Spell my name correctly, dammit!

[Miss Chicken]

I had a former neighbour who used to hate it when people pronounced McGrath as it was written instead of pronouncing it correctly as McGra.

My mother used to always spell my son's Daniel's name as Danial. No matter how many times I corrected it she kept on with the Danial spelling. Each Christmas she would also have to ask me how to spell her great grand-daughter's name (Tahlia).

 

[Me-Ike]

Meike, which can also be written Maike. People always, always, always assume it's the latter. I immediately mention the 'ei' when I say my name to avoid confusion.

 

[Skywalker]

I had a former neighbour who used to pronounce McGrath as it was written instead of pronouncing it correctly as McGra.

Here in the United States, McGrath seems to be pronounced as it's written more often than not, too. The name's usually only pronounced semi-properly when it's spelled McGraw.

 

[Finn]

I've never seen the spelling Rodger.

I've never seen that spelling either. I'd be annoyed too.

 

[auntiehill]

My name gets spelled incorrectly all the time, even though it's spelled exactly the same as the former First Lady and current Secretary of State's name.

 

[Mary Ann]

The silent letter in my maiden name is due to a spelling mistake on my great-grandfather's birth certificate. Even without that letter, though, it would still be a bit tricky to spell correctly the first time.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I have a similar problem.

Pretty much every coworker I've ever had has called me "Johnathan" at one point or another assuming it was my full name.

When I would insist it wasn't, they would say something like "now you're lying because you're embarrassed" or whatever. I even had one person tell me that "People aren't named just 'John.'"

Now that I do find odd. Is it a regional thing? My paternal grandfather is named John, and where I'm from I think everyone's paternal grandfather is named John.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I had a former neighbour who used to pronounce McGrath as it was written instead of pronouncing it correctly as McGra.

Here in the United States, McGrath seems to be pronounced as it's written more often than not, too. The name's usually only pronounced semi-properly when it's spelled McGraw.

I had to edit my post because I meant to say that my neighbour hated it being pronounced McGrath. She pronounced it the correct way herself.

 

[Skywalker]

My last name, Houle, doesn't get misspelled very often, but a lot of people mispronounce it. A lot of people pronounce it like 'Howl,' some say 'Hooley,' some say 'Howley.' Usually the only people who pronounce it correctly ('Hool') are the ones with French names, too.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I had a former neighbour who used to pronounce McGrath as it was written instead of pronouncing it correctly as McGra.

Here in the United States, McGrath seems to be pronounced as it's written more often than not, too. The name's usually only pronounced semi-properly when it's spelled McGraw.

Isn't it quite common for names - place names come to mind in particular - to be pronounced as spelt in the States, as opposed to the...somewhat odd ...pronounciations of the originals? I thought that was a general thing that people somewhat expected. Different conventions for approaching words and names .

 

[Miss Chicken]

There are people in my family tree with the surname Hough. I was wondering how people here would pronounce it?

Actually this question would be better if I could say the surname and ask people to spell it.

 

[scotpens]

I've never seen the spelling Rodger.

I've never seen Rodger as a first name either -- only in the surname Rodgers, like the composer Richard Rodgers.

My name is Scot with one T, so I don't complain about people spelling it Scott with two T's, which is far more common.

As for my surname (Penslar), I've gotten mail addressed to Pensler, Penzler, Penslak, Penslav, and Penslan.

There are people in my family tree with the surname Hough. I was wondering how people here would pronounce it?

If it's pronounced "How," that could be the start of an Abbott and Costello routine.

 

[Skywalker]

I had a former neighbour who used to pronounce McGrath as it was written instead of pronouncing it correctly as McGra.

Here in the United States, McGrath seems to be pronounced as it's written more often than not, too. The name's usually only pronounced semi-properly when it's spelled McGraw.

Isn't it quite common for names - place names come to mind in particular - to be pronounced as spelt in the States, as opposed to the...somewhat odd ...pronounciations of the originals? I thought that was a general thing that people somewhat expected. Different conventions for approaching words and names .

Yeah, it's very common. If you hold up a picture of Edinburgh to an American and ask them to pronounce the name, a lot of them would probably say 'Edinberg.'

There are people in my family tree with the surname Hough. I was wondering how people here would pronounce it?

Actually this question would be better if I could say the surname and ask people to spell it.

I'd say Hoff or Huff, maybe Hoe, though I'm sure I'd probably be wrong. But yeah, I agree the latter method would work better.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

There are people in my family tree with the surname Hough. I was wondering how people here would pronounce it?

Actually this question would be better if I could say the surname and ask people to spell it.

I'd go with "How". As in the town of "Slough", near to where I live.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I totally empathize with your rant. My name ends in i, but some people spell it ie. Not a big deal... except when it's people who've known me for years, and they're replying to an email from me or posting on my FB wall, so the correct spelling is right there in front of their face. Grrr.

 

[Miss Chicken]

It is pronounced Huff.

While I was doing my library technician course I did a talk on problems people face when doing genealogical research. One of the problems I tackled was the mis-spelling of names and I handed out pieces of paper and asked people to write down the surnames I called out.

I don't recall all the surnames but they included

Hough
Picot
Pettit

and there was also a German name.

Every single person in the class put down Huff.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

It is pronounced Huff.

Ah, like Slough, what a snake does, instead of Slough, the wretched hive of scum and villainy.

 

[scotpens]

Then there are the real oddball names like Ralph Fiennes, whose name is pronounced "Rafe Fines." How did that happen?

There are at least 10 ways to spell Mary Ann, and no one ever spells it correctly the first time. I appreciate when people ask me how to spell it.

There are eight ways to spell "Suzanna" -- and theoretically 24 ways to spell "Catherine."

Isn't it quite common for names - place names come to mind in particular - to be pronounced as spelt in the States . . .

Except for Arkansas.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Isn't it quite common for names - place names come to mind in particular - to be pronounced as spelt in the States . . .

Except for Arkansas.

Oh yes! I've heard nothing brings down the wrath of people from Arkansas like pronouncing it Ar-Kansas...

Are-kan-saw, am I correct?

 

[CorporalClegg]

Meike, which can also be written Maike. People always, always, always assume it's the latter. I immediately mention the 'ei' when I say my name to avoid confusion.

How do you pronounce that? Is it supposed to be "MY-kuh"?

everyone's[/I] paternal grandfather is named John.

I don't know "regional" so much as "moronic".