Article overview:
Fix a mispronounced word by spelling out exactly how it should sound.
A Respelling is a phonetic spelling that controls how a voice pronounces a word, without changing the written text. Use it for names, brand terms, and other words a voice gets wrong.
Before you get started
- Respellings are created inside the Replacements panel, using the Phonetic Respelling toggle.
- Respelling only supports English.
- Saved respellings go to your Pronunciation Library. You have a personal library; teams also share a Team Library.
Check suggestions before building your own
Before writing a custom respelling, check for a suggestion — it's faster and often all you need.
- Highlight or double-click the word in the script.
- Check the Smart Toolbar for a pronunciation suggestion.
The Smart Toolbar surfaces two kinds:
- Oxford Suggestions — a phonetic dictionary powered by Oxford Languages. Covers over 251,000 words in British and American English and resolves most pronunciation issues.
- Smart Suggestions — AI-generated, for recommendations the dictionary doesn't cover.
If neither suggestion fixes the word, build a custom respelling.
Creating a respelling
- Highlight or double-click the word in the editor.
- Click on + New replacement in the Smart Toolbar.
- Enter the phonetic spelling in the Replacement field.
- Turn on the Phonetic Respelling toggle.
- Preview the pronunciation.
- Save the entry to your Pronunciation Library.
Saving to your library means the respelling applies automatically anywhere that word appears in your other projects, too.
Respelling syntax
A respelling has two parts: syllable breaks and stress.
-
Syllable breaks — separate syllables with a hyphen. Example:
mis-sis-SIP-ee -
Stress — capitalize the syllable that should be emphasized. Example:
sask-ACH-oo-when - Use letters and hyphens only — no numbers or punctuation, and no mixing uppercase and lowercase within one syllable.
- The letters Q and X aren't supported. Use the phonetic equivalent from the Respellings Reference Charts instead.
Troubleshooting respelling errors
If a respelling doesn't work or a take fails to render, the issue is usually related to formatting or how the respelling was created.
| Error | Cause | Fix | Example |
| "Please format your respelling correctly" | Invalid syntax — mixed case within a syllable, or a special character. | Use only letters and hyphens, capitalize the stressed syllable, and keep the rest lowercase. | ✅ ihg-ZAM-puhl ⛔ ihg ZAM puhl ⛔ ihg-Zam-puhl |
| "Respelling must wrap some text." | Punctuation or a number sits directly next to the respelling. | Add a space between the respelling and any punctuation or number. | ✅ ihg-ZAM-puhl dot com ⛔ ihg-ZAM-puhl.com ✅ 1 OH ⛔ 1OH |
| Acronym punctuation edge case | Certain punctuation combinations can affect pronunciation. | Add a space between the acronym and punctuation. | ✅ Y-SEE-DEE - 10 ✅ ICD - 10 ⛔ (Y-SEE-DEE)-10 |
| Respelling cannot contain Q or X. | The respelling system uses specific phonetic sound mappings. | Swap in the equivalent letters from the Respellings Reference Charts. | ✅ ihg-ZAM-puhl ⛔ EX-am-puhl |
If a respelling saved before now fails, and it contains diacritics or other special characters, remove them and re-save it in the Pronunciation Library.
FAQs
Q: What's the difference between a respelling and a replacement?
A: A respelling controls how a word is pronounced, using phonetic spelling. A replacement swaps the written text for different spoken words. Both live in the Replacements panel — turning on Phonetic Respelling is what makes it a pronunciation rule instead of a text substitution. See the Guide to Replacements for more.
Q: Will my respelling apply across all my projects?
A: Yes, once it's saved to your Pronunciation Library, you can apply them consistently wherever that word appears in your other projects.