SANJIESAN LORE / Pronunciation and naming
Make an invented-name pronunciation note that can be used
A pronunciation guide is useful only if another person can reproduce the intended distinction. The International Phonetic Association provides reference charts, while Rosenfelder’s Language Construction Kit separates sounds from ordinary spelling. You do not need to reproduce a chart or fill a novel with notation to prepare a clear name handoff.
Identify the actual ambiguity
Take one invented name with two plausible readings. Write which syllable is stressed and whether a written vowel is pronounced. If you use an everyday comparison, specify the language or variety behind it; an English word may not have one pronunciation for every speaker. Use phonetic notation only for distinctions you understand well enough to explain. An unfamiliar symbol pasted from a chart can create a new ambiguity instead of solving the old one.
Separate the name from a character performance
Prepare a plain spoken form before adding excitement, age or emotional tone. A narrator and an actor may use different performances while saying the same name. If a particular character deliberately mispronounces it, label that as a scene choice and give the standard form separately. Otherwise an isolated recording of the joke or insult can accidentally become the reference used for the rest of the production.
Ask for a repeat without coaching
Give a willing collaborator the written note and, if available, a short reference recording. Ask them to repeat the name after a pause, without correcting them halfway through. Listen for the particular distinction you intended, not whether their accent matches yours. Revise the explanation if it failed. Keep the final note beside the approved spelling so a later spelling edit prompts another pronunciation check rather than silently separating the two.