unknown
April 1, 2026
A moment that changed me: for the first time in my life, a stranger pronounced my name correctly
I had grown up dreading introductions, with the inevitable mangling of my name. Suddenly, in India, we were both getting the respect we deserved
TL;DR
- The author, Priti Ubhayakar, experienced years of discomfort and teasing due to the mispronunciation of her name.
- She developed coping mechanisms to avoid introductions and the embarrassment of her name being mangled.
- Moving to India in 2004 marked a turning point when her name was pronounced correctly for the first time.
- This experience led to a significant increase in self-confidence and a positive reclamation of her Indian identity.
- The author now confidently introduces herself and makes an effort to pronounce others' names correctly.