Slang and Pronunciation: Why Names Fail When Said Aloud
A domain name is written, but it is also spoken, passed on in conversation and read by people who split the letters in their own way. Two checks look at this: the slang check and the pronunciation check.
Hidden readings
Names are usually built from several pieces run together. The slang check looks for vulgar or negative English words inside the name, including ones that only appear where two pieces meet. A name can be perfectly innocent in the dictionary and still be read in an unwanted way by a native speaker.
The check also knows the opposite case. Plenty of ordinary words contain a slang term inside them, and flagging those would be a false alarm. It reports a warning only when the unwanted reading is plausible, and a hard fail when the term stands out on its own.
What makes a name hard to say
The pronunciation check looks for patterns that make people stumble: several consonant sounds in a row, a q that is not followed by a u, several rare letters in a short name, a very low share of vowels, and letter combinations at the start or end that English words do not use.
Words that exist in the English dictionary are not judged on these patterns, because people already know how to say them. Names that alternate consonants and vowels regularly are easy to pronounce across languages.
A read-aloud test you can run
Say the name aloud, then ask someone who did not see it written to spell it back. If they hesitate on how to say it, or spell it differently, your listeners will too. Try splitting the name in different places and see whether any reading is awkward or rude.
Do this with someone who speaks the main language of your market. A check can find readings in the letters; a person finds the ones the letters only suggest.