Creating effective phonetic spellings helps your AI agent pronounce words correctly. This article explains how to write them.
Phonetic Spelling Basics
Phonetic spellings represent how a word sounds rather than how it's written. They help the AI voice synthesize correct pronunciation.
Writing Phonetic Spellings
Use Simple Sounds
Break words into sounds that are easy to read:
Examples
Indicating Stress
| Instead Of | Write |
|---|---|
| Complex letter combinations | Common phonetic sounds |
| "ough" | "off" or "oo" depending on word |
| "tion" | "shun" |
| Word | Phonetic |
| Nǎǐchá | "NIGH-chah" |
| Worcestershire | "WOOS-ter-sher" |
| Quinoa | "KEEN-wah" |
| Acai | "ah-sah-EE" |
Use CAPITAL LETTERS to show which syllable is emphasized:
- First syllable stress: "MOR-ning"
- Second syllable stress: "to-DAY"
- Third syllable stress: "un-der-STAND"
Syllable Separation
Use hyphens (-) to separate syllables:
- "com-pu-ter"
- "ap-point-ment"
- "res-tau-rant" This helps the voice synthesizer pace the word correctly.
Common Sound Patterns
Use these patterns for consistent phonetics:
Testing Your Spellings
- Add the pronunciation rule
- Preview a greeting containing the word
- Listen carefully to the pronunciation
- Adjust and re-test if needed
When Manual Doesn't Work
| Sound | Write As | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Long A | "ay" | day, way |
| Long E | "ee" | see, me |
| Long I | "eye" or "iy" | tie, my |
| Long O | "oh" | go, no |
| Short A | "ah" or "a" | cat, tap |
| SH sound | "sh" | ship |
| CH sound | "ch" | chair |
| TH (soft) | "th" | think |
| TH (hard) | "th" | this |
If you're struggling to create the right phonetic spelling, use the AI Phonetic Spelling Generator for suggestions.