SayMyName
Make the effort to pronounce someone's name right
I'm excited to announce that the new ✨ SayMyName: https://saymyname.io is now live 🚀
You can now create your Name Card and share it with the world 🌍
I once considered changing my name to something easier to pronounce or even anglicising it, but I decided not to! I decided that wherever I go my name has to come with me. It’s João, it’s who I am. If you share this sentiment, SayMyName is here to support you.
We're addressing the impact of name mispronunciation on identity and inclusion. When someone says it right, you feel seen; when they don't, you can feel like you don’t belong 🫂
SayMyName is for everyone... for teams, businesses, schools, events or anyone that wants to share their name pronunciation or say names right. Get in touch or become a monthly supporter — 10% of our proceeds goes to anti-racism initiatives.
Remember, your name isn't just a label, it's the strongest connection with your identity. Names matter, make an effort to say them right.
hashtag#namesmatter hashtag#saymyname hashtag#saythemright
Got featured on Product Hunt in 22nd position on the 19th November. Product has received +40 upvotes and over 700 new users have accessed the app. People have accessed from over 40 countries using it to practice the pronunciation of over 250 different names.
Article got a real good traction. On LinkedIn got over 2000 views, 8 comments and several likes.
And on Medium got +40 claps in a day.
As an essential feature for the app to get more traction all over the world, I've decided to add more Languages.
After a quick market research I've noticed some specific languages would bring the app more usage and help achieve the mission of bringing awareness to name pronunciation.
saymyname.io is now available in 3 other languages (Mandarin, Spanish and English). You can share the link with your name with your friends and colleagues and request new languages.
My name is João (pronounced: [ʒuˈɐ̃w̃], if that helps 🙃), and it’s essentially the Portuguese version of John. In Brazil and Portugal it is one of the most common names. Growing up in Brazil, I remember it being the most used “generic example name” teachers would use at school, something like: “João has three apples and two oranges”. And it’s only two syllables: jo — ão.
After answering these classic questions, many times: “Do you have any nicknames I can call you?”, “Do you have an English name?”, I realised: I don’t want to change my name. My childhood friends know me as João, as my grandparents and all my family do too. It is the name I want my new friends and people I meet to know me as. I’ve built my life image to that name, João is who I am.
I’ve created a tool: saymyname.io. It’s a tool for people with the same struggle of wanting to keep their name but having it often mispronounced. You can send it to your friends and colleagues and it will give them a score on how close they are from your name’s perfect pronunciation. It’s a tool for Calibrators.
It indeed helped my friends to know if they were improving, and gave them a tool to practice before we meet. I knew they cared, they just needed a nudge to get better. Also, it triggered a sense of competition between them: “who says “João” better?”. And from time to time it became a great party, and even a drinking game!
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Best of luck!
I think it's a great idea because I live abroad so sometimes I'm run into this problem. But you know, when someone pronounces your name correctly, make yourself at home.
Thanks,
Begum
1 Comment
Nice!
I suggest adding on the landing page another picture example for embedding an icon next to your name at your email's signature, that way when you're corresponding with someone via email and they see your name, they click on the "play"/"SayMyName" icon next to your name to learn how pronounce it.
Another idea would to make a very subtle nod to Heisenberg (because of the name) :)