How to Get an AI Song to Pronounce a Name Right
Updated · Cantoro
Type the name the way it sounds, not the way it’s spelled. An AI singer reads a name like an English word, letter by letter: typed as Siobhan, our test song was heard as “C.O. Bun”; typed as Shivawn, the same request was heard as Siobhan. Every song comes in two versions, so keep the one that says it best, and if both miss, a song you keep is sung again once for free with the new spelling.
Do it now: Type the name as it sounds, add a detail or two, and hear the first 60 seconds of both versions free.
The same request, the name typed two ways
The lyrics
[Verse 1] Big sister, shining bright Twenty-five tonight You laugh first, then you tell Every joke lands well [Pre-Chorus] You got that spark in your smile Make the whole room feel alive Got the kind of heart that stays Warm on the hard days [Chorus] Siobhan, Siobhan Sing it loud, sing it on Siobhan, Siobhan Happy birthday, carry on Siobhan, Siobhan Big sister, all day long Siobhan, Siobhan We love you, we sing along [Verse 2] Sunday pancakes in the pan Golden edges, perfect tan Butter melting, syrup shine You make the best time [Pre-Chorus] You got that spark in your smile Make the whole room feel alive Got the kind of heart that stays Warm on the hard days [Chorus] Siobhan, Siobhan Sing it loud, sing it on Siobhan, Siobhan Happy birthday, carry on Siobhan, Siobhan Big sister, all day long Siobhan, Siobhan We love you, we sing along [Bridge] Twenty-five, look at you go More love than you even know From the first laugh to the last You make good moments last [Final Chorus] Siobhan, Siobhan Sing it loud, sing it on Siobhan, Siobhan Happy birthday, carry on Siobhan, Siobhan Big sister, all day long Siobhan, Siobhan We love you, we sing along
The name comes in at 0:19. A speech recognizer wrote “Siobhan” twice, then “See your vibe”, “C.O. Bun” and “C.O.B.A.N.”: the letters read out, see-oh-ban.
The lyrics
[Verse 1] Big sister shining bright Twenty-five tonight You laugh before the punchline lands Then you crack yourself up again Sunday pancakes on the stove Golden stacks in a row You make the whole place feel like home With syrup running slow [Pre-Chorus] Oh, you got that spark You light up the room One little grin And we all follow you [Chorus] Shivawn, Shivawn Today is yours Shivawn, Shivawn We love you more Twenty-five, you’re on Shivawn, Shivawn Say it loud Shivawn, Shivawn We’re singing now [Verse 2] You’re the one I call When I need a sign You turn the tough stuff Into punchlines Sunday morning in your hands Butter on the pan You fold the day into a smile Like only you can [Pre-Chorus] Oh, you got that spark You light up the room One little grin And we all follow you [Chorus] Shivawn, Shivawn Today is yours Shivawn, Shivawn We love you more Twenty-five, you’re on Shivawn, Shivawn Say it loud Shivawn, Shivawn We’re singing now [Bridge] Make a wish, big sis Blow that candle high Best joke first, then the punchline That’s your style Golden heart, Sunday hands You’ve always been the one Now the whole world gets to cheer For all you’ve done [Final Chorus] Shivawn, Shivawn Today is yours Shivawn, Shivawn We love you more Twenty-five, you’re on Shivawn, Shivawn Say it loud Shivawn, Shivawn We’re singing now Shivawn, Shivawn Birthday queen Shivawn, Shivawn Best we’ve seen
The name comes in at 0:28. The recognizer wrote “Siobhan” in 11 of the 14 name lines and “She won” in the rest: shi-VAWN, the way the name is said.
Each version plays as it came out. The names and details were written for the examples.
Why does an AI song mispronounce names?
The singer only has the written lyrics. It sings each word the way an English reader would guess it from the letters, and it doesn’t know who the song is for or how your family says the name. Names spelled the way they sound come out fine: in our samples, Olivia, Marcus, Ava, Noah and Pickles were all heard as written.
