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Slack's Pronunciation Feature Aims to Help You Get Your Co-Worker's Name Right

No more butchering your colleague's name.

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Slack app logo on a phone screen

Your Slack user profile comes with a new, customizable enhancement. 

 Sarah Tew/CNET

To help strengthen online team communication, Slack is rolling out a new audio feature. Beginning June 1, users will be able to record name pronunciations to tack onto their profiles. The company made the announcement Wednesday in a blog post that outlines a group of updates coming to the Slack profile.  

Users will find the audio feature located under the Display Name and Pronoun sections. With a click, you can create a name recording or double up and add text for the phonetic pronunciation of your name. When your co-workers tap your profile and hit play on the recording, they'll learn how to correctly say your entire name -- directly from the source.

Slack profile fields showing name, pronouns, pronunciation recording

Once you record your pronunciation audio, your co-workers can press play on the clip.

 Slack

Slack cites the change as a way to help promote inclusion in the workplace. Currently, users can edit their display names, add pronouns and update basics like job titles.

Slack's profile redesign also includes three other additions: Contact Information, People, and About Me. The Contact field will house phone and email information, while the People section points to the teams you work with and your place in the organization's hierarchy. According to the company, the new About Me portion can be customized with "your start date, languages spoken, and fun elements like pets and birthdays."

Slack profile cards

Click the speaker icon to listen to a name pronunciation, or use the Hover Card to contact a co-worker quickly.

 Slack

To make it easier to find employee profile information, Slack is also introducing Hover Cards. They work like popups when you move your cursor over a colleague's name, providing a condensed version of the user's profile. An added perk is the ability to start huddles or direct messages by clicking on the card. This feature will also begin rolling out across the platform on June 1.