Getting Siri to say a complex or foreign-sounding name can be a daunting task. Why? Because Siri’s method for determining how to pronounce proper names depends on your device’s system language. In the United States and other English-speaking regions, the pronunciation of Siri is governed by the phonetic rules of the English language. When Siri encounters a name of, say, Italian origin like Vito Corleone, or Chinese origin like Xiaoyan Zhou, she will most likely need help pronouncing the spoken pronunciation accurately.
I recently learned that there is a way to get Siri to accurately pronounce every syllable in every name in your contact list, but you have to type in instructions, not tell Siri how to do it.
Foundry
Learning Siri starts in the Contacts app on your iPhone or iPad. To correct the mispronunciation of Siri, select the correct name. On this panel, tap the icon Edit button in the upper right corner of the screen. A new panel will open where you will then tap Add field line. There you will find Pronunciation And phonetic reference by name, patronymic and surname. Back to school Siri, choose phonetic the name you want to correct (or all three names if Siri is seriously misrepresenting the nickname). You can even tell Siri that she mispronounced the name, which will take you to the pronunciation page.
Foundry
To test my Vito Corleone example, I chose Phonetic surname and used the field to enter the pronunciation as accurately as possible, and then touched Made. It took a few tries, but I finally got Siri to say the Godfather’s name correctly instead of saying “Cor-leon” (three syllables instead of four) or “Corleon-a” (four syllables, but the wrong final vowel). ).
Don’t be afraid to enter multiple options until Siri gets it right. Test the result by asking Siri for the person’s information so that Siri has to repeat the name. You can even tell Siri that the name is mispronounced, and you’ll be prompted to add a phonetic description to Contacts.
What is the difference between phonetic and pronunciation prompts? In terms of operation, not so much. Choice phonetic preferred as it automatically places the name in the correct alphabetical sort order.
Today I Learned is a Macworld column that highlights lesser-known but helpful tips and tricks for Apple users. If you have ideas for future columns, please send an email to michael_simon@idg.com.