Have you ever been in an important work meeting, presenting a report on your screen, only for NVDA to pronounce your manager’s name, “David,” in an awkward, robotic way? Or maybe you were reviewing a technical term for a training course, and the screen reader insisted on mangling it, confusing your understanding?

These moments are more than just minor annoyances; they are small barriers to confidence and professionalism. Many people believe these errors are just part of how screen readers work and that we have to live with them. But the truth is, NVDA gives you the full power to become its personal “pronunciation coach,” all through a simple graphical interface and without writing a single line of code.

Today’s tool is **Speech Dictionaries**, the feature that elevates your relationship with NVDA from a casual user to a true expert.

What are Speech Dictionaries?

Simply put, a Speech Dictionary is a special table within NVDA where you can create permanent rules to correct or change the pronunciation of specific words, phrases, or even symbols. When NVDA encounters a word that matches a rule in your dictionary, it ignores its default pronunciation and uses the one you’ve defined.

A Practical Guide: Fixing the Pronunciation of “Udemy”

Let’s say NVDA mispronounces the learning platform “Udemy.” Here is how you can fix it permanently in less than a minute:

  1. Open the NVDA Menu: Press NVDA + N.
  2. Go to Preferences: Arrow down to “Preferences” and press Enter.
  3. Choose Speech Dictionaries: From the menu, select “Speech Dictionaries” and press Enter.
  4. Select the Default Dictionary: Choose “Default Dictionary” to apply the rule everywhere, then click the **”Add”** button.
  5. Fill in the New Rule:
    • Pattern: Type the word you want to change: Udemy
    • Replace with: Type how you want it to be pronounced: You-dem-ee
  6. Save the Rule: Click **”OK”**, then “OK” again.

**The Result:** From now on, whenever NVDA encounters the word “Udemy” in any program or website, it will pronounce it correctly and smoothly. You have successfully customized your tool.

From a Mere Tool to a Professional Partner: The Includio Vision

At **Includio**, we see assistive technology not just as a tool for access, but as a partner in your professional journey. Mastering a feature like “Speech Dictionaries” isn’t just about convenience; it’s a direct investment in your professionalism.

When you customize NVDA to pronounce technical terms in your field accurately or the names of your clients correctly, you are not only saving the mental energy you used to spend decoding errors, but you are also boosting your confidence and presenting yourself as an expert who is in full command of their tools. This is the level of mastery we aim to help you achieve.

Conclusion: You Are in Control

Being a professional user isn’t just about memorizing shortcuts; it’s about knowing how to adapt the tool to fit your world. “Speech Dictionaries” gives you the power to refine your daily experience, making your interaction with the digital world smoother and more precise. It’s an empowering feature that proves true mastery of technology doesn’t always require writing code.