Help
VOA Pronounce helps broadcasters learn the correct pronunciation of prominent names and terms in the news.
Finding a Word
Search
Use the search form in the top banner or on the home page to find a specific word. As you type, our search form will suggest possible words. If you spell something incorrectly, we will offer suggestions for possible matches.
If you aren't sure how to spell a name, enter the first few letters of the last name in the search box and click "Search." Any last names that begin with the search value will be displayed. Avoid punctuation marks and spaces if you are not sure hot to spell a word.
What's Hot
Browse the most new and noteworthy names and terms on the What's Hot page or the What's Hot section of the home page. These terms are also included in the regular Browse and Search functions.
Click on the + icon to learn more about a term, including a photo, description, region, and links to articles to see the word in context.
Click on the audio icon to hear the word spoken aloud. See the audio section below for tips.
Browse
Use VOA Pronounce's Browse pages or section of the home page to find words alphabetically by last name (Browse All) or by regions (Browse by Region).
Click on the + icon to learn more about a term.
Click on the audio icon to hear the word spoken aloud. See the audio section below for tips.
Learning a Word
Click on the + icon to learn more about a term.
Click on the audio icon to hear the word spoken aloud. See the audio section below for tips.
See our Pronunciation Key to learn more about the phonetic system we use.
Audio
If you are having problems hearing the audio pronunciation, please do the following:
- If you have external speakers, adjust the speaker volume on the speaker itself.
- If your computer has only an internal speaker, or if there is no
physical volume control on your external speakers, go to the speaker
icon in the tray at the bottom lower right of your Window's screen. It
should be located near the digital clock. Left click on this icon and
then move the volume control up all the way. Make sure the speaker is
not muted. If this does not help, right click on the speaker icon and
select "Open volume controls. " Increase the Master Out volume on the
left of this screen. Again, check to see that the master is not muted.
By clicking on the "Advanced" button on the Master Out screen, you will
again be given the opportunity to check for speaker muting.
- If this does not help, go back to the speaker icon in the tray and
right click. This time, select "Adjust audio properties. " The playback
section at the top of this screen allows you to increase the speaker
volume.
- Another place you may adjust the volume is on your chosen media player software. Your player should have a volume control on the front of its screen.
- If all of the above still does not give you enough volume, your internal speaker may have been disabled when installed. The only other alternative is to use headphones or if you're an internal BBG user, contact BBG Computer Services.
More Help
Languages
This quick reference page lists each nation and its most-spoken languages.
Pronunciation Key
Take a quick look at the Pronunciation Key to understand the phonetic system we are following on VOA Pronounce.
Correctness
While we make every effort to give correct pronunciations for the words on VOA Pronounce, opinions do vary. With this in mind, please be aware that every entry in the VOA Pronunciation Guide database is a compromise, to one degree or the other.
Contact Embasses
To confirm the pronunciation of a word with a related embassy, see this external website for embassy contact information.
Technical Problems
If you have technical problems, please email jtedder@voa. gov.