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Someone mispronouncing sons name

164 replies

Neodymium · 21/05/2024 14:14

Would you consider this rude? To be fair I have not corrected this person, who we speak to regularly, as he is representing my son in a professional way. But despite hearing how my husband and I pronounce his name, he pronounces it in a different way. It didn’t used to bother me but it’s starting to get to me. Like he thinks he knows better than us and we are too ignorant to know how to say it.

for reference it’s a name starting with J that can be pronounced is a Spanish way with a ‘ya’ sound (not what we do) or with a J sound which is what we do as he is named for the English origin. In fact it is more common with the J sound but it is an uncommon name and so I think that he just thinks we are wrong and he’s trying to correct us.

Not sure if I am being unreasonable here to be slightly annoyed.

OP posts:
CoalTit · 21/05/2024 22:09

...it’s a name starting with J that can be pronounced is a Spanish way with a ‘ya’ sound ... don’t want to post the name as it is super super uncommon ...
I think that he just thinks we are wrong and he’s trying to correct us.

You gave your son a yoonique name and are annoyed that someone is pronouncing it differently from your way?
You think that Spanish speakers pronounce J as Y in Spanish?
I am judging you so hard, OP.

coupdetonnerre · 21/05/2024 21:55

Pinkywoo · 21/05/2024 15:17

What's the name OP?

Jesús let it go

coupdetonnerre · 21/05/2024 21:53

Pinkywoo · 21/05/2024 15:11

J pronounced yah would be more Scandinavian I think?

exactly this. Johan for example

Neodymium · 21/05/2024 21:49

I don’t want to post the name as it is super super uncommon and it would be too outing.

the person is a native English speaker. The name is English origin but because it is so uncommon it does seem like it might be Spanish. There is a Spanish version of the name which typically has a different spelling.
but again it’s all so uncommon.

I guess I assumed us correctly saying his name when speaking should be enough. I’ve now told him how to say it but he didn’t respond.

OP posts:
INeedToClingToSomething · 21/05/2024 17:12

People mispronounce my name and misspell it all the time. It's really not that important. You could spend your life getting your knickers in a twist about it or just let it go and not worry about it.

BobbyBiscuits · 21/05/2024 16:49

If he's representing your child in a professional capacity then you need to say 'no, it's pronounced John, not Juan' or whatever.
He'll get it soon enough but not if neither of you ever correct him. He's clearly not doing it to annoy you. Why would he?
Some names are harder to pronounce on reading than others or there's a slight language barrier.
No big deal really.
In my job I'd always ask 'how do you pronounce your first/last name?' in a polite way as soon as we spoke if it wasn't clear. But some people just assume things.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 21/05/2024 16:43

J is not pronounced as 'y' or 'y' in Spanish!

positivevibesonlyx · 21/05/2024 16:40

Names are important and a mark of respect.
However, your child probably won't be the only child they are dealing with and it's sometimes hard to get to grips with the different pronunciations sometimes.
I don't think it's fair to be slightly annoyed if you haven't corrected them yet and given them a chance to rectify.

LadyOfACertainAge · 21/05/2024 16:16

Unless it’s fundamentally a different name then I think that’s just how he says the name. Lots of names have this issue and I’ve never heard it be a problem I.e Alexander with a north/south short A or long A; Michelle can be other Mee-shell or Mish- elle etc.

presumably he says some other words with a different pronunciation?

muddyford · 21/05/2024 16:13

Most people have mispronounced my name, giving it a long A not the short my family use, since I started primary school. It's not damaging.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 21/05/2024 16:09

I love a European pronunciation to my name. Makes it sound much nicer.

<completely misses the point>

If it's bothering you and you are paying his bills then say so.

Swisscheeseplanted · 21/05/2024 15:37

How many Manx people are reading this and thinking lol, Juan. Grin
OP, I'd correct them.

GerbilsForever24 · 21/05/2024 15:30

I think it's fine to correct, unless he has an accept/language that would make it difficult and/or his language/culture pronounce it that way. I used to work for a french company and lots of people pronounced my name the french way. that was fine. But if an english person had started doing it, I would have corrected them.

Peonies12 · 21/05/2024 15:25

dcsp · 21/05/2024 14:29

Realistically if you give a child a name which has more than one pronunciation, this is what is going to happen, and the way to prevent it would be to have given your child a name which doesn't have multiple pronunciations.

This. It won’t be the first or last time this happens. Pick your battles!

AGodawfulsmallaffair · 21/05/2024 15:22

OneTC · 21/05/2024 14:18

Jesus will have a lifetime of this I'm sure

😆

Ereyraa · 21/05/2024 15:20

Jago?

BedDepartment · 21/05/2024 15:19

Just correct them!

aLFIESMA · 21/05/2024 15:18

OK jaSmile

Pinkywoo · 21/05/2024 15:17

What's the name OP?

PoppingTomorrow · 21/05/2024 15:15

To be fair I have not corrected this person
Why not? Surely if he is representing your son it's more reason to correct him rather then reason not to.

logicisall · 21/05/2024 15:13

If the person is German/Eastern European, they tend to pronounce J like Ya. Spaniards say Ha. Just correct him the next time.

Pinkywoo · 21/05/2024 15:11

J pronounced yah would be more Scandinavian I think?

TheWayTheLightFalls · 21/05/2024 15:11

To be fair I have not corrected this person

Correct them.

theeyeofdoe · 21/05/2024 14:59

Just correct him. Say ‘ just to remind you, it’s Jose from the old English name, not the Spanish name’

whirlyhead · 21/05/2024 14:56

Is the professional person Spanish as that would explain it? It doesn't matter how often I tell Spanish people my pet's name is Jemima, they always pronounce it with the "h" sound for the J as that's just their pronunciation. I now often pronounce it the same way as I quite like the sound!

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