How Baby Name Pronunciation Can Predict Your Child’s Future!

With a lot of things to consider when choosing a baby name – should pronunciation rank high up parents’ lists? You bet!

Sound symbolism points out the association of phonemes and stimuli having a certain kind of meaning. Simply put, we judge a “word” by how it sounds.

A popular example is the Bouba/Kiki effect, in which nonwords like “bouba” are linked with round shapes while nonwords like “kiki” are connected with sharp shapes. This is true with a person’s name as well.

Names can convey meanings, much like how people can guess meanings of foreign words simply from the sounds.

If that is the case, does the pronunciation alone give an impression of my child’s personality? Can it make my child more likable? Does it affect the chances of my child landing a job in the future?

Fret not, we will help you answer those questions! Read on to know more about the importance of pronunciation of names backed with science research papers.

Can baby name pronunciation affect how others perceive my child?

Phonemes or sound units in a name can convey personality. According to a research study, we tend to deem people agreeable when they have sonorant first names. Names like Owen and Mona. Sonorant names are those that have vowels and consonants /l/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /ɹ/, /w/, /j/ and are characterized by a smooth and rounded sound. No wonder, why we like Anna and Moana so much.

Meanwhile, having the name Katie or Kurtis paints a picture of an outgoing person. These names have the consonants /p/, /t/, and /k/, and sound abrupt. You form these sounds by stopping the airflow as you speak.

You may want to consider how your child’s name sounds, this might leave a great first impression.

Can I choose a name that will make my child more likable?

If you have to choose between Mr. Grzdnjkln and Mr. Dobzhansky, which would you pick? It’s the latter, right?

Adam Alter, a research psychologist pointed out that ‘When we can process a piece of information more easily, when it’s easier to comprehend, we come to like it more.’ This is the reason why you are more likely to pick the easy-to-process name ‘Mr. Dobzhansky’ over ‘Mr. Grzdnjkln.’

A study published in The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that students with easy-to-pronounce surnames were perceived as more likable compared to those hard-to-pronounce ones.

Intriguingly, having an easy-to-pronounce name will not only make your child likable but people will also deem them to be trustworthy as well!

A study published in 2014 involving students from Victoria University of Wellington observed that people judge those with easily pronounced names as more familiar and less dangerous. Therefore, they’re more believable.

You may want to consider a name that won’t make your tongue twist!

How does name pronunciation affect my child’s future employment?

Are you one of those parents or soon-to-be parents that daydream about your child’s future? Guilty!

Every parent likes to imagine their child having a successful career in the future. And you might be able to give them a good head start by giving them an easy-to-pronounce name.

Interestingly in the article mentioned above, they noticed that lawyers who have an easy to pronounce names hold a higher position in their firm regardless of the firm’s size.

So, give them that “roll off the tongue” names, it may go a long way in your child’s future career.

Pronunciation Has A Lasting Impact

As you can see, name pronunciation has significant effects on key areas of your child’s life. From the phonemes to its fluency, a name can communicate things that go beyond their meanings. Make sure to always keep this in mind as you search for the perfect baby name.