How to Help People Pronounce Your Name

my name is Brijhette. pronounced like "bridge" and "jet."

i've been spelling it out phonetically for as long as i can remember. at coffee shops, i use a letter. at doctor's offices, i brace myself. in professional settings, i introduce myself with the pronunciation built right in: "hi, i'm Brijhette — bridge-JET."

it works sometimes. other times, i'm still correcting people months later.

why names matter

when someone repeatedly mispronounces your name — especially after you've corrected them — it's not just awkward. it's erasure.

maybe unintentionally. maybe they're genuinely trying. but the impact is the same: your identity gets deprioritized.

people master complex technical jargon, brand names, obscure pop culture references. "Tchaikovsky." "Häagen-Dazs." "Kubernetes." but a person's actual name? that gets filed under "too hard."

the tools that actually help

after years of this, i started testing ways to make my name stick — without having to correct people constantly.

1. phonetic spelling on everything digital

LinkedIn lets you add pronunciation to your profile. so does Zoom, Slack, and an increasing number of HR systems. add yours. write it in your email signature. use it in your Calendly bio. make it impossible to miss.

format: Name (pho-NET-ic)

2. audio on anything scanned

QR codes that play your voice saying your name are now possible to put on conference badges, business cards, and desk nameplates. you say it once. the QR code says it forever.

3. physical presence

a mug on your desk with your name and pronunciation on it is a soft, constant teacher. a name badge insert. a t-shirt. these aren't gimmicks — they're documentation. they create the repetition that makes pronunciation stick, passively, without you having to initiate.

4. build it into introductions

"hi, i'm Brijhette — it's like bridge and jet, bridge-JET." takes two extra seconds. eliminates 90% of the problem. when people hear it from you first, they don't have to guess and get it wrong before they can learn.

what you don't have to do

you don't have to apologize for having a "difficult" name. it's not difficult. it's yours.

you don't have to offer a nickname as a consolation prize so that someone else is more comfortable.

and you don't have to keep doing all of the emotional labor of pronunciation education alone. there are tools for this now.