UW introduces new app to support proper name pronunciation
Text by Ignacio Lobos | UW-IT Strategic Communications
I was at a pizza joint recently and the cashier asked for my name so they could yell it out when my slices came out of the oven.
I hesitated for an uncomfortable few seconds and I finally told her, “Just make it Tony.” She gave me a glance that I read as, “You don’t look like a Tony to me!”
OK, so I was tired and hungry, and I didn’t want to hassle with another teachable moment, so surely you can understand. And come on, Ignacio is not that hard to pronounce. Just a handful of syllables.
And yet, over the years, my name has been mispronounced countless times — Over and over, in loud bars and pizza joints, in offices, and yes, in the classroom as well. Co-workers, friends, fellow students, a stubborn boss. All guilty as charged!
So, it’s great to hear that my employer, UW Information Technology, has acquired an app that is supposed to make it easier for people like me to share the proper pronunciation of our names.
This September, Namecoach will be unveiled in Canvas, the UW’s learning management system, and it will be available for students and faculty on all campuses first. If things go well, UW-IT hopes to release Namecoach to other users, including staff members like me, across other applications that are widely used at the University.
The app lets students (and faculty) create an audio recording of their name and enter a phonetic spelling if they want. The info is then accessible by others who have permission to use Canvas. Namecoach will appear as a tab in a Canvas course.
This is a big deal for a lot of people. Names matter. They’re an integral part of our identity. When you mispronounce someone’s name on purpose or make light of it, it’s certainly a show of disrespect. Don’t just take it from me. Check out this article from my colleagues in UW Medicine, which talks about why correct name pronunciation helps people feel respected and included.
So, say it with me: Ignacio! (a decent Youtube interpretation, until I get to make my own recording in Namecoach.)