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Adam Greenwell

Pronunciation Dictionary Guide

Define custom pronunciations for technical terms, acronyms, brand names, and words that the AI voice mispronounces.

Overview

The pronunciation dictionary allows you to specify exactly how certain words should be spoken. Without custom rules, the AI voice uses its default pronunciation, which may not be correct for:

  • Acronyms (AWS, API, SQL)
  • Brand names (Murf, Xbox, Nginx)
  • Technical terms (GIF, regex, kubectl)
  • Names (unusual spellings)
  • Industry jargon

How It Works

  1. You define pronunciation rules in Settings → ListenUp → Pronunciation
  2. When generating audio, rules are sent to the Murf.ai API
  3. The API applies your pronunciations during speech synthesis
  4. Audio reflects your custom pronunciations

Important: Rules only apply to audio generated AFTER they're configured. Regenerate existing audio to apply new rules.

Configuration

Enable the Dictionary

  1. Go to Settings → ListenUp → Pronunciation
  2. Check "Enable Pronunciation Dictionary"
  3. Save settings

Add Rules

  1. Click "Add Rule"
  2. Enter the Word exactly as it appears in your content
  3. Enter the Pronunciation (how it should be spoken)
  4. Select the Type (SAY_AS or IPA)
  5. Save settings

Pronunciation Types

Use plain text to specify how a word should be spoken. The AI interprets this naturally.

Examples:

Word Pronunciation Result
AWS Amazon Web Services Says the full phrase
API A P I Spells out each letter
SQL sequel Pronounces as word
NES Nintendo Entertainment System Says full phrase
Dr. Doctor Expands abbreviation
CEO Chief Executive Officer Says full phrase
GIF jiff Phonetic pronunciation

Best for:

  • Acronyms you want expanded
  • Abbreviations
  • Words with commonly known alternatives
  • Simple phonetic corrections

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)

Use precise phonetic notation for exact pronunciation control.

Examples:

Word IPA Pronunciation Result
live (verb) laɪv Rhymes with "dive"
live (adj) lɪv Rhymes with "give"
GIF dʒɪf Soft G sound
nginx ˈɛndʒɪnˈɛks "engine-x"

Best for:

  • Words with multiple pronunciations
  • Precise phonetic control
  • Names with unusual pronunciations
  • Languages with specific sounds

IPA Resources:

Common Examples

Technology Acronyms

Word Type Pronunciation
AWS SAY_AS Amazon Web Services
API SAY_AS A P I
SQL SAY_AS sequel
URL SAY_AS U R L
HTML SAY_AS H T M L
CSS SAY_AS C S S
JSON SAY_AS jason
CLI SAY_AS C L I
GUI SAY_AS gooey
IDE SAY_AS I D E

Brand Names

Word Type Pronunciation
Murf SAY_AS merf
Nginx SAY_AS engine x
kubectl SAY_AS cube control
MySQL SAY_AS my sequel
PostgreSQL SAY_AS postgres
macOS SAY_AS mac O S
iOS SAY_AS I O S

Gaming/Media

Word Type Pronunciation
NES SAY_AS Nintendo Entertainment System
SNES SAY_AS Super Nintendo
PS5 SAY_AS PlayStation 5
JRPG SAY_AS J R P G
RPG SAY_AS R P G
DLC SAY_AS D L C

Common Mispronunciations

Word Type Pronunciation
GIF SAY_AS jiff
meme SAY_AS meem
cache SAY_AS cash
regex SAY_AS rej ex
sudo SAY_AS sue doo
Linux SAY_AS lin ucks

Best Practices

Be Specific

The word field is case-sensitive and matches exactly:

  • "AWS" matches "AWS" but not "aws"
  • Add both if your content uses both cases

Use Context

For words with multiple meanings:

Word: read (past tense)
Pronunciation: red

Note: This will change ALL instances of "read" to "red" pronunciation.

Test Thoroughly

  1. Add your rules
  2. Generate test audio
  3. Listen for correct pronunciation
  4. Adjust and regenerate as needed

Keep It Simple

SAY_AS usually works well. Only use IPA when you need precise phonetic control.

Common Patterns

Expand acronyms fully:

API → Application Programming Interface

Spell out letter by letter:

API → A P I

Phonetic approximation:

GIF → jiff

Limitations

Whole Word Matching

Rules match whole words only:

  • "API" matches "API" in content
  • "API" does NOT match "APIs" – add both if needed
  • "API" does NOT match "API-based" – consider adding "API based"

Case Sensitivity

Rules are case-sensitive:

  • "AWS" ≠ "aws" ≠ "Aws"
  • Add multiple rules for different cases if needed

No Regex

Pattern matching is not supported. Each rule is a direct word-to-pronunciation mapping.

Global Only

Currently, rules apply globally to all content. Per-post overrides are planned for a future release.

Troubleshooting

Rule Not Working

  1. Verify rule is saved (check settings page)
  2. Confirm dictionary is enabled
  3. Check word matches exactly (case-sensitive)
  4. Regenerate audio – rules only apply to new generations

Unexpected Pronunciation

  1. Check for conflicting rules
  2. Try a simpler SAY_AS pronunciation
  3. Test with isolated word first
  4. Check IPA notation if using IPA type

Some Words Unchanged

  1. Verify exact spelling match
  2. Check case sensitivity
  3. Add plural/variant forms if needed

Example Configuration

A typical pronunciation configuration might include:

General Technology:

Word Type Pronunciation
API SAY_AS A P I
URL SAY_AS U R L
JSON SAY_AS jason
CLI SAY_AS command line interface

Your Industry:

Word Type Pronunciation
[Your acronym] SAY_AS [Full phrase]
[Your brand] SAY_AS [Correct pronunciation]

Problem Words:

Word Type Pronunciation
live IPA laɪv
read SAY_AS red

Managing Rules

Edit a Rule

  1. Go to Settings → ListenUp → Pronunciation
  2. Find the rule to edit
  3. Update the fields
  4. Save settings

Delete a Rule

  1. Go to Settings → ListenUp → Pronunciation
  2. Click the delete button next to the rule
  3. Save settings

Bulk Import (Coming Soon)

Future versions will support importing/exporting rules via CSV or JSON.

API Format

For developers, rules are sent to Murf.ai in this format:

{
  "pronunciationDictionary": {
    "AWS": {
      "pronunciation": "Amazon Web Services",
      "type": "SAY_AS"
    },
    "live": {
      "pronunciation": "laɪv",
      "type": "IPA"
    }
  }
}

This matches the Murf.ai API specification for pronunciation dictionaries.

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