Someone corrects the pronunciation of their name, and the conversation suddenly becomes about how difficult it is for everyone else. A better response is shorter: thank them, try again if invited, and use what you learned.
Ask directly and neutrally: “How would you like me to pronounce your name?” Do not assume a pronunciation from appearance, nationality or a colleague’s version. A person may also use different forms in different settings; let them choose the form for this one.
Make remembering your responsibility
With permission, write a small pronunciation cue in your own contacts or notes. Use a cue that helps you rather than treating an improvised spelling as an official version of the name. Avoid sharing a recording or private note without consent.
For a meeting host, preparation can be built into the invitation: offer participants a way to provide the name they want displayed and, optionally, a pronunciation guide. Do not make that field compulsory or require people to explain the cultural history of their name.
If you get it wrong publicly, correct yourself briefly and continue. A lengthy apology can make the other person manage your embarrassment. Equally, joking that a name is “too hard” or substituting a nickname without agreement shifts the burden back to them.
Check the written version too
Copy names carefully into agendas, certificates and badges. Preserve accents and spacing where the system supports them, and ask how to handle a technical limitation rather than quietly changing the name. Review an automated mail merge before sending it to a large group.
This is a small operational habit, not a performance of cultural expertise. The test is whether the person can take part without repeatedly doing the same correction—and whether your process improves after they have told you once.