Name Pronunciation in an Email Signature

A name pronunciation guide helps people who have never met the sender say their name correctly in calls and meetings. It is usually a phonetic respelling in brackets after the name, such as Siobhan (shi-VAWN) or Saoirse (SEER-sha), written in plain syllables rather than the International Phonetic Alphabet, which most readers cannot decode. An alternative is a short link labeled Hear my name that opens an audio recording; several services host these, and LinkedIn lets members record a name pronunciation on their profile, which can be linked. Pronunciation guides sit naturally beside pronouns, and both are part of inclusive signature practice: they reduce awkward moments, signal that getting names right matters, and benefit anyone whose name is often mispronounced. They are especially useful in sales, recruiting, customer success, and international teams, where first calls follow first emails. Keep the guide short and optional for staff, place it on the same line as the name or immediately below it, and use plain text so screen readers announce it naturally. Organizations that standardize signatures can offer a per-person field for it rather than requiring it.