Character Name Pronunciation Guide?

Writers' Corner
1

I had this idea to have a character name pronunciation guide at the beginning of a book a few years ago, and I think I’m gonna actually use it for the one I’m writing right now. A lot of their names are easily messed up in pronunciation and I personally always hate it when I have to stop reading to go look up how to pronounce a character’s name.

So, I have a question! Would it bother you if the pronunciation guide was at the front of the book and that’s where you had to turn every time you needed confirmation on how to say a character’s name? Or would you rather there be a character name pronunciation guide put in next to the page where a character with a hard-to-pronounce name was introduced? I feel like maybe that wouldn’t be good, because it’d be hard to find if you ever forgot how to pronounce their name?

Here’s a poll for this (in case you’d like to answer but just don’t feel like forming an actual thought for a reply):

  • I’d rather have the guide be at the front of the book
  • I’d rather have the guide be after each character is introduced
  • I think the guide at the front would be easier
  • I think the guide at the front would be harder
  • I think the guides throughout the book would be harder
  • I think the guides throughout the book would be easier
  • I think a guide period would be hard to navigate
  • I think a guide period would be helpful

0 voters

Do you like this idea of a character name pronunciation guide?

  • Yes
  • No
  • I mean… (reply with your detailed thoughts!)

0 voters

And you can expand on your thoughts on this in a reply if you’d like! :slight_smile:

1 Like
2

I COULD be wrong because it’s been some years since I read them, but I think in the [name_m]Magnus[/name_m] [name_u]Chase[/name_u] books there is a name guide at the end of each book. I think that’s the best place for it!
In the beginning, it’s just annoying. At this point these names don’t mean anything to you, you don’t know the characters, but you still have to go through the pages as a new reader.
In the middle of the book, it would be distracting and awkward.
At the end it’s easy to get to and doesn’t distract from the story!

5 Likes
3

I think a pronunciation guide in the footnotes of the page where the character is introduced would be the most useful. But a list of pronunciations at the end, so it’s easy to find, would also be helpful in case the reader forgets the pronunciation between first reading the name and next reading the name

2 Likes
4

The books that I have read with pronunciation guides are usually at the back but you could always change it and put it in the front.:wink: I think including a pronunciation guide is only necessary if A: it really matters to you that your names are pronounced the right way and B: if your names need a pronunciation guide because they are like Irish/welsh and no one will get it right. No matter what you do I would either put it at the beginning or end of the book as after each character seems very confusing to me.
Best wishes with your book!:blush:

2 Likes
5

I agree with PPs who suggested doing it at the end of the book! That’s what I plan to do.

3 Likes
6

I like them at the end of the book rather than the front, unless there’s other things in the front, likes maps or family trees, in which case I like them at the front. In fact, I like them best if they are incorporated into other information, like a family tree, or a character list. I also think they’re only really needed in certain genres, like historical ficrion/high fantasy.

1 Like