Custom pronunciations teach Speako how to say specific words and phrases. Use them for business names, staff names, menu items, service names, suburbs, brand names, or any word the agent may pronounce incorrectly.
Where to add pronunciations
Go to AI Agent → Voice & Languages → Pronunciations. The page has two parts:
- Add New Pronunciation
- Pronunciation Rules
If no rules have been added yet, the list shows No custom pronunciations added yet.
Add a new rule
In Add New Pronunciation, enter:
- Word/Phrase — the word Speako may say incorrectly, such as
Tomatoor your business name - Say This Instead — the phonetic spelling Speako should use, such as
tuh-MAH-to
Select Add to add the rule. Speako will show a message reminding you to select Save Changes to apply it.
Edit or delete rules
Existing rules appear under Pronunciation Rules. You can update the word and pronunciation, generate a new spelling, preview how it sounds, or delete the rule.
Deleting or editing a rule is also an unsaved change. Save before expecting the live agent to use the updated pronunciation list.
Preview before saving
When you preview a pronunciation, Speako uses your currently selected voice to generate an audio sample of the pronunciation text. This is the best way to check whether your spelling produces the sound you expect.
💡 Tip: Phonetic spelling is practical, not formal. Write what helps the voice say the word correctly. For example, breaking a word into syllables or using capital letters for emphasis can be more useful than dictionary-style spelling.
Good candidates for rules
Start with words customers are likely to hear often. A few high-impact rules are better than a long list of rarely used terms.
Good candidates include:
- your business name
- team member names
- service names
- menu items
- brand names
- local suburbs, streets, or landmarks
If you are unsure whether a rule is needed, preview the word first. Add a rule only when the current pronunciation is unclear or misleading.
Saving
Pronunciation rules save together with the rest of Voice & Languages. Use Save Changes in the bottom banner after adding, editing, or deleting rules.