Trouble starts when the letters and the sound disagree, mostly with names in Irish, Vietnamese, Polish or Chinese spelling (Siobhan, Niamh, Nguyen, Wojciech, Xiaoyu) and with unusual spellings. Well-known names often survive: Joaquin, which an English reader might say “joe-a-kwin”, was heard as Joaquin in every name line of one version.
We typed Siobhan two ways. What did the AI sing?
On 2 November 2026 we made two birthday songs here with the same details (a big sister turning 25 who makes pancakes every Sunday) and a female voice, changing only the name box: Siobhan, then Shivawn. Each song came back as two versions in about a minute. We ran all four versions through a speech recognizer (Whisper large-v3-turbo) and read what it wrote where the lyrics have the name, then ran the same test with Joaquin and Wah-keen (other details, a male voice).
“See your vibe” and “C.O. Bun” are S-i-o-b-h-a-n sung as see-oh-ban. “She won” is shi-VAWN, the way the name is said, written down by a recognizer that didn’t place the name. A recognizer can’t judge an accent, so listen to the two versions above.
| Typed in the name box | Version | Heard as |
|---|---|---|
| Siobhan | 1 | “Siobhan” in 2 lines, then “See your vibe”, “C.O. Bun” and “C.O.B.A.N.” |
| Siobhan | 2 | “Chauvin” and “Show bun”, never “Siobhan” |
| Shivawn | 1 | “She won”, “Shevon” and once “She born” |
| Shivawn | 2 | “Siobhan” in 11 of 14 name lines, “She won” in the rest |
| Joaquin | 1 | “Joaquin” in every name line |
| Joaquin | 2 | “Why keep” in the first chorus, “Joaquin” after it, “Wackin’” at the end |
| Wah-keen | 1 | “Joaquin”, and “Walkie” once |
| Wah-keen | 2 | “Joaquin”, and “Walking” once |
How do I spell a name the way it sounds?
- Say the name slowly and split it into beats: shi-VAWN.
- Write each beat with letters an English reader would say the same way: “shi” as in ship, “vawn” to rhyme with lawn.
- Join the beats into one name and read it as if you had never heard it: Shivawn. If you would say it right, so will the singer.
- Type that spelling in the name box. If you paste your own lyrics, use it in every line.
- Play the first chorus of both versions: that’s where the name is.
| Name | Try typing | Said like |
|---|---|---|
| Siobhan | Shivawn | shi-VAWN (tested above) |
| Niamh | Neeve | NEEV |
| Saoirse | Seersha | SEER-sha |
| Aoife | Eefa | EE-fa |
| Nguyen | Win | WIN, as many families in the US say it |
| Wojciech | Voycheck | VOY-chek |
| Xiaoyu | Shyowyoo | SHYOW-yoo |
| Thijs | Tice | TICE, to rhyme with ice |
Are the other spellings tested too?
No: only Siobhan and Joaquin were tested here, and the rest of the chart is a starting point. How the family says the name beats any chart, so spell what you hear at home. If a spelling still comes out wrong, try a second one with the free re-sing below.
What if both versions still get the name wrong?
Keep the song, then select “Name sung wrong? Sing it again free” under it. Type the name the way it sounds and the same words are sung again, with the name changed everywhere it’s sung. It’s free once per song.
It only works when the name is in the words: if your pasted lyrics use a nickname, respell it in the lyrics and make a new song instead. A free 60-second preview has to be kept first ($4.99); the re-sing comes with the full song.
Will the lyrics show the respelled name?
Yes. The lyrics under the song show the spelling you typed (Shivawn), because that’s what the singer reads. If you print the lyrics in a card, change the name back by hand; the song is what they hear.
Can the AI leave the name out altogether?
Sometimes. The lyrics are written with the name in the chorus, but a version can blur or skip it: in our anniversary sample, one version never sang “Ryan”, and in the other the recognizer found it in 9 of the 15 lines that have it. That’s why every song comes as two versions, and why the free re-sing exists.