Tool creates phonetic spellings to stop diverse names being mispronounced

In a recent poll from Race Equality Matters, 73% of respondents have had their names mispronounced at work.

Regardless of whether it was an honest mistake or ignorance, it can hurt.

Mispronunciation of people’s names happens every day and everywhere. But according to Race Equality Matters (REM), this can have a negative impact on inclusivity in the workplace – particularly for those from minoritised ethnicities.

According to the poll, 43% said having their name mispronounced made them feel disrespected. 30% found it upsetting, while 21% said it made them feel like they didn’t belong.

To raise awareness of this problem and also provide a solution, REM is launching the #MyNameIs ’Fuh-Net-Ic Filter’ – a tool that allows people to instantly get the phonetic spelling of their name and share it on social media.

To use the tool, you simply upload a photo to the Race Equality Week website and type your name to get a phonetic translation over the photo together with the #NyNameIs hashtag.

The phonetic spellings are sourced from NameShouts, which holds over half a million names – including multiple pronunciations of some. The tool also has an audio version of the name to aid accuracy. People whose names are not already in the tool can type their own and contribute to this growing and valuable source of phonetic name translations.

Inenin Victor Garrick (In-ehh Vick-tor Gar-ick), a safety inspector at Transport for Wales, has shared why this campaign means so much to him: ‘I support this campaign not just because this is something I have experienced personally but because it’s time we give those affected by this a voice.

‘This is one of the many microaggressions people face, not just in the workplace but also in society, and we need to proactively support those affected by being respectful and being an ally.

‘If we want to live in a society that truly values dignity, respect and inclusion; then this is something we must address by starting off with something as effective as respecting and valuing people’s names and most importantly the cultural heritage attached to their names.

‘For me, just as this campaign has given me to strength and a voice to face my own personal challenges with my name being mispronounced in the past, I would love people to be inspired be who they are. My hope and belief is that this campaign can inspire bravery in that sense.’

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