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Slack adds audio name pronunciations to user profiles

Slack adds audio name pronunciations to user profiles

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Users can record audio or spell their names phonetically

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Getting to know your colleagues can be tricky when working remotely, but Slack is adding a handful of new features to its user profiles that should make things a little more fluid.

New features include the option to add name pronunciation guides (either by recording audio or adding phonetic spelling); a new pop-up user card UI that appears when you hover your mouse over someone’s name; and reorganized fields in user profiles, which have now been streamlined to three modules: Contact Info, People (which shows who you work with), and About Me (customizable with things like languages spoken, start date, etc).

Here’s what that new UI looks like, with the full user profile card on the left and the pop-up card on the right:

The new user profile cards have been streamlined with new fields for name pronunciation.
The new user profile cards have been streamlined with new fields for name pronunciation.
Image: Slack

Basically, it’s more information made more accessible.

The pronunciation guides and pop-up user cards should be available on June 1st, though some changes may take a few weeks to reach all users, says Slack. In the past, Slack has added similar features that foster a bit more inclusion in the workplace, including the ability for users to list their pronouns.

Update June 1st, 11:50AM ET: Slack clarified that the People module only shows who you work with; the org chart feature is limited to Slack’s Atlas product.