Scandal

While working on a voiceover project, our founder, Dave Ward, was voicing a commercial for a company in Waimate. During the session, the instruction was to deliberately "say it the white way." This request was not just a matter of creative direction; it was a demand to intentionally mispronounce a name to make it sound more anglicized or 'Pākehā'.

The line was simple, but the implication was profound. It was a request to erase the cultural identity embedded in the name and replace it with something deemed more palatable for a mainstream audience.

Recognizing this as a form of casual racism and a deep disrespect to the culture the character was meant to represent, Dave refused. He explained that deliberately mispronouncing a name is not a stylistic choice. It's an act of cultural erasure. For a voice artist and commentator whose career is built on the power and respect of language, this was a line he could not cross.

He chose to stand up for cultural integrity and the principle that every name deserves to be said correctly. As a result of his refusal, he was let go from the project, and his voicework contract of 5 years was terminated.

This incident became a pivotal moment. It highlighted a widespread issue: the casual dismissal of non-English names and the lack of accessible tools for people who genuinely want to learn. It's not always about malice; often, it's about a lack of knowledge and confidence.

That experience was the direct catalyst for creating PronouncePro. Dave envisioned a tool that would empower everyone - from broadcasters and journalists to fans and the general public - to show respect through correct pronunciation. This app is the positive outcome of a negative experience, a vehicle for change designed to make cultural respect the easy choice, not the hard one.