Names and name pronunciation is very individual and variable. There is no general standard so the proposal seems impractical to me.

Multiple pronunciation should be allowed to be added to the name dictionary, so there is no need for standards.

Normal pronunciations are determined by standard usage in a relatively large subsector of a culture whereas name pronunciation is frequently a matter of individual or individual family choice which makes the spectrum of almost impossibly wide to standardize. One of the factors of this difference, especially in a country like the USA which has a large number of people who have immigrated from countries that speak different languages, is that anglicized versions of foreign names undergo radical changes in pronunciation so that they differ to a large degree from the original and cannot be recorded in all their mutations in a way easily handled in a standard reference text.

In countries with large immigrant population such service is very useful since there are many names people never heard. It would be ridiculous to try to captures all pronunciations of a name but few of the most populars should serve the purpose.

My last name gets mispronounced all the time, and there are no meaningful variations on how it should be pronounced. There may be differences in different pronunciations, conceivably, possibly, theoretically but to disagree to this idea based on that possibility is to be unable to think quantitatively. I don't see how anyone would be worse off than they are now.

I am not sure, but is this related to the soundex codes?

The dictionary could include the names of specific people (famous actors, athletes, historic figures, etc.) and place names. I would find this quite handy.

This dictionary should start with the low-hanging fruit: the names of famous foreigners, such as Cavafy and Seurat. (In a 2002 book, Joseph Epstein mentioned that he had until recently mispronounced the first and an acquaintance mispronounced the second.) Many persons would like to check out their proper pronunciation--and fortunately there is agreement on this matter, unlike the case with ordinary names, where one branch of a family may pronounce it one way and another branch another.

Later, this dictionary could incorporate ordinary names on which there is no disagreement on pronunciation, like Schuyler.

Eventually, it could list names where variants exist, giving both variants, which at least would be a bit of a help.

PS: The great thing about an online dictionary is that it could actually speak the comment audibly, as well as showing how it should be pronounced in the way that printed dictionaries do.

I remember stumbling onto a site that did just this!I cant find the link anymore but actually it was more like a site that allowed you to learn words in different languages..you choose the language and their are list of phrases and words of that language and you hear people audibly pronounce those words/phrases in that language. It is user-generated data so anyone can upload the audio.

Hello,Interesting idea. I have a 'problem' with my own name 'Iwanjka', thanks to my mother. Always mispronunciated. But this happens practically only at 'the first encounter'. After that, people know how to pronunciate it. Two primary remarks:1. How do you make 'sure' people look up your name, before they have to use it?2. The pronunciation -for me- depends totally on how the person him- or herself wants his / her name to be pronunciated. So, the name 'Jean' has not 'one' global pronunciation. I first requirement is therfore to couple the specific pronunciation to a specific person (or thing). And that concept would help for a lot of things... (one name space listing all people). But how to achieve that... 6 billion names. Are there enough uniqie names? This is a concept / research the spirilogic group participates in. They have called the concept 'GUName' (Global Unique Name). A more abstract form is called 'GULabel' (Global Unique Labels). The latest is required for optimal findability on the internet. You can read more on this at:

<span class=SpellE>CarWebTransce</span>

and

HOME (Click)

So, maybe we can shake hands in the near future when the pronunciation of your name is enlisted in the GUName listing (global database).

Regards, Iwanjka, SpiriLogic MemberPS: My mother gave me -by accidence probably- a GUName, but how do you pronounce it?

Sorry, in my previous posting a placed some bad html, now the links work hopefully:

GUname concept, and

GULabel database, and

www.spirilogic.com--- Iwanjka

I think you'll get some difficulty in that some people wish their names to be pronounced differently than the generally accepted pronounciation for that spelling, for example to differentiate themselves from a famous or infamous person that they don't want to be associated with.

People with the same last name as Ponzi scammer Bernie Madeoff have taken to pronouncing the first syllable with a short 'a' (rhymes with sad) instead of a long 'a'.

Hello Dharman, can you send me -a small- audi file with the pronunciation of your name (wav or so)? You can send it to addname@it-inspiratie.nl, were busy with a little experient with a global name database. Sound fits in perfectly! Thank you, and I come back to you once we have put the sound together with your person and name in the guname database (and you can change or remove it at all times, promise). Spirilogic, Iwanjka

Take a look at the unique internet name database prototype:

www.spirilogic.com/12-Guname/Guname%20base.html

Send the pronunciation of your name as well, and we list it there...

Regards,Iwanjka,SpiriLogic

Sorry, the previous link does not work, again:

Click on this one:

Guname database - unique internet names directory

Or when that does not work, paste the url in your browser:

http://www.spirilogic.com/12-Guname/Guname%20base.html

Please post comments in this (whynot) discussion, or send them to:iwanjka@spirilogic.com