No Stupid Questions

I try to say it exactly like they say it.

I had a coworker named Mahmoud, and all my native-English-speaking coworkers heavily anglicized the pronunciation, removing the throat-clearing sound of the h, and changing the first vowel to like the a in "math" rather than like the a in "mall". Whenever I spoke to him, I tried to copy his inflection as best I could, and and he seemed delighted, but I never clarified if it was about my pronunciation.

In those situations, I repeat it back to them and ask if I got it right. In my experience, people with accents tend to be amused when people earnestly struggle to pronounce their names.

It's normal to come across words you don't know how to pronounce in your native language. When you do, you either ask someone for the pronunciation or stumble along until someone corrects you. Names are no different and you shouldn't be made to feel ashamed by any earnest attempt to pronounce them. Forget about the accent and focus on the specific sounds involved in the name. If you cannot form sounds that are foreign to you, the owner of the name will likely help you pronounce it in the language you're comfortable with. They are probably used to doing this.

Yes because accents are funny

I guess it makes the most sense to do what feels natural. In my case that's pronouncing the name in the language I'm speaking at that moment.

IMO, yes. Proper nouns should be pronounced properly. I recognize that this has implications, such as: ~~Mazda~~ Matsuda! But that's what i believe.

When i had a French friend named Marion, i didn't call them "Mare-ee-uhn".

Some languages you just can't copy the sounds.

Like Chinese names with the tones. I'm Chinese-American and I just gave up on even trying to get teachers to get my name right, and use the Americanized pronnonciation of the pinyin instead, without the tones. Like I don't feel offended or anything, its a tough language, besides I speak Cantonese at home, so idk what pronounciation I would even give. I think a English speaker attempting to pronounce my name in Mandarin or Cantonese and then proceeds to butcher it, its gonna make me feel even more embarassed/cringe at my name so I don't bother. (I mean I'm not embarassed at my name, to be clear. I just feel cringe for the teacher when I hear the wrong pronounciation used, and cringe is contageous)

I'd say just pronounce the English version of it. I mean I could probably pronounce the Chinese name of a fellow Chinese-American classmate, but the teacher would have no idea who I'm referring to since they wouldn't be able to pick up on the tones. So I'd just go with a English pronounciation.

I think a better example to convey what you mean is rolling Rs. Like for most native english speakers, they would pronounce “Roberto” with soft Rs, while the hispanic pronunciation would use a hard R. That said, I pronounce it depending on who I’m talking to and mirror how they say it.

If you get the chance, don’t be afraid to ask. People are usually pretty clear on what they will respond to, if asked. If the accent or name is too hard, you can work with them on a compromise nickname that’s easier for you and that they agree to.

Just pronounce it as it's supposed to be pronounced according to it's written form

For something like the example you shared, I don't think so. For a name in a significantly different language that doesn't have a direct equivalent in my own, I'll do me best to use the appropriate phonemes - but not an "accent" per se.

I would probably be a bit offended and think you were making fun of my accent if you copied me.

If there's a common way of pronouncing it in your accent/dialect use that one unless asked to use a different one.

Otherwise it might come off as you making fun of either their name or accent.

So in the example you gave maybe use "Baub" instead of "Bahb".

Pronounce their name as best as you can. Im sure both of you can be native and non-native speaker to each and own tongue.

There are some people will upfront dislike you or gives negative impression for saying their name in not a proper way. (Dont worry you'll encounter them less)

Wild thought: this could've saved the Mitsubishi Pajero in Latin America.

I think it depends on whether the sound difference actually makes a phonemic difference in the source language—like, would a native speaker hear it as an oddly-pronounced version of the correct sound, or as a distinct, different sound in that language?

This reminds me of the time when I met a British girl during my backpacking days in Australia. She got very upset every time anyone called her Sarah (American accent), because her name was Saaaarah (long first vowel). Everyone around her did their best to accommodate her. But it never even crossed her mind that all of us intentionally pronounced our own names in a very English friendly way, to make it easier for her as an English native speaker to address us 🤦🏻‍♂️

I always present myself with a pronunciation that is easier to pronounce in English. Saying my name as my mother calls me is just weird and strange when you say it in the middle of an English sentence. And likewise, I think it's strange of people to assume that I should be using sounds that don't exist in my native language to pronounce their name, if that is the language we're speaking together.

This has me thinking of Marnus Labuschagne

American Bobs are Bohbs not Bahbs that's Babs