# Building a User Dictionary

Click here to see a numbered graphic illustrating the following procedure.

Building a user dictionary is a two-step process. First you create a .tab source file with the User Dictionary Build Tool to define the pronunciation of special words you want to place in the dictionary.

To create or modify dictionary entries:

Task/Location |  | Action | Result
DECtalk Software (1) program group | Step 1 | Double click on the User Dictionary icon. | The DECtalk Software Dictionary Builder dialog is displayed. (2)
File pull-down menu (3) | Step 2 | Select Open to open an existing dictionary definition (.tab) file. You can also create a new dictionary definition file by entering words directly. | The Open a File dialog box is displayed (not shown). The file you select is displayed in the edit window.
Edit window | Step 3 | Enter words that are not predefined or pronounced as desired in the DECtalk user dictionary. DECtalk needs to know both the word and the phonemic spelling you want to associate with it. If you know the phonemic spelling, enter it using the following format: word [phonemic spelling] If you do not know the phonemic spelling, enter the word as it sounds, rather than as it is spelled.
| Step 4 | Select the word and click Translate. (4) For example, the Yugoslavian name Jovicic sounds like Yoeveecheech | The User Dictionary Build Tool converts what you entered into a phonemic spelling. The User Dictionary Build Tool converts the name to: yx’ owv iychiych]
| Step 5 | To hear how DECtalk will interpret the phonemic spelling, select it, and click Pronounce Word. (5) | DECtalk speaks the word.
| Step 6 | Besides pronunciation, you can also define word usage. For example, to define the word soda to be equivalent to pop; define water to be pronounced with a New England accent; and take into account the dialectic regional preferences so that the word sub is called a hero, you would use the following pronunciation pairs: soda [p ' aap] water [w ‘ aotrr] sub [hx' iyr ow] Click here to the online help Reference Tables for a complete list of phonemic, stress, and syntactic symbols. Click here to go to help on Using In-line Commands more information on modifying and enhancing pronunciation.

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