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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| 'Don't say my name wrong at graduation' | 'Don't say my name wrong at graduation' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| We've all had that social trauma of the name that looks ominously tricky to pronounce. | We've all had that social trauma of the name that looks ominously tricky to pronounce. |
| You're at some event and you've got to introduce someone - or you're trying to read from a name badge - and there's that rising tide of embarrassment as you head into a thick forest of consonants. | You're at some event and you've got to introduce someone - or you're trying to read from a name badge - and there's that rising tide of embarrassment as you head into a thick forest of consonants. |
| You have a few goes at it, like a nervous horse taking a jump at a big fence, before giving up in a welter of apologies. | You have a few goes at it, like a nervous horse taking a jump at a big fence, before giving up in a welter of apologies. |
| Imagine how much worse that would be if there were thousands of people watching and mispronouncing a name could ruin someone's day. | Imagine how much worse that would be if there were thousands of people watching and mispronouncing a name could ruin someone's day. |
| That's the nightmare facing universities in these weeks as they hold graduation ceremonies - with each student having their name read out as they stride across the stage. | That's the nightmare facing universities in these weeks as they hold graduation ceremonies - with each student having their name read out as they stride across the stage. |
| Frozen grin | Frozen grin |
| There are halls crowded with proud families, recording each moment on their mobile phones - and the great fear is that the name sounds nothing like it should. | There are halls crowded with proud families, recording each moment on their mobile phones - and the great fear is that the name sounds nothing like it should. |
| "It can go really badly wrong - and you feel for the parents who might have travelled thousands of miles. You can see their smiles turning to a frozen grin," says Paul Greatrix, registrar at the University of Nottingham. | "It can go really badly wrong - and you feel for the parents who might have travelled thousands of miles. You can see their smiles turning to a frozen grin," says Paul Greatrix, registrar at the University of Nottingham. |
| If people trip over they might be given another chance to walk across the stage, to save their blushes. | If people trip over they might be given another chance to walk across the stage, to save their blushes. |
| But if the pronunciation of the name goes wrong, "there's no escape, the cock-up is there until the end of time," he says. | But if the pronunciation of the name goes wrong, "there's no escape, the cock-up is there until the end of time," he says. |
| As universities become more diverse places it becomes an even greater challenge - with names from China, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and South America. | As universities become more diverse places it becomes an even greater challenge - with names from China, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and South America. |
| Mr Greatrix says universities have been developing their own approaches to preventing mistakes. | Mr Greatrix says universities have been developing their own approaches to preventing mistakes. |
| "They might get in touch with people to ask how they want their names pronounced," he says. That gives the announcer time to rehearse any unfamiliar names. | "They might get in touch with people to ask how they want their names pronounced," he says. That gives the announcer time to rehearse any unfamiliar names. |
| "Some institutions might get a linguist," he says or a native speaker, if there is uncertainty about the pronunciation of names from a particular language or culture. | "Some institutions might get a linguist," he says or a native speaker, if there is uncertainty about the pronunciation of names from a particular language or culture. |
| Mr Greatrix, who is a contributing editor to the Wonkhe higher education website, says graduations are great optimistic events. | Mr Greatrix, who is a contributing editor to the Wonkhe higher education website, says graduations are great optimistic events. |
| But he says there are nagging worries for anyone involved that it might be spoilt by a horribly wrong pronunciation. | But he says there are nagging worries for anyone involved that it might be spoilt by a horribly wrong pronunciation. |
| Record your name in advance | Record your name in advance |
| Even with names that are not ostensibly difficult there can be problems. | Even with names that are not ostensibly difficult there can be problems. |
| A mistake at Butler University in Indiana in US has been widely shared this summer. It was a classic case of mixing up the first letter of a first name with the first letter of the surname - made trickier when the name was "Julie Kirkhoff". | A mistake at Butler University in Indiana in US has been widely shared this summer. It was a classic case of mixing up the first letter of a first name with the first letter of the surname - made trickier when the name was "Julie Kirkhoff". |
| "Forgive me! 'Kirkhoff'," said the announcer, in case anyone had missed it. | "Forgive me! 'Kirkhoff'," said the announcer, in case anyone had missed it. |
| There have been efforts to use technology to minimise the risk of getting names wrong. | There have been efforts to use technology to minimise the risk of getting names wrong. |
| Graduates from Stanford University in California have developed a system called Name Coach, which is used by more than 100 institutions in the US - and also some in the UK. | Graduates from Stanford University in California have developed a system called Name Coach, which is used by more than 100 institutions in the US - and also some in the UK. |
| This has been built to avoid names being "mangled" at graduations. Students are invited to make a recording of their name into a website, which is then rendered into a phonetic form. | This has been built to avoid names being "mangled" at graduations. Students are invited to make a recording of their name into a website, which is then rendered into a phonetic form. |
| This allows the announcer to look through the names coming up and listen to how it should sound and then read a syllable-by-syllable pronunciation. | This allows the announcer to look through the names coming up and listen to how it should sound and then read a syllable-by-syllable pronunciation. |
| The example given is Oluwarotimi Adesina - which it renders as O-loo-wa-RO-tee-me Uh-DESH-i-na. | The example given is Oluwarotimi Adesina - which it renders as O-loo-wa-RO-tee-me Uh-DESH-i-na. |
| There is also an option for students to specify their preferred gender pronoun. | There is also an option for students to specify their preferred gender pronoun. |
| It means that the announcer on stage can have as much information as possible to avoid a name-related car crash. | It means that the announcer on stage can have as much information as possible to avoid a name-related car crash. |
| Cultural identity | Cultural identity |
| Princeton University in New Jersey adopted this online recording system this year, saying in particular it would help to "recognise the diversity of its student population". | Princeton University in New Jersey adopted this online recording system this year, saying in particular it would help to "recognise the diversity of its student population". |
| You only have to take a skim through social media to see how much it matters when it goes wrong. | You only have to take a skim through social media to see how much it matters when it goes wrong. |
| From the students themselves, many of the reactions are angry and unrepeatable, with great offence being taken about an incorrect pronunciation. | From the students themselves, many of the reactions are angry and unrepeatable, with great offence being taken about an incorrect pronunciation. |
| It can feel like a slight against someone's cultural identity as well as undermining their big moment. | It can feel like a slight against someone's cultural identity as well as undermining their big moment. |
| From the parents, there is a lot of passive aggressive irritation, from people who have waited to hear their child's name read out, only to hear a rather dodgy approximation. | From the parents, there is a lot of passive aggressive irritation, from people who have waited to hear their child's name read out, only to hear a rather dodgy approximation. |
| Graduations have become big symbolic rites of passage for families, and getting the name wrong touches a particularly raw nerve. | Graduations have become big symbolic rites of passage for families, and getting the name wrong touches a particularly raw nerve. |
| More from Global education | More from Global education |
| The editor of Global education is sean.coughlan@bbc.co.uk | The editor of Global education is sean.coughlan@bbc.co.uk |