There is no pronunciation lexicon, no phoneme field, and no IPA input to fix a mispronounced name. If you have narrated with other tools before, that is probably the workflow you are looking for, and it does not exist here. What does work, reliably, is simpler: you respell the word in the text itself.
This is not a workaround that feels like a compromise once you use it a few times. Respelling puts the fix directly in the sentence the narrator reads, which means you can hear the result immediately and adjust it again in seconds if it still isn't right. If you're still choosing a narrator for the book, our narrator voice guide is worth reading first, since some voices handle unfamiliar names more predictably than others.
Respelling: The Technique That Actually Works
Instead of typing the name as it's spelled in your manuscript, type it the way it sounds. A narrator reads letters as it would read any other word, so if you write the phonetic version, you get the phonetic pronunciation back.
Keep the capitalized syllable close to where the stress actually falls, since that does more work than the spelling itself. Generate a short line with the respelling in it, listen, and adjust the vowels if the result still leans the wrong way.
Where This Comes Up Most
Invented fantasy or sci-fi names
Nothing on the page tells a narrator how a made-up name should sound, so respelling is the only signal it has.
Real surnames from outside the narrator's default language
A respelling closer to the actual pronunciation usually reads better than the literal spelling.
Place names with irregular spelling
Real-world place names often don't sound like they're spelled; respell to the sound, not the letters.
Compound or hyphenated names
These are the most likely to run two sounds together and benefit most from a forced break.
Forcing a Break Inside a Compound Name
Some names run two sounds together in a way that reads oddly once respelled as one block. A hyphen or a comma inside the respelling forces a small pause exactly where you want the syllable break, which is often the difference between a name that lands cleanly and one that still sounds slurred.
- Break a long compound name into two respelled chunks with a hyphen between them: Kal-adrin instead of Kaladrin.
- Use a comma if the name needs a fuller pause than a hyphen gives you: Ansel, dor for a name that splits across a harder stop.
- Test the shortest version first. Add punctuation only if the plain respelling still runs the sounds together.
Test the Name in the Sentence You'll Actually Use
A respelling that sounds right on its own can shift once it's surrounded by other words. Sentence stress moves the emphasis around, and a name at the end of a question reads differently than the same name at the start of a declarative sentence.
Do this every time: Generate the respelled name inside the actual sentence you plan to use it in, not as an isolated word. If it still sounds off, adjust the respelling and test that same sentence again rather than a fresh one.
A Worked Example
"Sirjeon walked into the tavern and ordered a drink." — read with the emphasis landing on the wrong syllable, every time.
✅ "Sur-JEE-on walked into the tavern and ordered a drink." — the stress lands where you intended, and the fix took one edit.
Notice that only the name changed. The rest of the sentence stayed exactly as written, which is the point: respelling is a narrow, targeted fix, not a rewrite of your prose. Once you confirm this version sounds right, that respelling is the one you carry into every other sentence containing the same name.
Test on a Short Block, Not the Whole Chapter
Regenerating an entire chapter to check one name wastes points and time. Isolate the paragraph or two where the name first appears, generate just that block, and confirm the fix before you touch the rest of the file. Once it sounds right there, apply the same respelling everywhere the name appears and generate normally.
Test a respelled name on a short block first
Generate a single paragraph, confirm the pronunciation, then apply the fix across the rest of your chapter.
Try a pronunciation fixKeep a Find-and-Replace List
A novel with recurring names needs the same respelling every time that name appears, across every chapter. Keep a simple list next to your manuscript: the original name, the respelling you settled on, and the chapter where you confirmed it. Before you generate a new chapter, run a find-and-replace with that list so the pronunciation stays consistent from chapter one to the last page.
One list, updated as you go
Add a name to the list the first time you fix it, not after you notice it's inconsistent three chapters later.
Find-and-replace before each chapter
Run the list against a new chapter's text before you generate it, not after you've already heard it wrong.
Confirm after replacing
A find-and-replace can catch a partial match inside another word. Skim the chapter text once after replacing.
The Real Cost: Your Audio Text No Longer Matches Your Book
Once you respell a name for narration, the text you're generating from is no longer the same text your readers see on the page. That's fine as long as you treat it deliberately: keep the clean, correctly spelled manuscript as your source of truth for print or ebook editions, and keep a separate, respelled copy just for audio generation. Never edit the respelled copy back into your published manuscript by accident.
When One Respelling Doesn't Quite Fit Every Sentence
Occasionally a name gets stressed differently depending on where it falls in a sentence, most often between a plain statement and a question. If your primary respelling works for 90% of the book but stumbles in one or two spots, don't force a single fix everywhere. Write a slightly different respelling for that one sentence, generate it, and confirm it separately. Note both versions on your find-and-replace list so you don't overwrite one with the other by mistake.
| Voice | Accent | Tone | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intimate Male Audiobook Narrator | Neutral American | Intimate | ★★★★★ |
| Warm Natural Female Explainer | Neutral American | Warm | ★★★★★ |
| Calm British Male Narrator | British | Calm | ★★★★★ |
| Articulate Male Explainer Voice | Neutral American | Articulate | ★★★★☆ |
| Bright Expressive Female Storytelling | Neutral American | Expressive | ★★★★☆ |
| Lucid Male Explainer Voice | Neutral American | Clear | ★★★★★ |
Where This Matters Most
Fantasy and sci-fi with invented names
Respelling is the main tool for getting made-up names to land consistently across a whole series.
Nonfiction with real names and places
Unfamiliar surnames and place names benefit from the same fix, tested in context.
Poetry with unusual phrasing
Stress and rhythm matter as much as the words themselves; test respellings inside the actual line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a pronunciation lexicon or IPA input?▾
No. There is no phoneme field, no IPA input, and no SSML. Respelling the word phonetically in your source text is the technique that actually works.
How do I respell a name that runs two sounds together?▾
Add a hyphen or comma at the syllable break inside the respelling. That forces a small pause exactly where the name needs to split.
Why does the same respelling sound different in another sentence?▾
Sentence stress shifts emphasis depending on where the name sits. Always test a respelling inside the actual sentence you'll use, not as a word on its own.
Do I need to regenerate the whole chapter to check a fix?▾
No. Generate just the short paragraph containing the name, confirm the pronunciation, then apply the same fix across the rest of the chapter.
Will respelling change my published manuscript?▾
Only if you let it. Keep your clean manuscript as the source for print and ebook editions, and keep a separate respelled copy just for audio generation.
Fix a stubborn name in minutes
Respell the word, test it in a short block, and apply the fix consistently across your book.