Siri isn't the brightest bulb in the box and she often misunderstands unusual words and names. Fortunately, you can teach her how to speak properly by adding phonetic pronunciations to your contacts.

How do you do this? Watch the video above or follow these instructions:

  1. Open up your uniquely-named contact and tap the Edit button up top.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the contact page and find the area that says "Add New Field."
  3. From your options, choose "Phonetic First Name" (or "Phonetic Last Name," depending on which one is the problem).
  4. Enter in the phonetic version of the problematic name and tap Save.

Now when you ask Siri to recognize or say a name, she'll get it right.


Help Siri Pronounce Your Contact Names With Phonetic Spelling Hints | Cult of Mac