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Why are numbers, dates, symbols and acronyms not properly pronounced?

Get cleaner reads by spelling out numbers, ranges, and abbreviations.

Updated this week

Text-to-speech (TTS) engines can read the same string in several valid ways. Numbers, dates, symbols, acronyms, and verse notation are especially tricky because context matters and languages differ.

It is a current limitation of TTS. The same string can be pronounced differently depending on context and language. The most reliable way to control pronunciation is to write things the way you want them spoken.

TL;DR

  • Write it out in words for anything ambiguous: numbers, dates, ranges, currency, acronyms, verse notation, units.

  • Add commas where you want a pause.

  • Use “through” for ranges instead of hyphens.

  • Match the voice language to the script language.

Best practices

  1. Write numbers in words

    • 100 → one hundred

    • 10.5 → ten point five

    • 21st → twenty-first

    • With units: 70 mph → seventy miles per hour, 3 kg → three kilograms

  2. Write currency in words

    • $100 → one hundred dollars

    • $10.50 → ten dollars and fifty cents

    • €29.99 → twenty-nine euros and ninety-nine cents

    • ₹1,200 → one thousand two hundred rupees

  3. Control ranges and punctuation

    • 1–5 → one through five

    • Add pauses with commas: Second Timothy, chapter three, verses one through five.

  4. Disambiguate dates and times

    • 10/12/2025 can be read two ways. Prefer October 12, 2025 or 12 October 2025.

    • 9:30 PM can vary by voice. For full control, write nine thirty p.m.

  5. Spell out acronyms and lettered terms

    • NIV → N I V or N.I.V.

    • FBI → F B I

    • 2D / 3D → two D / three D

    • AI → A I if you want the letters; Aye-eye can happen in some voices

  6. Bible books, chapters, and verses

    • 2 Timothy 3:1–5 → Second Timothy, chapter three, verses one through five

    • 1 John 4:18 → First John, chapter four, verse eighteen

    • Include version if needed: First Corinthians, chapter thirteen, verses four through seven, N I V

  7. Web, hashtags, and handles

    • hypernatural.ai → hypernatural dot A I

    • #CreatorTips → hashtag creator tips

    • @Hypernatural → at Hypernatural

  8. Language matters

    • Make sure the voice language matches your script language. The numeral 11 could be eleven in English, once in Spanish, elf in German.

Quick troubleshooting checklist

  • Did I write ambiguous items in words?

  • Did I add commas for pauses?

  • Did I replace hyphens in ranges with “through”?

  • Does the voice language match my script language?

  • For acronyms, did I use spaces or dots between letters if needed?

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