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How does an AI voice agent handle mispronounced words?

A
Written by Axel May Rivera
Updated yesterday

Direct Answer (TL;DR)

The Brilo AI voice agent handles mispronounced words by letting teams change voice, locale, speaking rate, or add phonetic fixes where supported. For quick wins, use a different Brilo AI voice, slow the speaking rate (speech rate), or add a short phonetic cue in the agent prompt (phonetic respelling). When formal pronunciation controls are available, the best AI phone call agent accepts entries in a pronunciation lexicon (pronunciation lexicon) or SSML phoneme tags (SSML phoneme tags) to enforce correct pronunciations.

Why This Question Comes Up (problem context)

Callers report confusion when the Brilo AI voice agent mispronounces customer names, product names, or brand terms. Mispronunciation matters most in healthcare, legal, and regulated contexts where clarity affects safety or compliance. Teams preparing for launches want consistent pronunciation across voices and locales. Leaders ask how to fix recurring mispronunciations without resorting to custom voice projects.

How It Works (High-Level)

The Brilo AI voice agent speaks using text-to-speech technology (text-to-speech / TTS) that maps text to sounds using a voice model and locale rules. Pronunciation results depend on the selected Brilo AI voice, the language and regional locale setting, and prosody settings such as speaking rate or patience (prosody controls). Where available, the Brilo AI voice agent can read a pronunciation lexicon (pronunciation lexicon) or process SSML phoneme tags (SSML phoneme tags) to override default pronunciations. When a configured override exists, the Brilo AI voice agent uses the override during generation and in test calls.

Guardrails & Boundaries

Brilo AI voice agent capabilities include configurable controls but also defined limits. Not all accounts expose a pronunciation lexicon or full SSML authoring. If a pronunciation lexicon is not present in your portal, Brilo AI admin or Support must enable provider-specific phonetic overrides. Building an AI phone agent should be programmed with features that do not assume critical information. For safety-sensitive words, configure a human handoff rule instead of relying on uncertain pronunciations. Custom voice cloning or provider changes can improve consistency but may require additional setup and approvals.

Applied Examples

  • For a marketing launch, the best AI phone call agent reads product names using a pronunciation lexicon entry so every call uses the approved brand pronunciation.

  • For patient intake in healthcare, the Brilo AI voice agent slows speaking rate (speaking rate / prosody) and uses a tested voice to reduce mishearing of names.

  • For international customers, the Brilo AI voice agent switches locale from US English to British English to match expected vowel sounds.

  • For a short-term fix, the Brilo AI voice agent greeting includes a phonetic hint in parentheses so callers hear the desired pronunciation during handoffs.

Human Handoff & Escalation

When pronunciation affects safety or legal consent, configure a human handoff rule. The Brilo AI voice agent can route calls to live staff when it cannot confirm a name or critical term with required confidence. A handoff should pass the transcript and the pronunciation attempts recorded by the Brilo AI voice agent so the human agent has context. Define clear thresholds for escalation, for example when the Brilo AI voice agent repeats a phrase twice without confirmation.

Setup Requirements

To address mispronunciations, teams typically provide:

  • Admin or Editor access to the Brilo AI portal to control its natural voice and locale settings.

  • A list of problem words and the desired pronunciations, with optional phonetic spellings (phonetic respelling / SSML phoneme guidance).

  • Access to the AI phone call agent’s test call tool or the best staging environment to validate changes.

  • Instructions for routing and handoff rules when a pronunciation is safety-critical.

If your account does not show a pronunciation or SSML option, ask your Brilo AI admin or open a Support request to enable pronunciation lexicon features or SSML support.

Business Outcomes

Fixing mispronunciations improves caller comprehension and trust. The Brilo AI voice agent with correct pronunciations reduces repeated questions, lowers call time for clarification, and reduces transfers caused by misunderstandings. For regulated environments, consistent pronunciation combined with handoff rules reduces risk by ensuring a human verifies sensitive terms when necessary.

Next Step

Test fixes in staging and document results before deploying to production. Use Brilo AI’s implementation guidance on building and testing the best AI phone call agents to define your lexicon and handoff rules. If you do not see pronunciation controls in your portal, contact your Brilo AI admin or open a Support ticket from the Brilo AI dashboard to request pronunciation lexicon or SSML support. For guided support, book a call with our team today.

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