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# Using pronunciation dictionaries

> **Note**
>
> **How-to guide** · Assumes you have completed the [ElevenAPI quickstart](/docs/eleven-api/quickstart).

## Overview

Pronunciation dictionaries allow you to customize how your AI agent pronounces specific words or phrases. This is particularly useful for:

* Correcting pronunciation of names, places, or technical terms
* Ensuring consistent pronunciation across conversations
* Customizing regional pronunciation variations

ElevenLabs supports both [IPA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet) and [CMU](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMU_Pronouncing_Dictionary) alphabets.

> **Info**
>
> Pronunciation dictionary phoneme tags only work with eleven\_v4, eleven\_flash\_v2 and eleven\_v3 models.
>
> Other models skip dictionary phoneme tags and use the default pronunciation. For other models, use
> alias tags instead to substitute spellings or phrases that produce the pronunciation you need.
>
> If you want to use IPA and CMU pronunciations in languages other than English, you will have to
> switch to the eleven\_v4 model.

## Quickstart

> **Note**
>
> This guide assumes you have [set up your API key and SDK](/docs/eleven-api/quickstart). Complete
> the quickstart first if you haven't.

#### Create a pronunciation dictionary file

In this example, we will create a pronunciation dictionary file for the word `tomato`.

This rule will use the "IPA" alphabet and update the pronunciation for `tomato` and `Tomato` with a different pronunciation. PLS files are case sensitive which is why we include it both with and without a capital "T".

> **Tip**
>
> You can use AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT to help generate IPA or CMU notations for specific words.

**`dictionary.pls`**

```xml title="dictionary.pls"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<lexicon version="1.0"
    xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/01/pronunciation-lexicon"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.w3.org/2005/01/pronunciation-lexicon
        http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/CR-pronunciation-lexicon-20071212/pls.xsd"
    alphabet="ipa" xml:lang="en-US">
<lexeme>
    <grapheme>tomato</grapheme>
    <phoneme>/tə'meɪtoʊ/</phoneme>
</lexeme>
<lexeme>
    <grapheme>Tomato</grapheme>
    <phoneme>/tə'meɪtoʊ/</phoneme>
</lexeme>
</lexicon>
```

#### Create a pronunciation dictionary from a file via the SDK

Create a new file named `example.py` or `example.mts`, depending on your language of choice and add the following code:

```python maxLines=0
from elevenlabs import ElevenLabs, PronunciationDictionaryVersionLocator
from elevenlabs.play import play

elevenlabs = ElevenLabs()

with open("dictionary.pls", "rb") as f:
    # this dictionary changes how tomato is pronounced
    pronunciation_dictionary = elevenlabs.pronunciation_dictionaries.create_from_file(
        file=f.read(), name="example"
    )

audio_1 = elevenlabs.text_to_speech.convert(
    text="Without the dictionary: tomato",
    voice_id="aMSt68OGf4xUZAnLpTU8",
    model_id="eleven_flash_v2",
)

audio_2 = elevenlabs.text_to_speech.convert(
    text="With the dictionary: tomato",
    voice_id="aMSt68OGf4xUZAnLpTU8",
    model_id="eleven_flash_v2",
    pronunciation_dictionary_locators=[
        PronunciationDictionaryVersionLocator(
            pronunciation_dictionary_id=pronunciation_dictionary.id,
            version_id=pronunciation_dictionary.version_id,
        )
    ],
)

# play the audio
play(audio_1)
play(audio_2)
```

```typescript maxLines=0
import { ElevenLabsClient, play } from "@elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js";
import "dotenv/config";
import fs from "node:fs";

const elevenlabs = new ElevenLabsClient();

const pronunciationDictionary = await elevenlabs.pronunciationDictionaries.createFromFile({
    file: fs.createReadStream("dictionary.pls"),
});

const audio1 = await elevenlabs.textToSpeech.convert("Without the dictionary: tomato", {
    voiceId: "aMSt68OGf4xUZAnLpTU8",
    modelId: "eleven_flash_v2",
});

const audio2 = await elevenlabs.textToSpeech.convert("With the dictionary: tomato", {
    voiceId: "aMSt68OGf4xUZAnLpTU8",
    modelId: "eleven_flash_v2",
    pronunciationDictionaryLocators: [
        {
            pronunciationDictionaryId: pronunciationDictionary.id,
            versionId: pronunciationDictionary.versionId,
        },
    ],
});

play(audio1);
play(audio2);
```

#### Execute the code

```python
python example.py
```

```typescript
npx tsx example.mts
```

You should hear two versions of the audio playing through your speakers, one with and one without the pronunciation dictionary.

## Next steps

#### [API reference](/docs/api-reference/pronunciation-dictionaries/create-from-file)

Full pronunciation dictionary API reference.

#### [TTS streaming](/docs/eleven-api/guides/how-to/text-to-speech/streaming)

Stream text to speech progressively for lower latency playback.

> ElevenLabs provides APIs and SDKs for text to speech, voice cloning, speech to text, sound effects, voice isolator, voice changer, and conversational AI agents. Build voice-enabled applications with lifelike audio generation.