Reply to Pronouncing names and words with an accent

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I hate when people use the so-called American pronunciation of my surname when they use the authentic pronunciation of certain other ethnic names. My name is like Lewandowski, obviously a Slavic name. Why on earth would people think the w is like it is English? It has a frickin’ English v sound. Don’t get me started on accent marks accepted for French and Spanish, maybe an occasional German umlaut, but not accent marks for other names.

Pronounce the name the way the person pronounces it. I know several families who pronounce their surnames differently.

I do feel bad for people whose first names are mangled regularly. Usually, they are usually polite and resigned to it when they know people are trying. If you insist on mispronouncing a simpler name even after repeated corrections (eg, LEW-an-dow-ski instead of le-VAN-dove-ski), you’re a jerk.[/quote]

But some people who are generations removed from their ancestral language use an Americanized pronunciation, and others choose to switch between an Americanized pronunciation and a "correct" pronunciation. It's not up to you to decide how they should pronounce their own name. What is correct is however a person says their own name and your feelings about that choice are irrelevant.[/quote]

You missed that I said pronounce it the way someone wants it pronounced. If you insist on your pronunciation instead of the name’s owner, you’re a jerk. I grew up in a multigenerational family, in an ethnic neighborhood. Some people gave up on trying to get people to say their name properly, but even their great-grandchildren know how to pronounce their name properly.

Generally, if your name isn’t Western European in origin or monosyllabic, people feel it’s ok to continuously butcher it.Those who try and fail to pronounce it correctly are fine. [/quote]

It's clear you have an opinion about how other people pronounce their own names since you describe a "proper" way to pronounce them. You are judging people who choose to use the Americanized pronunciation, whether you want to admit it or not.[/quote]

I definitely ask how they pronounce their name and pronounce it that way. Rarely does anyone respect the pronunciation of my name unless I’m overseas or in the Midwest. DC people can’t seem to handle it. [/quote]

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