This page demonstrates actual mispronunciations by Apple’s VoiceOver and other text-to-speech engines. Each example shows a Problem sentence and a Workaround using HTML attributes that keep the original text intact while improving the spoken output.
Problem:
Yesterday I read the book in one sitting.
Workaround:
Yesterday I read the book in one sitting.
Problem:
He gave a minute description of the insect.
Workaround:
He gave a minute description of the insect.
Problem:
The pipes were made of lead.
Workaround:
The pipes were made of lead.
Problem:
Please wind the clock.
Workaround:
Please wind the clock.
Problem:
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Workaround:
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Problem:
He played the bass guitar.
Workaround:
He played the bass guitar.
Problem:
They had a row over dinner.
Workaround:
They had a row over dinner.
Problem:
Chapter IV
Workaround:
Chapter IV
Notes for Project Gutenberg volunteers:
aria-label attribute is the most reliable workaround.ruby markup can sometimes help, but has inconsistent support in VoiceOver.Each section shows how naïve HTML can confuse VoiceOver, followed by a markup-only workaround. The textual content is unchanged.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And so are you
Observed: VoiceOver often reads this as a single sentence with no pause for line breaks.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And so are you
Improved: Each line is read as a complete phrase with natural pauses.
This is important text1.
Observed: VoiceOver says “superscript one” instead of hinting at a note.
This is important text [1].
Improved: VoiceOver says “Footnote 1, link” and provides navigation.
He whispered, “c’est la vie”.
Observed: VoiceOver pronounces “c’est la vie” as English gibberish.
He whispered, “c’est la vie”.
Improved: VoiceOver switches to French pronunciation for the phrase.
STOP RIGHT THERE.
Observed: VoiceOver reads this flatly as “stop right there,” not indicating emphasis.
STOP RIGHT THERE.
Improved: VoiceOver conveys intended emphasis: “Stop right there, shouted.”
HOMER wrote epic poetry.
Observed: VoiceOver reads “Homer” normally, with no distinction from body text.
HOMER wrote epic poetry.
Improved: VoiceOver may announce the abbreviation or title, distinguishing the styling.
End of chapter
Next chapter begins
Observed: VoiceOver announces “separator” or “horizontal rule,” which is distracting.
End of chapter
Next chapter begins
Improved: VoiceOver ignores the divider, producing a smoother read.
| Dog | Canine |
| Cat | Feline |
Observed: VoiceOver just reads “Dog, Canine; Cat, Feline” with no context.
| Animal | Family |
|---|---|
| Dog | Canine |
| Cat | Feline |
Improved: VoiceOver announces “Dog, row header; Family, Canine” giving clear associations.
He paused ... and then continued.
Observed: VoiceOver reads “dot dot dot” or “three dots” inconsistently, not a pause.
He paused … and then continued.
Improved: VoiceOver says “pause” instead of literal dots.