‘The bare minimum’: Graduates slam repeated name mispronunciations at Manchester Met

Manchester Metropolitan University graduates have spoken out after a series of name mispronunciations during graduation ceremonies.

In a video shared to TikTok, one Master’s graduate had to correct the name reader several times.

Ledine shared a video of her graduation, in which the speaker mispronounces her name multiple times before she walks the stage.

Her caption read: “I didn’t spend thousands on a Master’s degree just to have my beautiful African name mispronounced.”

During the business and law school ceremony, the name reader appeared to struggle with pronouncing graduates names, despite students being asked to submit phonetic pronunciation of their names when registering for their graduation.

Ledine told The Manchester Tab: “This conversation is not about whether ethnic names are unfamiliar; it is about whether we are willing to make the effort to pronounce them correctly. We rarely hesitate to learn phonetically unfamiliar Western names, so the same level of care should be afforded to names from every culture.

“A graduation ceremony celebrates years of dedication and sacrifice. Many international students have left their families, crossed continents, and invested thousands to earn that moment. The least we should expect is to have our names spoken with care. A name is not just a collection of letters, it is part of a person’s identity. Making the effort to pronounce it correctly is one of the simplest ways to show respect.”

The comment section was filled with support for the way Ledine handled the situation, and reports of similar occurrences at ceremonies.

One user claimed Manchester Met was “so bad” for mispronunciation, with graduates noting that several instances occurred during last weeks ceremonies.

Another comment mentioned: “The bare minimum is saying someone’s name correctly.”

“How are so many universities still getting this wrong?”

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@ledine.k

It actually IS that deep👩🏽‍🎓 #classof2026 #graduation #fyp #mmu

♬ way to go. – desnfa

Ledine confirmed she provided phonetic spelling of her name prior to the ceremony, and said that the fact this wasn’t used on the day was “quite disappointing.”

Another graduate, Elouise, said she was the first to walk out and had her name said wrong. She described the experience as “so embarrassing.”

Further comments suggest this isn’t the only ceremony to have tainted graduate celebrations, Niamh said her Maltese surname was also misarticulated, and another commenter with a Polish surname also expressed her upset.

Despite the incident, messages of support for the way Ledine handled the situation fill the comment section.

One user said: “As you should my girl! We haven’t spent all that money and all those years listening to them, for them to not even learn to pronounce our names correctly.

“Also, congratulations girl, am so proud of you stranger.”

Manchester Metropolitan University has been contacted for comment. 

Featured image via TikTok @ledine.k