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Former Teacher Mispronounced Own Name For 20 Years To 'Make Others Lives' Easier'

Former Teacher Mispronounced Own Name For 20 Years To 'Make Others Lives' Easier'

She deliberately mispronounced her own name to make things easier for others

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A former school teacher said she mispronounced her own name for 20 years to make life easier for other people, but is now finally introducing herself with the correct pronunciation.

Jyoti Chadda, 27, said people mispronouncing her name pretty much became the norm, so when she grew up she would deliberately mispronounce her own name to make it easier for others.

However, she says a pivotal moment came when a friend listened to her podcast and heard how to correctly say her name for the first time.

Kennedy News and Media

The pal came to Jyoti - which is pronounced 'jyoh-thee' - and apologised for getting her name wrong, before asking her how to say it properly.

Now, Jyoti says she finally has the courage to challenge people who mispronounce her name and will repeat it until they've managed to pick it up.

Jyoti, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, said: "Through my first primary school I was called Jotty and I remember people would rhyme it with potty and I obviously did not like that.

"When I moved school as I was going into year four I remember saying to my mum 'can we make sure that everyone can say Gotty instead of Jotty, so they won't rhyme it with potty?' Then it changed to Gotty.

"I almost felt embarrassed so as teachers would come to the register, after a few crazy mispronunciations from Janita to Yolande, which don't look anything like how my name is spelt, I just started saying it for the teachers so they didn't even have a chance to mispronounce it, although obviously the pronunciation I was giving was technically incorrect.

Kennedy News and Media

"I was quite a shy and introverted child and teenager so I'd find any attention drawn to me in that way quite mortifying. I'd laugh it off but inside I'd be like 'oh gosh, this is so embarrassing. I wish I just had an easier name'.

"I would mispronounce my name for certain people to make their life easier, rather than trying to say Jyoti and having that conversation, which is what I do now.

"If I'm with an Indian person I'd always say it correctly because I knew they'd be able to.

"In some ways I never gave people a chance to say it either, until much later in life I realised that actually people can say Tchaikovsky and all of these really complicated footballers and sportspersons' names, then why can't they say Jyoti?"

The former teacher says she's worked in many schools and would always take the time to learn how to say each child's name correctly.

Kennedy News and Media

She added: "My message to others [in a similar situation] would be it's about doing it when it feels right for you and persevering with it and all you can do is give people the opportunity, what they then do with that is not your responsibility.

"I've had a couple of people still who are like 'I'm just going to say this because it's easier', and then you have to have a very different kind of conversation - kind of speaking about that's not OK because that's not how you say my name.

"You can't just choose to say it however you want."

Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media

Topics: UK News, Teacher