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[return to "The government ate my name"]
1. dustin+gd[view] [source] 2025-10-09 20:16:02
>>notok+(OP)
Moving to a country that doesn't speak English has taught me just how many pronunciations of my last name there are. It's never really bothered me, though, and 90% of the time I'll introduce myself with the "wrong" one. It's easier for everyone.
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2. pavel_+Nd[view] [source] 2025-10-09 20:18:46
>>dustin+gd
Samesies; when I moved to Texas, people put the accent in my name on the wrong syllable, but after awhile that began to sound more natural than my name with the accent in the correct place but with an American accent. "PAYvel" sounds worse to me than "PahVEL", so I go by the latter - presumably fucking it up for every Pavel that comes into these people's lives after me.
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3. rkomor+hx[view] [source] 2025-10-09 22:41:08
>>pavel_+Nd
What gets me is the people who decide not to call me by the name I specifically introduce myself with.

I have a nasal vowel in my name that, so far in my life, only French and Portuguese speakers have pronounced properly.

I learned English in the US young enough that no one guesses I'm not native, and I anglicized my name so that it could be pronounced easily. It is what I go by.

I introduce myself with this adopted pronunciation. People often ask me how to pronounce it in French, so I tell them, but reiterate that I go by the anglicized pronunciation.

Inevitably, those folks start using their wrong attempt at French and I have to correct them and tell them I go by the anglicized pronunciation.

Edit: strong feelings had, obviously.

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4. pavel_+lP1[view] [source] 2025-10-10 13:26:32
>>rkomor+hx
Yeah. Every time someone asks me, "but how do you really pronounce it", I do a big internal sigh and resign myself to the next 10 minutes being a useless pronunciation lesson.
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5. rkomor+mU1[view] [source] 2025-10-10 13:51:29
>>pavel_+lP1
And when they somehow come away satisfied that their wrong pronunciation works... ugh.

I will say though, I'm perfectly fine with people not being able to pronounce my name, and I do expect the same courtesy in return. I'll give it my best shot, but if it's not happening, it's just not happening.

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