When recognizing your graduates for their hard work, pronouncing names correctly is not just a formality but an essential gesture of respect and recognition toward their achievements and identities. To ensure your students earn the respect they deserve, finding a reputable name pronunciation tool both in and out of the classroom is essential. Here’s our top five favorites:
1. NameCheck by StageClip
StageClip’s NameCheck tool is a beacon for universities aiming to perfect the pronunciation of graduate names at ceremonies. This free tool is designed with the understanding that graduation is a pivotal moment in a student’s life, deserving of flawlessness in every aspect, including the correct pronunciation of their names. Here’s how NameCheck facilitates this significant aspect:
- Easy Upload and Confirmation: The process begins with uploading a list of graduate names, followed by graduates confirming or adjusting the pronunciation through a sent link.
- Accessibility for Name Readers: The tool enables readers to easily access and familiarize themselves with the correct pronunciations before the big day.
- Pricing Advantage: NameCheck is free, making it an accessible option for institutions of any budget size.
- Additional Features: Beyond name pronunciation, StageClip offers the creation of personalized video clips of graduates’ on-stage moments for a fee, adding a touch of personalization to the ceremony.
By leveraging A.I. name-reading technology, StageClip ensures that each graduate can review and provide feedback on the pronunciation of their names. This initiative not only respects graduates’ identities but also helps in dramatically reducing the chances of mispronunciation. Gonzaga University’s experience, where 32% of graduates reviewed and corrected their name pronunciations, is a testament to the tool’s effectiveness and the positive impact it can have on the ceremony experience.
Need to see the power of NameCheck in action? Watch a demo today
Watch the Demo2. Forvo
Forvo is a must-have for many who are simply looking to learn names. While it does not offer interaction with users, it does feature the following:
- Broad Language Coverage: Forvo boasts a massive database with over 3 million words pronounced by native speakers in 325 languages, making it invaluable for pronouncing diverse names.
- Categorization and Accessibility: The tool categorizes words for easy access and is supported on iPhone and the web, ensuring a broad user base can benefit from it.
- Affordable Pricing and Features: It’s free to use, with features like “Language of the day” to learn pronunciations and facts about different languages.
3. NameCoach
With its focus on eliminating the barriers to correct name pronunciation, NameCoach is another valuable tool in the education sector, featuring:
- Broad Implementation: NameCoach integrates smoothly into the platforms that educators use daily, such as Canvas, Blackboard, and Salesforce. This seamless integration ensures that correct pronunciations are always at hand, fostering a culture of respect and inclusion.
- Unique Student Profiles: Students create a profile that follows them throughout their educational journey. This simple yet impactful feature ensures that every interaction—from the classroom to commencement—is respectful and personalized.
- Inclusivity at Its Core: Bit signifies to students, faculty, and alumni alike that every individual’s identity is acknowledged and respected.
- Simplified Process for All: Whether for enrollment processes, classroom interactions, or commencement ceremonies, NameCoach offers straightforward solutions. Faculty and staff can access recordings through an Admin Dashboard, ensuring they’re equipped to make every interaction inclusive and welcoming.
4. How to Pronounce
As another free tool, How to Pronounce is a versatile web application that offers not just pronunciations but meanings, wiki info, and even synonyms and antonyms for various words, including names. It supports multiple languages, expanding its utility to a wider audience. Additionally, users can contribute by uploading their pronunciations, fostering a rich and diverse pronunciation database.
The How to Pronounce platform represents an invaluable resource for educators, students, and anyone looking to refine their pronunciation and deepen their understanding of various languages. Its comprehensive coverage, from English and German to Spanish and Italian, ensures that users can easily find and learn the proper pronunciation of an extensive array of words, names, places, and even specialized terminology such as medical words.
5. Pronounce by VOA News
As another accessible tool, Pronounce by VOA News has a massive database of names that has helped people around the world. Its features include:
- Global Names Coverage: This tool specializes in providing pronunciations for names and places from around the world, making it ideal for institutions with a diverse student body.
- Supplemental Tools: It features textual and audio pronunciations, along with wiki information, when available, to offer a comprehensive resource.
- Accessible and Trend-Sensitive Functionality: The tool is web-based, free, and allows users to search trending pronunciations or browse alphabetically.
Key Takeaways
- These tools, each with its unique features and strengths, share a common goal: to honor individuals by pronouncing their names correctly. They underscore the importance of cultural sensitivity and individual recognition in academic settings and beyond.
- Outlets like Forvo, NameCoach, How To Pronounce, and Pronounce by VOA News offer valuable resources for accurate name pronunciation in education, showcasing the importance of accessibility and inclusivity.
- However, investing in a premium tool like NameCheck can enhance the graduation experience significantly and is a worthwhile expenditure for universities aiming for flawlessness in ceremonies.
Elevate Your Graduation Ceremony With StageClip
Ready to ensure every graduate’s name is pronounced perfectly at your next ceremony? StageClip’s NameCheck is here to transform your commencement into a flawless celebration of your students’ achievements. Connect with us to discover the power of StageClip’s technology, and watch a demo today to see how effortlessly you can honor each graduate with the respect and recognition they deserve.
