It's time for a confession; I have a difficult time pronouncing my own first name. Everytime I answer the phone at work, Jonathan lets out a snicker as I stumble over the name portion of my greeting and I let out a little sigh of discontent as I realize that, once again, I've mispronounced my own moniker.
I don't know the remedy to this problem. When I was 12, I tried to adopt my middle name, Wynne, but after too many people kept calling me Wayne, Whyanne and my personal favourite, Whiney, I gave up. (Actual proununciation: Win. It's just like Lynne, except with a W.)
I've tried other solutions. Since it's the "sica" portion of my name that I have trouble saying, I often introduce myself in social situations as "Jess." However, in loud rooms (bars, clubs, publicity parties, concerts or in some of the conferences and marketing events I attend) this is a barely audible syllable that always confuses people.
"You're getting a little better," said Jonathan, in false encouragement this morning, after I got off the phone. But you'd figure that after 23 years with this name, I'd be able to say it by now.
Maybe I'll just change my name to Jennifer.
Don't give up. But you could always try Wynne again, which I think is a very nice name. I went to Uni with a lovely Whynn (different spelling but sounds the same I think).
ReplyDeletewoah I can't pronounce my last name very well, it's the R that gets me...
ReplyDeleteI'd say practice and it'll come to you, don't stress you aren't alone <3
ok - jennifer isn't much easier. trust me, i have issues with my own name. i have no idea why.
ReplyDeletethat's why i sometimes tell people my name is Jen but I did that today and the other person thought I said "Janna"
....yeah.
Remember how I first thougth that your name really was Jennifer... But that was all because of my bad memory. I have never notised that you misspronounce your name... I think your name is pretty.
ReplyDeleteBut "sika" with K means a pig in finnish... :) hahah. be happy that your name doesn't have that kinds of double meanings. Or does it?
My name is Jessica too, and everytime someone asks my name, they have to get me to repeat it. I do the "Jess" thing too, because within 10 minutes, that's what they'll call me anyways, introduced as Jessica or Jess.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the whole "Jess" thing confuses people. "Jess? Like Bess?" "No, like Jessica" "Oh, what a pretty name" "Sure, tell me and the 5 other girls in this room who share it"