Have you ever had an embarrassing moment when you mispronounced someone's name? Are you unsure of how to improve your ability to solve this pronunciation mystery? Fear not-as long as you follow the steps in this article, you'll quickly master the ability to pronounce names.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Written Instructions
Step 1. Check the name
If you've seen it but never heard of it, sometimes just reciting it in your head can really help your pronunciation. Say each syllable in turn. Except for Welsh.
- Think of other words you already know that look the same as the name. For example, the letter q-u-i in French sounds like the word key in English. So, just like the word "quiche" is pronounced with keysh, the name "Quitterie" will be pronounced with key-tree.
- Sometimes the name of the city can get your mind spinning. Think cities like San Jose, Guadalajara, Lille, Versailles, and Guangzhou.
Step 2. Consider the origin
Does it look like French? Spanish? How Chinese? Know that every language has a unique alphabet and sounds associated with it so any knowledge of the language can help you with pronunciation.
- Spanish has a very consistent alphabet, unlike English. The vowels are always pronounced "ah," "eh," "ee," "oh," and "oo."
- French also has a fair amount of alphabetic consistency, but is a bit more difficult. If the name ends in a consonant, don't pronounce it. "Robert" becomes row-bear. And a name like Michelle? Be mee-shell, not meh-shell.
- Chinese Chinese is a more difficult language. The letter "Q" is pronounced ch, "X" is pronounced sh, and "Z" is pronounced dr. "Xiaojin Zhu" is shiao-jin drew.
- If you're a little confused about "ei" and "ie" in German, choose the second letter. "Steinbeck" has a vowel like the "I"-second letter. "Auf Wiedersehen" has a vowel like "E"-the second letter.
Step 3. Think about accents and other dialects
This can change the way the name is pronounced significantly.
- In Spanish, you want to emphasize letters that have accents; example: María should be pronounced ma-REE-uh.
- Unfortunately, French doesn't follow the same rules. "è" and "é" are 2 different sounds. While the two are very similar, they are more like eh (in the word red) and ay, respectively. Examples of this include Renée (ruh-nay), André (on-dray), Honoré (ah-nor-ay), and Helène (heh-lehne).
- The most frequently used letter with cedilla is "ç"; cedilla makes it soft (ss, not kuh).
Step 4. Find the dialect intonation
While this may take some getting used to a certain language, you can still master some basic intonation.
- A down sign (`) usually indicates a falling intonation; sign up, up.
- A sign up and down (or down and up) is just that-you have to follow the intonation.
Method 2 of 2: Other Sources
Step 1. Ask
This can be asked with a clever strategy. “Hey, who is that we worked with on the etymology project? Maybe your friends don't know either!
Don't be afraid to ask the person directly. Chances are if you don't know, people will mention his name all the time. Tell him, "How do you pronounce your name?" to make them pronounce their names according to their region of origin. They will love it if you put in the effort
Step 2. Say it again and again
Once you have it, "don't let go". As Dale Carnegie said, "Remember that a person's name is the most important and sweetest sound in any language for that person".
Repeat in your head 7 times. You will not easily forget the correct way to pronounce it once you have it in your memory. If the pronunciation surprises you, think of a rhythm to make it easier to remember
Step 3. Go into the network
Since the world has become a global village, there are several sites out there dedicated to just this.
Hearnames, Pronouncenames, and Inogolo are useful sites to quench your curiosity
Tips
- You can always do some research on pronunciations with close accents, using books or websites like this for Spanish and this for French.
- If you've just met someone and have forgotten how to pronounce their name, you can close by introducing someone else you know. Say something like, "Hey, I'd like you to meet my friend Judy," and hopefully the person you forgot his name will repeat his name for Judy. This approach works for parties and other large social gatherings, so be careful using it in large or small groups.
- Don't worry too much when you mispronounce a name you think you know. Apologize, then forget about it and correct it by pronouncing his name correctly every time you meet again.
