How To Correct Siri's Pronunciation - Mashable

The Mashable 101 Creator Hub Tech Science Life Social Good Entertainment Deals Shopping Games Search Cancel

• Search Result

The Mashable 101 Creator Hub Tech Apps & Software Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Cryptocurrency Mobile Smart Home Social Media Tech Industry Transportation All Tech Science Space Climate Change Environment All Science Life Family & Parenting Health & Wellness Sex, Dating & Relationships Sleep Careers Mental Health All Life Social Good Activism Gender LGBTQ Racial Justice Sustainability Politics All Social Good Entertainment Games Movies Podcasts TV Shows Watch Guides All Entertainment SHOP THE BEST Laptops Budget Laptops Dating Apps Sexting Apps Hookup Apps VPNs Robot Vaccuums Robot Vaccum & Mop Headphones Speakers Kindles Gift Guides Mashable Choice Mashable Selects All Sex, Dating & Relationships All Laptops All Headphones All Robot Vacuums All VPN All Shopping Games Product Reviews Adult Friend Finder Bumble Premium Tinder Platinum Kindle Paperwhite PS5 vs PS5 Slim All Reviews All Shopping Deals Newsletters Series Mashable Readers' Choice Look Up Switch Off Mashable Selects March Mindfulness Say More Top creators, ranked Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Furtastic Trending Now Safety Net In My Bag All Series VIDEOS Mashable Shows All Videos Sometimes the all-knowing Siri just gets it so wrong. Credit: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images

As hard as Siri may try, Apple's digital assistant just can't get the hang of some names.

As someone with a difficult-to-pronounce last name, I understand. But you can give Siri a helping hand.

If you already know that the iPhone's AI struggles with certain names you can go straight to their entry in your Contacts list. Or you can filter the request through Siri's voice commands: "Change how you pronounce [insert contact's name]."

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! You May Also Like

Once in the Contacts app, click on the person's entry. From there:

1. On the top right corner, click "Edit."

2. Under the Notes section click "add field."

3. From there you can add the phonetic spelling for the first and last name. (This is more for you to remember next time you bump into someone than it is for Siri.)

4. For training Siri, click "pronunciation spelling" for either the first or last name. (You should use the phonetic spelling of the name for this field, as well.)

Credit: Sasha Lekach / Mashable Credit: Sasha Lekach / Mashable

To train Siri to stop saying my name the way it's spelled (it usually comes out sounding like "Le-catch"), I typed in how it sounds: "Lek-itch." My first name Siri manages to leave unmangled, so I don't have to give it guidance.

Now that the pronunciation field is part of my contact entry I can change it directly from the "edit" page.

Say it with me now! Credit: Sasha Lekach / Mashable

It's not always glamorous, but spelling it out for Siri helps the digital assistant pronounce names closer to what they are.

Topics Siri

Sasha Lekach

Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.

Recommended For You Siri said to be going all ChatGPT as Apple fixes its AI agent The iPhone maker is giving Siri a chatty makeover. 01/22/2026 By Chris Taylor Siri might become an AI chatbot in iOS 27 Apple is working to make up its deficit in the AI game with a new Siri overhaul. 01/23/2026 By Alex Perry Apple iOS 26.4 update: No Gemini-powered Siri yet, report suggests Apple is taking its sweet time with Siri's big upgrade. 02/12/2026 By Alex Perry Siri bug reportedly delays Apple's smart home lineup Apple's much-anticipated, next-gen smart home lineup is delayed, and rumors claim Siri is to blame. 03/15/2026 By Jack Dawes Apple picks Google Gemini over ChatGPT to power the new AI Siri That's big. 01/12/2026 By Alex Perry Trending on Mashable NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 16, 2026 Everything you need to solve 'Connections' #1009. 16 hours ago By Mashable Team Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 16, 2026 Here are some tips and tricks to help you find the answer to "Wordle" #1731. 16 hours ago By Mashable Team That wild 'Scarpetta' ending, explained Who is the killer? But also, who's at the door? 03/11/2026 By Shannon Connellan NYT Strands hints, answers for March 16, 2026 Every hint, nudge and outright answer you need to complete today's NYT Strands puzzle. 16 hours ago By Mashable Team NYT Pips hints, answers for March 16, 2026 Stuck on Easy, Medium, or Hard? We have everything you need right here. 03/16/2026 By Mashable Team The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!