In a contact’s entry you can add a phonetic first and last name. This is great for making sure the Voice Command says the names of your friends and family correctly as well as understanding you when you are trying to voice dial someone.
For example, I used to drive 10 minutes to my office every morning and would use that time to call my mom and say hi. Her name is Bea Blanc but my iPhone wanted me to pronounce it “Bee-ahh Blank”. It was bad enough that the iPhone fumbled up her name, but making me mispronounce it as well was just plain rude.
And so I entered her phonetic first and last name as “Bee Blonk” respectively. Now I don’t have to mispronounce her name when calling via voice dial. I know not everyone uses the Voice commands, but I like them. It’s like having your own assistant. iPhone, get my mother on the line, would you?
To set a phonetic field just go to a contact’s entry from your iPhone, scroll to the bottom, and tap “Add Field”. From there you’ll find the fields you’re looking for.
(Thanks Sean for the tip!)