To correct anyone who mispronounces my name?

[Verbeann]

Hi all,
I’m starting a new job soon; it’s a working from home/ remote working role. I’m based in N. Ireland and the rest of my new colleagues will be based in England so there will be lots of video calls etc with them. The way my first name is pronounced is generally different here than the rest of the UK. Would IBU to correct my new colleagues if they don’t get the way I say it right? (I find people from outside my region generally don’t). Not to be a dick about it either, the UK pronunciation is definitely the more well-known one, but it’s just not my name IYSWIM! I always try to be polite about it but still wonder if it comes across a bit precious/fussy, obviously want to make a good impression with new colleagues. Thoughts?

@Pjsandbaileys

Ni has a few different pronouncatins like Mary would be merr-ree and my favorite was a guy who introduced himself as Gerard like turd not gher-ard. Absolutely would correct them, I have a standard phonetically pronounced name and still have to correct people 🙄

I know an NI Gerd spelt just as it is pronounced rather than Gerard, but it doesn't rhyme with turd, it rhymes with heard. Turd and heard don't rhyme in his NI accent.

The mispelling of my name drives me insane. People still spell it incorrectly when replying to emails even though its there clearly in print. I wear a badge at work but no, it's just to difficult to memorise it. Its not even complicated, believe me.

It's the same on letters and cards, even by people I've known for years. They think a random guess is good enough but I find it inexcusable and insulting.

You could do if it bothers you but I’ve always quite admired people who have no issues with how their name is pronounced. It indicates to me they are laid back and happy / relaxed.

Introduce yourself at every opportunity before people get the chance to mispronounce it! Smile whenever you say your name or correct anyone.

Hi, I'm Clara!
Clara, hi!
Clara, how are you?

Even if you've already been introduced, or meeting someone a second time.

I'm bad with names, I love it when people keep introducing themselves! Gives me a fighting chance!

And don't even get me going on mispronounciation!

@Newdonewhugh

You could do if it bothers you but I’ve always quite admired people who have no issues with how their name is pronounced. It indicates to me they are laid back and happy / relaxed.

I think people who don't make the effort to get something as basic as a person's name correct are rude, and people who say they aren't bothered by others mispronouncing their name may just be too fed up to say anything.

I worked years ago in a hairdressers with a Karen who pronounced her name carun

Isn’t that how most people pronounce Karen?

I worked years ago in a hairdressers with a Karen who pronounced her name carun

Isn’t that how most people pronounce Karen?

Maybe she means a soft C - as in Sarun? **

I'd rather be told a couple times than get it wrong in the long term. We had a child at nursery whose name we all pronounced differently so in end I asked the parent to confirm how it was meant to be pronounced, that way we all got it right when talking to the child (they were too young to tell us themselves).

My SIL in law is Karen, she pronounces ka ren where Irish MIL the r is in the car en.

@Boulshired

My SIL in law is Karen, she pronounces ka ren where Irish MIL the r is in the car en.

Sorry, don’t follow?

Could be
Kair-un (air)
Cahr-un. (ah)
Ka-run. (a like apple).

Never heard Kairun. Am I the only one sounding out these different versions. I know what pp means re car-en, it's almost Carn

If it’s someone from NI, it’s more likely to be Car-un, with the “aw” sound in car, rather than ka-ren with the “a” sound of apple. If so, it’s likely the hairdresser also referred to herself as a “hur-dresser”. Very typical Belfast pronunciation

I have American friends who would pronounce it “Kair-en” but never heard it from anyone this side of the Atlantic. @HeyGirlHeyBoy said it better than me though - it IS almost like Carn

So the “r” is in the first syllable and slightly longer with MIL whereas SIL the “r” is in the second syllable.

I’m thinking of James Nesbit saying it in Cold Feet. But that’s just a NI accent, not a mispronounciation. Plus I don’t think the pp who referred to “car-un” the hairdresser mentioned NI?

@ivykaty44 was this in NI?

@CheetasOnFajitas it was very central with a nasally accent and family were all from there to

But I see where your coming from

Kair-un (air)

Possibly outing myself now. But mine is pronounced like the above, the air bit is soft not nasal like an American might pronounce it.
I rarely correct people now, as no one gets it right and it's such a contentious name at the moment so I keep quiet. Though I have thought of altering the spelling to reflect the pronunciation.

In answer to the op, I'd say correct there pronunciation, I regret not being more firm about this and too many people now know me by the wrong name.

Although having said that the quoted pronunciation still isn't quite right. It's sort of half way between -en and -un .

And...*their not there😱

I do think it's hard to know when to insist, Susanna, when some difference is down to accent. In my area, lots of people pronounce the 'ie' on the end of words as 'eh'. So Annie becomes Anneh. When we first moved here my little boy corrected everyone when they pronounced it the local way, because to him it sounded very different. They couldn't hear the difference though. 'Annie!' 'Yes, Anneh!'.

I haven't lived in my home country for a very long time. So, as you can imagine, I've spent a lot of my life introducing myself to people who either have never heard my name before, or at best pronounce it in very odd ways.

If it's a personal/social setting then I do tend to insist on correct pronunciation, but I do so with a bit of humour and I am laid back about the process. If someone is really trying and just can't get it then I don't mind at all and laugh it off.

In a business setting I don't usually feel comfortable cracking lots of jokes and spending time coaching people through the sounds. So I do often end up leaving the situation with that person being unable to pronounce my name properly. It does secretly really annoy me but I suppose it's my own fault because I should insist people say my name properly instead of just giving up after the second attempt.

I think it's a very personal thing. You have every right to insist that people call you by your proper name, but equally I think you have the right to not go through the hassle and just think "fuck it, that's close enough".