a name for our unborn son yet, but he will have a name that is (hopefully) as easy to pronounce and spell as his brother and sister's. Although, people really can flub the simplest of names.

[mrs_pell]

Our last name sounds EXACTLY as it is spelled, but people ALWAYS mispronounce it. It's not a very common last name, as my FIL is from South Africa, but it's not difficult, either. I think the biggest problem is that it looks at first glance like a few other names that ARE common, so that's what we get. It totally depends on my mood and the situations as to whether or not I'll correct someone. If it's a telemarketer, and they say it wrong though, I'll just say, "nope, no one lives here by that name!" ;)

[Chimichanga]

I have a German last name with an "A" in the middle and an "E" at the end. People pronounce the "A" with a long sound but since it's German, the "A" is short, and you are actually supposed to pronounce the "E."

I correct people, usually nicely. Telemarketers on the other hand, I get annoyed with and will say there's no one at the house with that name. ;)

[Lizard]

I don't bother correcting anymore, unless the person is asking me how to pronounce it. My maiden name is German and was mispronounced ALL the time. Everyone in my family had German last names (all pronounced incorrectly), so I just let it roll off my back thinking whenever I got married, that name would be better.

.....Then I married a guy with a Czech last name, and now it's even worse, LOL. :D Thank goodness I didn't hyphenate!!

[karina]

i can't tell you how many times im called "katrina" - and YES i do correct people.. its so annoying.

[Fenway]

I have a nice named Julia. I HATE when people say Jule-ya. It's Jule-ee-a. 3 syllables, not 2!

My other niece is Piper. Because we live in New England, people are constantly saying Pipah. It's SO annoying!

My maiden name is a common first name for a man. For the sake of discussion, we'll say it was Robert. Whenever I'm in a situation where i have to give my last name (making reservations, checking in at the doctor's office) I'll say "Robert." The response I usually get is "No, I asked for your last name." I used to politely correct people, but it got so annoying that I started responding with, "do I look like a Bob??"

[Ohana]

Both of my DD's have unusual names that are often mispronounced. I usually correct them the first time, but give up after that. Our last name is extremely unusual (nice, huh, giving our kids both first and last names that are unusual), and I don't even bother to correct people on it. But it does help me weed out telemarketers/survey takers on the phone, though.

[NYN]

i can't tell you how many times im called "katrina" - and YES i do correct people.. its so annoying.
LOL, my uncle calls my daughter Katrina and I find it so rude but I've just stopped correcting him.

I think it's kind of weird to correct someone who clearly has an accent. I think it's a little bit rude actually but maybe I am just sensitive to that b/c both my parents are second-language speakers. Maureen is a good example. You wouldn't be able to get anything other than Maw-reen out of me -- I was born and raised in Queens.

I think a lot of people are also confusing ethnic names with creative names which I also think is a little bit insensitive. I also think that b/c my name is both ethnic and uncommon I'm less inclined to correct people if they mispronounce it.

My favorite story so far has been Birgit being called Megan. How does one even hear that? :)

[jenahdawn]

Yep. It's just automatic after 30 years.

[mkredhead]

My maiden name is Kaiser, pronounced like the roll. I often get Kay-ser, but I usually let it slide.

[Yvangeline]

Both my first and last names usually get mispronounced, which is a treat. I especially love how most people call me by the masculine version of my name, despite the obvious "e" on the end.

[diam124]

Re: "Rachelle" - Personally I would pronounce it "Ray-shell" unless I was told differently because MIL's name is Rochelle so I would assume it's just pronounced slightly different (and the funny thing is her name was Rachel and she changed it in her teens).

Re: "Maureen" - I agree that this may be a regional thing. I have 2 aunts named Maureen and they pronounce it "Mah-reen". Both born in raised in Western PA. DH is from NY and he says it "Mor-een".

[mkredhead]

I'm from the midwest and my name is pronounced More-een.

[mar5195]

My last name is really hard to say right if you don't know the Spanish language. Lot's of people call me Doonez or Donez,. I pronouce it phonetically correct Dwenez when it should really should be pronouced Dwenyas.

[TX Sweetheart]

Never had a problem with my maiden name... it's a common word and isn't spelled weird or anything.

Married name... it's also a common word, but it's got an "e" on the end (just in spelling, not pronunciation) that the common word doesn't have. People usually say it right but we always spell it out because of the "e."

