I have an uncommon name, and it’s a small bonus if you pronounce it right. It’s “Rafe,” rhymes with “safe.” It’s a super mega bonus if, when you pronounce it wrong and I correct you, you don’t say, “I must have the wrong person, I’m looking for Rah-fay Needleman.”
At least your name isn’t spelled “Ralph” (as in Von Williams). Then it’d probably get mispronounced every time – except by that small section of people pitching you who are also avid listeners of The Real Deal.
I hear you loud and clear on this one! People get my first and last name wrong all the time – plus the gender! :-)
Ms. Faryl (rhymes with Carol) Zaklin (rhymes with Back-Lynn)
I hear you. As a PR person who talks to reporters I get a lot of, “Oh that’s…different. Where are you from?” Don’t assume someone with a foreign name is actually foreign. Better yet, don’t come back with the even more charming, “No where are you from, originally?” California. Just California.
LOL — Then there are the gender ambiguous names (like mine.) It does help me sort through email and snail mail to find people who at least know of me. Anyone who addresses my name to “Bob” probably doesn’t know me. Or the ones who write to “Mr.” Some of my all time favs — taking my given name, Roberta and turning it into Robert A. and then addressing the letter to Dear Bob.
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That’s hilarious!
Oh no! That is so bad. But I understand, because people get mine wrong all the time too. Then when I tell them it is pronounced simply, Katrina – they either tell me they have it spelled wrong, or we get into an in-depth conversation about the hurricane.