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How To Specify The Name Siri Calls You By & Set Its Pronunciation

Siri is the feature, solely, for which a large number of iPhone (and even non-iOS) users are upgrading to iPhone 4S. Both Android and Windows Phone 7 have voice commands, but no other system has the easygoing, conversational style that Siri possesses. Despite suffering a few server-side issues (that you can try to fix using our guide), the personal voice assistant is wonderful. To make it really personal, you can even make it call you by your real or chosen name. Pronouncing names, however, can be a bit tricky for a robotic voice stuck inside Alumino-silicate glass and stainless steel. Fortunately, you can make Siri call you exactly what you want using the simple little procedure described past the break.

Getting Siri to call you by the name of your choice is easy. All you have to do is (literally) just ask it politely. Simply activate Siri and say “Call Me Strider” or whatever you would like to be called in place of Strider. Once your name has been heard by Siri, you will be asked to confirm whether you will like to be called by the name you just said. Choose OK, and from then on, Siri will know you by that new name. Alternatively, you can go to the Contacts stock app and edit your own info to include a nickname. This is the same as telling Siri your name by speaking it. Siri iOS 5 Pronunciation CorrectBut that’s just half the problem solved. If you have a commonly used name, chances are that Siri will pronounce your name exactly how it should be pronounced. However, with exotic names, Apple’s brainchild doesn’t fare so well. As an example, consider the name Henry. A pretty simple name, right? Not really. If you are French then Henry is pronounced “Aun-ry”. The question is, how do you tell that to Siri? The most obvious answer would be to set the name as Aunry, but this would result in Siri using the wrong spellings of your name everywhere. That’s what phonetic spellings of a name are there for in the phone’s Settings.

  1. You need to edit your personal details for Siri to pronounce your name clearly. For that, go to the Contacts menu in your phone where your own personal profile is present.
  2. Tap edit on your picture. In the fields this opens, you will see the option to tinker with Phonetic options regarding your name.
  3. But before you can see the options, you have to enter editing mode by hitting the Add button. Once there, choose Phonetic first name field.
  4. In the selected field, enter the exact pronunciation of your name and then hit Done.

This should do the trick, and Siri will speak your name correctly while spelling it right, too.

[via TiPb]
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Hamza Khalid

Handles Windows Phone, iOS and Cydia. A big WP7 fan, who just loves writing about anything and everything. Google+

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13 Comments

    • Thanks, that’s a great tip all round. I always sign off as Tim but my emails are from Timothy Morris etc. but everyone calls me Tim. Another related tip is to fill in your medical info in your own card after turning it on in thie Healthapp, whicn is added to your contact card including your emergency contact, allergies, medication and GP’s info and more to the medical section. Emergency services can then pick up this info even its locked by swiping, pressing emergency which then turns into medical ID. It has been there since iOS 8

  2. This doesn’t work for me: I say “Call me Sir Bob”, and Siri responds “I don’t see Sir Bob in your address book”

    • Asking Siri to call you ‘Sir Bob’ directly won’t work. Just follow the instructions in the guide, go to the Contacts app and create your own profile and then ask Siri to use your name. Hope this helps.

    • Hamza, in iOS 7 specifying your profile is not done in Contacts. It is done in Settings under “Mail, Contacts, Calendar,” then choose Contacts, then choose My Info, then choose your own contact info (which you have already entered in Contacts in the usual way.) You will see that it will then be designated as “me”.
      Also, the phonetic option in any contact is found by choosing Edit in the upper right corner, then scroll down to choose Add Fields near the bottom.

  3. my siri keeps thinking I want to call someone but I just want her to call me by my name , which is Taylor . and I just can’t get her to call me that . any help ?

    • Asking Siri to call you Taylor directly won’t work. Just follow the instructions in the guide, go to the Contacts app and create your own profile and then ask Siri to use your name. Hope this helps.

  4. This didn’t work. I have an iPad and don’t know how to get a “me” contact. I asked Siri “call me beautiful” and it said I couldn’t find that in your contacts. Any ideas?

  5. Can anyone tell me why Siri will type my name but when I ask it a question she doesn’t say my name? But it shows up on the answer

    • The instructions are for your own name only. As for other contact names, you can only specify relationships (that too just close ones), you can tell Siri that X is your mom, and when you say “Call mom”, X will be dialled.

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