My first name is Renee (with the accent, but I dunno how to do that on the computer)... when I was a kid, people frequently called me Reenie... *most* of the time they spelled it correctly... Since it's become a more common name, people almost always spell and pronounce it correctly now... it was just when I was a kid (and it was usually the adults mispronouncing it, not the kids)

[Aimee]

My first name is Renee (with the accent, but I dunno how to do that on the computer)

Hold down Alt and then hit 0233, using the numbers on the number pad :)

I get called Renée a lot because it rhymes with my name.

[rachrich]

oh my first name gets butchered more often than you would think!
It's Rachael (maybe the spelling throws some people off who are used to seeing the more common spelling -Rachel). pronounced ray-chul

i get Ruh-shell, ray-chowl, and my personal favorite ray-cheeowl

and to answer the OP, I do correct people 95% of the time. Unless they're a telemarketer, then I just hang up on them.

[PGirl26]

I didn't know my middle name, Rachelle, was so common! I pronounce mine Ruh-shell... mom still calls me ROchelle.

[tgr68]

How do you pronounce Caedmon?
Just like Natasha said: Kade-mun.

Ohana~I completely agree on the telemarketer thing! LOL!

[ginadc]

My DD's name is Annika, pronounced AH-nika, but we often get either ANN-ika or Ah-NEE-ka. I usually correct it simply by finding a way to repeat the right pronunciation a couple of times in the conversation, but some people just never get it. Our next-door neighbor calls her Ah-NEE-ka no matter what we do. He's 83, so I doubt we're going to get through to him.

My mother used to mispronounce my friend's name constantly. It's Colleen, pronounced COLL-een. She'd insist on saying it COLE-leen, no matter how many times I told her that wasn't how she said it.

[udsweetpea]

Oh gosh, I'm so confused by the names of children these days. They're spelled so differently than the way they're pronounced.

[Jess71903]

This thread just reminded me of a poor lady that we go to church with... mispronounced people or place names get labeled "Pat-isms". I have a friend named Khandra (CON-druh). Ms. Pat has known her for 10 years plus and still calls her Khandria (CON-dree-uh) even though she's been corrected lots of times. Her son and his family call her Khandria all the time now. She vacations in Branscom, Missouri at times, too. :)

[bensgirl1222]

No one has ever pronounced my name wrong...its Jessica. Pretty easy. And my last name is pretty common too.

eta- My middle name is Raquel and surprisingly enough, no one has ever pronounced that wrong either! My maiden last name people used to butcher though and it was pretty self-explanatory.

[pocahontas]

Oh gosh, I'm so confused by the names of children these days. They're spelled so differently than the way they're pronounced.

Yep...looking at this thread I was thinking the SAME thing.

My first name is easy enough to pronounce (Lynette) but I have had to deal with all types of spelling issues that DRIVE.ME.INSANE! :mad: I hate people who decided it needs TWO "N"s. Lynnette just looks so long and drawn out to me. YUCK! I also can't stand those who tried to be creative and spell it "Lanette" or worse "Linette". I mean "LINE" instead of "Lyn"? Really...WTF? So hayle yeah, I correct folx who spell it wrong (unless I've done it repeatedly and they still do the same thing...then I give up. :rolleyes:) The nickname thing that was brought up really pisses me off. Doesn't happen to me much thankfully but in college there was a girl from the "deep south" who liked to call me "Lynn". Grrr...I know "down south" it's common to shorten folx names but I can't stand "Lynn". It's not my name! I would cringe every.single.time she said it. My maiden name was not hard to pronounce AT ALL but again, I occasionally got some interesting spellings. :confused: Luckily, my married name is simple. It's the first name of a man with a "S" at the end. For example, it's a name like Peter with an S..."Peters" or Stephen with an S "Stephens". Well, wouldn't you know some idiots leave off the "S". WTH?! That just looks so dumb: Lynette Peter or Lynette Stephen with no "S" on the end! UGH! I'm less likely though to correct this error though than I am with the misspelling of my first name...that one REALLY irks me!

[pocahontas]

DDs name is Shylah, and it is often mispronounced as Shiloh. Darn Brangelina!!

So how would one pronounce this? Like the word "shy" and then "la"?

[pocahontas]

My last name is often mispronounced. I don't correct people unless they're someone that I will need to deal with frequently.

