Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Written prompts
• Method 2 of 2: Other Sources
• Tips

You've probably found yourself in an awkward situation where you couldn't pronounce someone's name correctly. How can you avoid such situations? By following the guidelines below, you will become an expert on the pronunciation of names!

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Written prompts

1. 1 Study the name. If you have seen this name, but have not heard how it is pronounced, try to pronounce it - it will help you with pronunciation. Pronounce each syllable separately, unless they are Welsh names and names.
   • Remember the words that are similar to this name. For example, French q-u-i is pronounced like English key, that is, the name Quitterie will be pronounced as Kitri.
   • The names of some cities are consonant with the names. For example, San Jose, Guadalajara (Guadalajara), Lille (Lille), Versailles (Versailles) and Guangzhou (Guangzhou).
2. 2 Think about which language the title or name belongs to. French? Spanish? Chinese? Each language has its own alphabet and sounds, and knowledge of additional languages ​​can help a lot.
   • In Spanish, vowels are always pronounced as they are written: "a," "e," "and," "o," and "y."
   • For example, in French, if the name ends in a consonant, then it is not pronounced. "Robert" reads like this: Ro-ber... Michelle's name reads "Mi-shelle" rather than "Michelle"
   • The North Chinese language is even more difficult. The letter "Q" is pronounced like h, "X" is pronounced like NS, and "Z" is pronounced dr... "Xiaojin Zhu" is read shiao-jing drew.
   • In German, the diphthongs "ei" and "ie" can be confused. In the word "Steinbeck" the diphthong "ei" reads "ah". In the expression "Auf Wiedersehen" the diphthong "ie" reads like "and".
3. 3 When pronouncing names and titles, it is important to take into account the stress and other features of the language. They can drastically change pronunciation.
   • When speaking Spanish, emphasize the stressed syllable, for example: the name María should be pronounced like this: ma-ri-a.
   • Unfortunately, the same technique cannot be applied when speaking French. The sounds "è" and "é" are two completely different sounds. The first sound is pronounced as "e", the second as "ah". For example Renée (renai), André (he-dry), Honoré (anorai), and Helène (helene).
   • The letter "c" is often used with a cedilla - "ç", so it is pronounced softer (se, not ke).
4. 4 Pay attention to sounds with diacritics. Of course, this requires deeper linguistic knowledge, but some sounds can be understood without special skills.
   • A similar sign (`) usually means a descending sound. This sign (´) means an ascending sound.
   • The (ˇ) sign is indicated to indicate a descending-ascending or (˘) ascending-descending sound. Remember these signs.

Method 2 of 2: Other Sources

1. 1 Ask people. A name that you cannot pronounce can be asked from people. However, this is not always the best solution.
   • Do not be afraid to ask the person with a difficult name for you exactly how his name is pronounced. Ask him or her how to pronounce his or her name. They will appreciate your efforts.
2. 2 Repeat it. Once you've learned how to pronounce a certain name, try not to forget it. As Dale Carnegie said: "Remember, it is important and pleasant for any person to hear how his name is pronounced by others, in any language."
   • Repeat it to yourself seven times. So you are unlikely to forget it. If your pronunciation seems strange to you, create a rhyme to make it easier to remember.
3. 3 Search the internet. Today you can find many sites dedicated to this topic.
   • The following sites are suitable: Hearnames, Pronouncenames, Inogolo, and The Name Engine.

Tips

• How to pronounce other syllables and letter combinations can be found in books or on the Internet, here are the rules of Spanish phonetics, and here - French.
• If you meet a person whose pronunciation you have forgotten, you can use this trick, tell him that you want to introduce him to your girlfriend: "Hey, I want to introduce you to my friend Judy" and, perhaps, getting to know her, he himself will pronounce his name. This method works for parties and other social events, but it won't work if there are not many people with you.
• Do not worry if you suddenly mispronounced a name that, in principle, they knew how to pronounce. Apologize, shake his hand and continue trying to pronounce the name correctly.