Voice User Interface Design

Chapter 11. Planning Prosody

Note

The number you have dialed, Four? Four? Four? Four? Four? Four? Four? Is not in service. Please check the listing and dial again. <click!>

Biased by the immutability of the printed word, most people think a “four” is a “four” is a “four.” Actually, the digit's context in the string and the string's context in the larger utterance make a big difference in how this word is spoken. Printed representations such as “four” and “4” do not do justice to the richly textured system of spoken language, which is, of course, the essence of voice user interfaces. In fact, there are many ways to say the word “four,” depending on ...