I have an auditory processing learning disability, and it's hard for me to pronounce names. I simply can't say S-names properly, and it hurts me when people who I will never talk to again become angry that I can't say their name properly. I'm trying, but there are a lot of words that have s-sounds that I can't say (secretary, shoulder, soldier, etc.). There are also regional differences that are hard to eliminate - for example, I say ah-na instead of an-na. If your name is "Maryanne," I'm still going to call you "Mary-Ahn" even if you say "Mary-Ann" because that's the shape that my mouth makes. (I will try, but don't get angry if I can't do it!)

And I heart you 'cuz you are one of the few people who will pronounce my "future" daughter's name correctly. The name DH and I have chosen I know will get mispronounced on the first syllable because of some people's regional dialect...but you pronounce it exactly the way I want it said! :D

[skyblu]

Okay, I feel bad now. Not only am I probably mispronouncing most of your names, but when you spell them phonetically, I sometimes can't tell the difference, still!

My only saving grace is that English is not my native language. Phew!

For example, I just don't hear a difference in my head between ah-na and an-na. Or Nah-tah-sha and Na-taa-sha. Or More-een and Maw-reen. :confused: But hey, at least I'd totally ace mar5195's last name! ;)

My first name gets mispronounced, misspelled, and completely changed CONSTANTLY. But it's a foreign name, so I understand.

My name is Agustina. In my country, it's a common name. It's pronounced Ah-goose-TEE-na. Here, people spell it and pronounce it Augustina. In fact, I will sign an email and the reply will 99.9% of the time start, "Dear Augustina". My LJ username is Agustina, and people reply to me and call me Augustina. :rolleyes:

People have called me all sorts of things. Basically, anything that is multi-syllable and starts with an A is game: Angelica, Angela, Augustine (like the city in FL), Austin, or, most common of all, Angelina. When I say my name, especially over the phone, I most often get Christina.

Over the years, I have started pronouncing it the English way so as not to freak people out when they ask my name. If I say, "Ah-goose-TEE-na", they freak: "WHAT is your name?" But if I say "Augustina", people relax a bit and even often tell me "What a pretty name!".

[Guinness]

I get 'Carolyn' all the time and my name is spelled and pronounced 'Caroline'. I just don't think people hear the difference. It is very annoying. My brother's name is 'Brannon' and he always is called 'BranDon'. I can understand when people hear it but not when they read it. I also don't think people hear the difference. Our last name is very complicated and gets butchered. . . I let that one go. I hope my kids names are straight forward enough, the last name is never going to be right ;)

[pocahontas]

Okay, I feel bad now. Not only am I probably mispronouncing most of your names, but when you spell them phonetically, I sometimes can't tell the difference, still!

My only saving grace is that English is not my native language. Phew!

For example, I just don't hear a difference in my head between ah-na and an-na.

Well, the "ah-na" "an-na" one will be easy to explain. Think of how you as a Spanish speaker pronounce the name "Ana". Now think of how an American pronounces the name "Ann" (just like the bug "ant"). In English the "A" is a HARD "A". It's more soft in Spanish...like "aaaaah". Totally different.

[uwsweet]

Constantly, at least whenever they are reading it off of something they are about to hand to me. I'm Candy, not Cindy. Even at my high school graduation, I was announced as Cindy. Grrr....

Candy

[FallingforPhil]

Originally Posted by imagirliegirl
Well, anyone who read my old journal would know, my name is Rachelle. That is pronounced Rashell...NOT Rachel. I am SO sick of being called Rachel!

I do not think my name looks like Rachel. I think people see Rach and assume it's Rachel without bothering to look further.

Quote:

I am a Rachel and get "Ra-shell" all the time. How funny.

Me, too! I'm always a little puzzled at why people make that mistake. Didn't everyone learn phonics in grade school? ;)

On a side note, my DH always calls me Rachelle when I get back from a haircut, as the stylist always straightens my usually super-curly hair. He says it's my alter-ego. :rolleyes:

[KrissyCat7]

Surprisingly my first name is mispronounced quite frequently.:rolleyes:Sometimes I will correct people and other times I wont. If it is someone that will have to say my name again then I will usually correct them. If it's somewhere that doesnt matter I generally dont.

As for my last name.......I ALWAYS correct if it's pronounced wrong. I often spell it too.

[ShannonGH]

My name is Sharon, which really shouldn't cause anyone any difficulty, but everyone always calls me Shannon. I just give up and answer to it...it's like my second name :p


This made me laugh b/c people always call me Sharon. :)

[DaniML]

My name is almost always mispronouced. It's Daniela (VERY common name in German with people my age). I don't expect people to pronounce it the German way, but I always get Danielle. Just replace the last e with an a and you've got it.

