How can a child correct a friend who keeps mispronouncing their name? 

Parenting Perspective 

Our names carry our meaning, our identity, and our dignity. For a child, hearing their name said correctly is like being seen and acknowledged for who they truly are. However, when a friend repeatedly mispronounces their name, your child may hesitate to correct them, feeling torn between wanting to belong and wanting to be respected. Teaching them how to respond in a kind yet clear way helps them to honour their identity without embarrassing their friend. The aim is to achieve a gentle correction with confidence and grace. 

Beginning with the Value of Their Name 

You can start by saying, ‘Your name is special; it is a part of who you are. When you remind someone how to say it correctly, you are helping them to get to know you better.’ This can help your child to see the act of correction as a form of connection, not a confrontation. 

Giving Them Polite and Friendly Phrases 

Children often avoid correcting others for fear of seeming rude. You can give them some simple and warm options that they can use naturally. 

• ‘Actually, it is pronounced [name]. You were very close, though!’ 

• ‘You have almost got it! It is said like this: [repeat slowly].’ 

• A particularly good phrase is: ‘Almost! It is pronounced [name].’ 

These lines help to keep the tone light and encouraging, rather than placing any blame. 

Teaching Repetition Without Frustration 

It is helpful to explain, ‘Sometimes you will need to remind your friends more than once, and that is okay. Just try to stay kind about it. It can take time for people to learn new sounds.’ This helps to prepare your child for patience, not resentment. 

Practising Polite Correction Through Role-Play 

Role-playing can help your child to find the right tone and body language, which should be calm, smiling, and assured. For example: 

Parent (as friend): ‘Hi, A-ree-ba!’ 

Child: ‘It is actually Ah-ree-ba. You were close!’ 

Parent: ‘That was perfect. It sounded polite, friendly, and confident.’ 

Explaining Why It Matters 

You can shift your child’s mindset from discomfort to empowerment by saying, ‘When you ask people to say your name correctly, you are teaching them how to respect you. That is not an act of pride; it is an act of self-worth.’ 

Teaching Them to Model the Same Respect 

You can also encourage your child by saying, ‘When you meet someone new, try your best to learn their name properly, too. It is how we show the same respect that we expect from others.’ Children who practise mutual respect are able to build their empathy and sense of fairness. 

Praising Their Confidence 

When your child handles the situation well, praise them for it. For example, ‘You handled that perfectly. You stayed polite but did not let your name be lost in the process.’ Acknowledging their poise can help to turn their politeness into a source of pride. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam places a deep value on our identity, our dignity, and the importance of mutual respect. A name that is given with a good meaning and a prayer is an amanah (a trust) and a part of one’s honour. Teaching a child to protect that name with kindness is a reflection of both adab (refined manners) and ‘izzah (self-respect). 

The Quranic Honour of a Name 

The Quran calls for a deep sense of respect in how we address one another. This includes taking care to use a person’s name in a way that honours their dignity. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verses 11: 

‘… And do not call each other by (offensive) nicknames; how bad is it to be called by nefarious names after the attainment of faith…‘ 

When your child kindly corrects their friend, they are embodying this teaching by showing that even a gentle reminder can help to preserve both self-respect and a friendship. 

The Prophetic Example of Respectful Conduct 

The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ remind us that respect in our speech is a clear mark of our faith. When we patiently teach someone how to say our name correctly, without any irritation or mockery, we are displaying the courtesy and patience that Islam celebrates. 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 1734, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘A believer is not a slanderer, nor a curser, nor is he obscene or vulgar.‘ 

This hadith shows that a refined and gentle manner of speaking is a sign of a true believer. 

When your child learns to say, “Actually, it is pronounced [name]; you were close,” they are learning that confidence and kindness can walk hand in hand. They are discovering that correcting someone is not about pride, but about a gentle self-respect. 

Each calm correction helps to build both their own dignity and their friend’s understanding. Over time, they will come to see that names are not just sounds; they are symbols of belonging, and that protecting them is an act of self-honour. 

In every polite reminder, your child comes to reflect the beauty of the prophetic manners: confident without being arrogant, respectful without being silent, and proud of who they are as an individual who has been honoured by Allah Almighty.