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Names operate on multiple layers that must align. When layers align, names feel inevitable. When they conflict, names feel wrong even if no one can articulate why.

Four layers: sound, meaning, cultural, functional. Problems arise from layer conflicts — sound says "playful" but meaning says "serious"; cultural layer says "luxury" but the name is a typo trap.

N1: Doesn't "Feel Right"

Symptoms: Stakeholders reject names but can't say why. Gut reactions are negative despite meeting requirements. Something's "off."

Key questions: Do sounds match intended emotional tone? Is there a meaning conflict between layers? Does it violate category expectations?

Checklist: sound pattern matches desired attributes; no unintended negative associations; pronunciation is intuitive; fits cultural context.

Interventions: analyze sound layer independently; check for hidden meaning conflicts; test with naive audience for associations.

N2: Names Don't Belong Together

Symptoms: Product family feels disjointed. Names seem from different worlds. No cultural coherence.

Key questions: Is there a consistent sound palette? Do syllable structures match? Is there a unifying pattern?

Checklist: phoneme inventory defined; syllable templates consistent; naming conventions documented; outliers identified.

Interventions: define phoneme inventory; establish syllable templates (CV, CVC, CVCV, etc.); create naming conventions; regenerate outliers.

N3: Forgettable

Symptoms: People can't recall the name. It blends into category. No distinctive hook.

Key questions: Is there a memorable sound pattern? Does it have a meaning anchor? Is it too similar to alternatives?

Checklist: distinctive sound feature; meaning hook exists (metaphor, unexpected reference); differentiated from competitors; passes "phone test" (easy to convey verbally).

Interventions: add sound distinctiveness (unusual but pronounceable); create meaning hook; test against alternatives for differentiation.

N4: Sends Wrong Signals

Symptoms: Audience interprets name differently than intended. Wrong category assumptions. Unintended associations.

Key questions: What does this name sound like it should be? What category conventions is it following/breaking? Are there unfortunate associations?

Checklist: sound patterns match intended category; cultural references understood by audience; no negative meanings in target markets; international check done (if relevant).

Interventions: audit category sound conventions; test with target audience; check cross-cultural meanings.

N5: Doesn't Work Practically

Symptoms: People misspell it. They mispronounce it. Domain unavailable. Hard to type.

Key questions: Is spelling intuitive from pronunciation? Are there common mistypings? Does it work in all required contexts?

Checklist: spelling matches pronunciation; no typo-prone letter combinations; domain/handles available (if needed); voice search recognizes it (if relevant).

Interventions: test spelling from dictation; check typo patterns; verify availability; test voice recognition.

Sound Layer

High-frequency sounds feel natural and trustworthy (t, n, s, k, m, p, l, r). Low-frequency sounds feel distinctive and exotic (x, z, q). Use common sounds for accessibility; rare sounds for distinctiveness. Too many rare sounds = unpronounceable.

Meaning Layer

Best names work on multiple levels — literal, metaphorical, and cultural.

Cultural Layer

Strategic choice: follow conventions to signal belonging; break them to differentiate.

Functional Layer

1. Identify the problem state — N1 (feels wrong), N2 (disjointed family), N3 (forgettable), N4 (wrong signals), N5 (practical issues)
2. Analyze by layer — sound, meaning, cultural, functional. Check alignment.
3. Identify conflicts — where do layers contradict?
4. Recommend interventions — based on identified state and conflicts

For brand/product names: SHOULD run phases sequentially (Discovery → Synthesis → Evaluation → Validation) rather than generating and evaluating in the same pass. Discovery constrained by premature evaluation produces mediocre patterns.

For quick naming (character names, places, skill names): use diagnostic states directly.

• Name feels harsh → add flow sounds (l, r, vowels) or soften consonants
• Name feels weak → add power sounds (k, t, p) or shorten syllables
• Name feels generic → add distinctive phoneme or unusual combination
• Name feels foreign → shift toward high-frequency English phonemes
• Name feels dated → check category conventions; update to current patterns

The Kitchen Sink — trying to communicate everything in one name. Fix: pick one primary message.

The Inside Joke — meaning only creators understand. Fix: test with naive users.

The Sound-Alike — too similar to existing names. Fix: check competitors; verify distinctiveness.

The Unpronounceable — looks interesting but no one can say it. Fix: test pronunciation; simplify clusters.

The Apostrophe Catastrophe — random apostrophes for "exotic" feel. Fix: if using, define what they mean; use sparingly.