Nov. 8, 2023

Is your name hard to pronounce?

A meaningful part of your convocation ceremony is hearing your name announced as you cross the stage. Understanding how important it is to hear your name pronounced correctly, you will have an opportunity to work with our volunteers to help ensure your name is pronounced correctly.

On the day of your ceremony 

 
When you collect your degree package in the Olympic Oval, you’ll receive a reader card with your name on it, which will be read during the ceremony. At this point, you can make minor changes to it, such as crossing out a middle name you do not want read out, including a preferred name or adding phonetic guidance.

You will be directed to do so at a designated table with volunteers who can assist you.

Tips for writing phonetically (saying your names as they sound): 

Remember that the convocation name reader will only have a few seconds to look at your card and read your name while standing at the podium, so try to keep your changes simple, neat and clear: 

  • Break down the parts of your name into syllables 
  • Put a hyphen in between syllables 
  • Use capital letters for the syllable(s) that should be stressed or emphasized 


Here are a few examples:

  • Hala Said: HA-la Sa-EED 
  • Phuong Nguyen: Fong Win 
  • Kumar Ahmad: Koo-MAAR AHH-mad