In this helpful Harvard Business Review article, Ruchika Tulshyan explains that learning to pronounce a colleague’s name correctly is not just a common courtesy, but it’s an important effort in creating an inclusive workplace, one that emphasizes psychological safety and belonging.
When you name is pronounced incorrectly, it can leave you wondering if your contributions were valued at all if people couldn’t take a moment to correctly learn your name.
Research has shown that mispronouncing the names of students of colour is a racial microaggression, creating shame and disassociation from their culture. While other research has shown that having a non-white name can negatively impact your chances of getting a job in Western countries with resumes with white-sounding names being 28% more likely to get a callback for a job interview.
The paper provides a helpful guide on how to pronounce names correctly.
- Ask the person to pronounce it — and actively listen. Rather than try to say a name you’re unfamiliar with, ask the person how to pronounce it. Listen carefully to where the person puts emphasis, and where the inflections are. Repeat after them once or twice, not more. As soon as possible, make a note on how to phonetically pronounce their name.
- Don’t make it a big deal. Once you’ve heard the correct pronunciation, thank the person and move on. Don’t spend a long time talking about how unfamiliar you are with their name.
- Observe and practice. Make an effort to hear how someone pronounces their name to other people, even if they just pronounced it for you. If you’re introducing someone on stage or in any public forum, write down a note for yourself on how to pronounce it correctly and practice it in private.
- Clarify again. If you meet someone again after a while, it’s fine to say, “Remind me of your name again,” or, “Remind me how to pronounce your name again,” quite like you would if you had forgotten their name.
- Do something when you realize you’ve been mispronouncing it. Apologize when you get it wrong, as soon as you realise. A good rule of thumb is to say, “I’m sorry I mispronounced that. Could you please repeat your name for me?” If you’ve known someone for a while, perhaps even a number of years, and you realise you’ve been mispronouncing their name, operate with humility. You might say: “I realize I’ve been saying your name wrong all this time. I’m so sorry. Could you please say it for me?” Then, make a note and practice privately until you get it right.
- Be an ally. If you hear someone else mispronouncing a colleague’s name when they’re not around, step in and correct them gently, “I think it’s pronounced…”
- Don’t be arrogant or flippant. For example, don’t say something like “I’ll never get it right — can I call you another name?” or refuse to listen when corrected.
Our names are an important part of our identity and therefore it is always worth spending the time and effort to do our very best to get it right.
You can access the full article here.
