What are Hints?
Even the most advanced translation systems make mistakes. Especially with words outside the standard, such as brand names, technical abbreviations, or uncommon pronunciations.
With hints, you give the system a nudge in the right direction: you tell it how words should be recognized. This makes recognition of these words much more accurate!
Hints are useful for:
Brand names
Personal names
Technical terms
Using hints
When setting up a hint, you go through a few steps. Read below to see what to watch out for to make the best use of hints.
Follow these steps to add hints:
Click the 'Account' button in the top right
Click 'Localization'
Click 'Hints'
Click 'Add hint word'
The localization feature is an add-on to the Premium subscription.
1. Pronunciation
It all starts with the right pronunciation. The system learns words exactly as you enter them. You can add multiple pronunciations for the same hint. Use a - if you want to separate sounds.
Examples:
IKEA → Ee-Kay-Ah
ChatGPT → Chat-Gee-Pee-Tee
Tip: Think about how you would pronounce the word to someone who doesn’t know the language.
2. Language
For each pronunciation, you also select a language. This tells the system to use the pronunciation rules of that language when recognizing the word.
Hosting webinars in multiple languages? Then add the word in several languages as well. The system will use hints from all languages, no matter which main language you select for the webinar.
Example:
IKEA as English word: Ai-Kee-Ei
IKEA as Dutch word: Ee-Kay-Ah
Both variants will be recognized as IKEA.
3. Intensity
For each hint, you can set how strongly the system should enforce it.
Low intensity
Use this if your hint is very similar to other existing words. This prevents the system from making a wrong match too quickly. The downside is that the word might be recognized less often. If that happens, increase the intensity.High intensity
Use this if your hint is unique and doesn’t resemble many other words. The system will more often choose your hint, even if it’s not a perfect match. The downside is that the word might be recognized too often, even when it’s not meant. In that case, lower the intensity.
Tips for using hints
Here are some tips to get the most out of hints:
Test in advance: Always make a test recording to check if hints work correctly. Adjust intensity or add alternative pronunciations if needed.
Be specific: Only use hints for words that are truly pronounced differently than expected. Too many hints may cause regular words to be incorrectly matched.
Check pronunciation: Have someone else read your hint out loud. Does it sound the way you intended?
Update regularly: Check which words are still misrecognized and improve them. Remove outdated hints and add new products, names, or abbreviations so your hint list stays up to date.
Keywords: Hints, translation, brand names