Here at Diversity Dana we know that your name is more than just a name! It’s part of your heritage, identity and pride. But all over the world, names are constantly mispronounced. And regardless of the reason, it’s hurtful to those affected.

That’s why we’re so excited that Race Equality Matters have launched the #MyNameIs campaign, which includes a digital tool that helps people share the pronunciation of their name by translating it to phonetics (FUH-NET-ICS).

The campaign aims to highlight the use of real names and the importance of pronouncing them correctly. And with a phonetic translation it’s easier for people to get it right.

My name is pretty easy to pronounce, but sometimes it gets shortened to “Trace” and for some reason I really don’t like it when it happens. I’m not sure why it bothers me so much, probably because it’s not my name. So if someone uses “Trace” it doesn’t feel like they’re referring to me.

It doesn’t happen that often to me, but for some people their names are mispronounced and shortened on a daily basis, because it’s easier for the person speaking – and that’s really unfair.

Hopefully this campaign will help everyone realise the negative impact their words can have on others.

Why not have a go and use the Phonetic Translator with your own name – we’d love for you to share your phonetic name in the comments below.