Siri Not Pronouncing Names Correctly? You Can Teach It How
Siri, the intelligent personal assistant that you can summon by pressing and holding the home button of your iOS device, may have come a long way from sounding patently robotic to speaking naturally like a human being. But it’s still liable to make mistakes when uttering names of persons, given that their pronunciations are not set in stone.
So cut Siri some slack where the rather tricky affair of pronouncing names is concerned … and then teach it the proper way.
Did you know that you can teach Siri how to pronounce names?
That’s right. You can actually train Siri how to pronounce names. Specifically, you can give it lessons on how to correctly say your name and the names of persons in your contacts. And we’re here to teach you how to teach Siri pronounce names the right way.
Siri, that’s not how you say my name
Teach Siri how to pronounce your name
Before you can tell Siri how to say your name, you first have to tell it who you are. To do so, you need to select your info from your contacts.
How to set your info for Siri
Launch the Settings app from the home screen of your iOS device.
Find the option labeled Siri and tap it.
Tip: On iOS 9.0 or later, right after opening the Settings app, scroll to the top and enter “siri” into the search bar and tap the first search result (Siri) to go directly to the Siri section.
Even better tip: Press and hold the home button of your iOS device and tell Siri to “go to Siri Settings” to go directly to the Siri section of the Settings app.
In the Siri section, scroll to the bottom and tap the option labeled My Info.
From your contacts list, scroll to where your contact entry is, or search for it, and then tap to select it.
Note: If you haven’t added your contact info yet, you can enter it by tapping the plus button in the Contacts app.
Once you’ve told Siri who you are, you can now tell it how to say your name.
How to teach Siri the proper pronunciation of your name
Press and hold the home button of your iOS device to summon Siri.
Tell Siri: “Say my name.” Siri will then respond with your contact info along with a line that includes your name.
If you deem Siri’s pronunciation of your name incorrect, tap the mic button and tell Siri: “That’s not how you pronounce my name.”
Siri will then ask you how to pronounce your name. Respond with the proper or your preferred pronunciation.
Siri will then provide up to three pronunciation options with varying speeds and stresses based on your utterance. Tap Play to listen to an option.
Note: If you’re not satisfied with any of the pronunciation options, you can tell Siri your preferred pronunciation again by tapping the button labeled “Tell Siri again.” Go back to Step 4.
Tap the Select button corresponding to your preferred pronunciation to choose it. Siri will confirm the new pronunciation and henceforth say your name that way.
Note: If your contact info includes your last name in addition to your first name, Siri will also ask you how to pronounce it. In that case, just repeat the steps from Step 4 onward.
Siri, that’s not how you say my friend’s name
Teach Siri how to pronounce a contact's name
Aside from your name, you can also set Siri straight regarding the pronunciation of someone in your contacts.
How to teach Siri the proper pronunciation of a contact’s name
Press and hold the home button of your iOS device to summon Siri.
Tell Siri: “Show me [the name of a person in your contacts].” Siri will then respond with the contact info along with a line that includes the associated name.
If you deem Siri’s pronunciation of the name incorrect, tap the mic button and tell Siri: “That’s not how you pronounce that name.”
Siri will then ask you how to pronounce the name. Respond with the proper pronunciation.
Siri will then provide up to three pronunciation options with varying speeds and stresses based on your utterance. Tap Play to listen to an option.
Note: If you’re not satisfied with any of the pronunciation options, you can tell Siri the proper pronunciation again by tapping the button labeled “Tell Siri again.” Go back to Step 4.
Tap the Select button corresponding to your preferred pronunciation to choose it. Siri will confirm the new pronunciation and henceforth say the name that way.
Note: If your contact’s info includes his or her last name in addition to his or her first name, Siri will also ask you how to pronounce it. In that case, just repeat the steps from Step 4 onward.
So go ahead: Set Siri straight and tell her whether your friend Louis is called “LOO-ee” or “LOO-is.”