Last name is no better. The last sylabble is Celle (like a prison cell) and I very requently get ceelee (like seal lee) .

I've spelled my first and last name so many times that I can do it in my sleep.

Same as most others, I only correct people if I'm going to deal with them more than once.

[DaniML]

This thread is the reason I always roll my eyes when people give their kids "kree8tiv" names. Why would you sentence your kid to a lifetime of having to correct people who butcher his/her name?

Exactly. Hence the reason my sons name is Christopher. I needed a name that would be easy to pronounce in english AND german and I didn't want him to have to spell his name wherever he goes.

[jenahdawn]

Exactly. Hence the reason my sons name is Christopher. I needed a name that would be easy to pronounce in english AND german and I didn't want him to have to spell his name wherever he goes.

And thank you for that!!!

Signed,
Jenah (who is now pronounced correctly, usually, but never spelled correctly!)

[emmjay]

My name is almost always mispronouced. It's Daniela (VERY common name in German with people my age). I don't expect people to pronounce it the German way, but I always get Danielle. Just replace the last e with an a and you've got it.

Last name is no better. The last sylabble is Celle (like a prison cell) and I very requently get ceelee (like seal lee) .

I've spelled my first and last name so many times that I can do it in my sleep.

Same as most others, I only correct people if I'm going to deal with them more than once.
I have a friend Daniela (from Erfurt)! She goes by Dani. I love your name - we had it on our list for DD.

[DaniML]

I have a friend Daniela (from Erfurt)! She goes by Dani. I love your name - we had it on our list for DD.
Yep, I go by Dani as well. Well, I do in Germany, not in the US as Dani (or Danny as it would be spelled) is a boys name here.

[ManteoChik]

No, I don't bother.

My first name is pretty common and easy to pronounce. You'd think my last name would be too yet people still mess it up.

It just doesn't bother me. The people that matter, get it right. Those that don't get it right are usually telemarketers and I just say, "no one by that name lives here". :p

[kristine80]

I think my first name is pretty common, but people still call me Kristin! Hello, there is an e at the end of my name, that would make it Kristine! I have never known a Kristin that spells her name with an e at the end... I work in customer service and have to wear a name tag, and the passengers mispronounce my name all the time!! They call me Kristin, or Kristina, even Kristi.. every time I look down, and make sure the extra letters didn't fall off or change all by themselves!! :rolleyes: I don't normally correct them, but if they ask I will... Just bugs me!!

[AlenaCal]

People have a really hard time with my name... nobody ever pronounces it correctly on the first try, and if they do, they're guaranteed to spell it wrong. It's Alena, pronounced uh-LAY-nuh. I gave up a long time ago and I'll answer to a-lee-na, a-lah-na, and anything else people throw at me!

My last name's a toughy too - it's an Irish surname with a silent G in the middle, and the version without the G is more popular here in America, so nobody ever gets that right.

[MichelleRenee]

I was just thinking about how ever since I got married no one has mispronounced my last name. It is the name of a popular brand of candy so I would hope people would get it right! My old last name was butchered and I did correct people.

As for my first name I have been called Michael, Mitchell and Melissa. Yeah, I do correct those people because it's the wrong name altogether.

[ginadc]

Here's a weird one. My name is Gina, and not surprisingly, I will often get called Jeannie, Jenny, Jenna, and so forth. But randomly, people will quite often decide that my name is Gail. Why, I have no idea, since the two names sound nothing alike, but I get it fairly frequently. Even our local newspaper delivery comes addressed to Gail Lastname, which is quite bizarre since I ordered my subscription online and most definitely did not type in "Gail."

Of course, there was the one that was my own fault. We ordered embroidered Christmas stockings with our names on them from Lands' End, and I got my fingers on the wrong keys and didn't notice it until the order arrived. DH's, DD's and the pets' were fine...but mine read "Guba." Fortunately we had enough time to order another stocking for poor Gina-Guba.

[Yvangeline]

Edited to say: Duh - I didn't read your post thoroughly! Never mind... ;)

"Guba" - heh. Sounds like someone's fingers were misaligned on the keyboard (U is next to I and B is next to N).

[mrschica]

As a Brenda I get called Deborah all the damn time. The world is much more dyslexic than I had first imagined. ;)