i know folks get nervous when encountering names they& #39;re not sure how to pronounce. but you really don& #39;t need to say the names are "hard" or "difficult" or "tricky." you can just apologize for mispronouncing and try again.

and maybe this is more a personal opinion (others might feel differently), but you also don& #39;t need to say the name is "beautiful" or "musical" or "unique," esp if you wouldn& #39;t say that about, say, an anglo-sounding name. this can come off as exoticizing

however complimentary you may think you& #39;re being, these comments on names you have trouble pronouncing are more about *your* feelings than anything. just try your best; be open to being corrected; listen to what the person prefers