Spelling The Name Correctly !

The importance of spelling someone's name may seem like a small affair and even inconsequential but neither of this is literal. We may generally think that if someone is writing a name incorrectly then it must be a very unique name or may not be heard a lot but this is only our impulsive reaction. Even the simplest and fairly common names are spelled several ways and can be picked up incorrectly. Also strangely, this may not seem significant to you when you're spelling someone's name but will also not make them justifiable for you when they spell your name incorrectly.

So why is it so important to write the correct spellings for the names? Because name is the most highly valuable identification. It is like a gemstone among all identities. Similarly, it is the most used and most called out identity as well.

But what happens if someone spells it incorrectly multiple times? By incorrect here I certainly do not mean the whole arrangement of letters is reconstructed but only substituting a letter with another can shift the focus of one's identification. For example replacing letter 'a' with letter 'e' or taking a letter off like writing letter 's' instead of 'ss' may not change the sound of the name but will affect the appearance of identity making it dysfunctional to the relevant person. 

The person whose name is miss spelled will immediately feel uneasy around you because his/her identity is not acknowledged the way it should have been. It may also seem discourteous to spell a name wrong because it’s not just the combination of letters to form a sound, it’s the other person’s identification.

Now, more than ever, your name can be seen all around. It's thoroughly available on social media, in emails, on forums and in text messages. So if you’re consistent in spelling other person’s name incorrectly, this can irk them, may make them take the red pen out or may deviate or detach them from the conversation. 

You may have never thought this can be a thing to highlight but the social and ethical way to be fair is to be particular about how the other person’s name is spelled out and always make sure not to make erroneous assumptions while writing it. In fact, if you meet someone you did not know before then in order to establish a relationship take the polite initiative and ask how they spell their name. There should be no hesitation in asking it. This will make a good start to your amalgamation with that person. Opposite to this I have seen and experienced people being careless and negligent about this matter. Now let's take an example and explain how it makes a difference both in writing and in its appearance.

I will pick a simple and familiar name ‘Robin’ here. Robin is a fairly well heard name. You can easily recall it from the famous heroic character Robin Hood in history, literature and filming. So Robin is commonly written with letter 'i' but if a baby is named Robyn then his parents preferred to use letter 'y' instead of letter 'i'. A simple reason could be to have an easy name for their child but with unique spellings. This forms his identification as Robyn and not Robin. It is the only spelling identity he owns. Rest doesn’t associate with him.

This image of a message window clearly shows how the appearance of Robyn's identification changes with the replacement of only a single letter.

So Robyn would expect you to pay heed to his identification and write his name the same way as he spells it. Because if you are not writing his name the way he spells it then you’re are not acknowledging his identification. A safe and best way in scenarios like this would be to verify and save the contact name with its correct spellings for future references.

Spelling a name incorrectly also delivers the feeling of inattentiveness to the person being addressed. This feeling of being inattentive in the start of conversation may also affect anything they will have to say during the rest of the conversation.

A small group survey of children between 8 to 14 years was conducted recently. Only a letter from each of their names was substituted with another letter. Smaller age group children did not feel familiar with their names after the change and chose to leave the group. Where as older age group children felt uncomfortable and did not feel included just by seeing this small change in their names.

This infers that not only adults but younger age groups also gets affected by this simple but very conspicuous act. Their response was indeed apposite to the purpose of this experiment. Hence, it can easily be categorized as a communication etiquette that needs to be acknowledged and practiced firmly.

So, if you have spelled someone's name incorrectly then as soon as you realize you should apologize and start spelling it right. This will not only clear the feeling of indifference and being excluded but will also extend across a stronger correspondence and a pleasant social tie. 

And if you are someone whose name is being miss spelled then it is absolutely pertinent to be assertive and mention politely that your name is miss spelled multiple times and how it is supposed to be addressed.