Coworker Insists on Misspelling My Name in Emails- WWYD?

[Anonymous]

My name is foreign and people often have difficulties pronouncing it when they see it, but it's actually fairly easy to pronounce. A coworker has been spelling my name phonetically in emails and I have corrected her twice already. Once I was very irritated when she did it, because she actually introduced me to an external partner misspelling my name. I feel that it is very disrespectful. What should I do at this point. FWIW, I have only raised the issue with her via email. Should I bring it up in person?

[Anonymous]

Bring it up in person. And if it happens again, forward the email to that person's boss and yours.

wtf

[Anonymous]

Sure. Also, correct her with the "reply all" function.

[Anonymous]

You should just pick an easier western name, many of my colleges do this. It's also much easier w/ clients.

[Anonymous]

In person.

"Hey June, I wanted to clear up the spelling of my name. It's Kanada, with a K not a C."

[Anonymous]

Maybe he/she is dyslexic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should just pick an easier western name, many of my colleges do this. It's also much easier w/ clients.

Are we talking a name like Seamus or a Chinese name like Yuanxu?

[Anonymous]

I agree that it is disrespectful. I worked with a man for 5 years, and he spelled my name wrong in every single email he wrote to me. There is no excuse for spelling someone's name wrong over email. The spelling is right there in the email address! Bring it up in person, and if she doesn't stop, correct her again over email and copy your bosses.

[Anonymous]

I have one of those names that ends in an "I" or a "Y" and I have had to live with this all my life. What can I do? At 50 yrs old I realize it doesn't matter. If that person is really not paying attention, so what. TO ME, i have let it go.

[Anonymous]

Do what the chinese do, they are very smart it also shows that you are on the same team america as everyone else. It is a very good strategic move.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2009/04/the_names_du_xiao_hua_but_call_me_steve.html

[Anonymous]

I would talk to her in person about it.

FWIW, my name is (something like) Bailey and I have a pretty senior person on my team who spells it Baileigh EVERY TIME. I've worked with her for 7 years. It does annoy me. But then I realized she is from another country where that spelling is more common. It doesn't sound likely in your case, but maybe she knows someone with a similar name and it is spelled that way, so her brain just always goes to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should just pick an easier western name, many of my colleges do this. It's also much easier w/ clients.

Are we talking a name like Seamus or a Chinese name like Yuanxu?

OP how hard is your name to spell/pronounce? Seamus or Yuanxu?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should just pick an easier western name, many of my colleges do this. It's also much easier w/ clients.

OHMYGOD. You are kidding right? That is horrible advice. People can learn new names. It's not that hard.

[Anonymous]

Lazy and disrespectful. I don't know how much I'd insist, but I do think much less of people who can't be bothered to master such simple details.

I understand typos and dyslexia (which would manifest as typing, say, Laral instead of Larla), but consistently misspelling is just lazy and rude.

[Anonymous]

Ignore it but continue to sign emails with your name. This was happening to me when we were buying a house, the sellers' agent continually spelled my name wrong (think one letter off). I ignored it but made sure to write my name in every email I sent. She eventually figured it out.