Why it matters
When the AI says "Good job, Xiaoming!" or "Great work, Aoife!", it pronounces the name using English phonetic rules. Names from Chinese, Irish, Portuguese, Arabic, or Vietnamese often sound wrong by default.
How to fix it
- Parent Home → tap ✏️ on your child's card → "Name pronunciation hint"
- Type the name AS IT SHOULD SOUND in plain English letters
- Examples: "Xiaoming" → SHYAO-ming · "Aoife" → EE-fa · "Saoirse" → SUR-sha · "João" → joh-OW
- Tap 🔊 "Test how it sounds" to hear it before saving
- Tweak the spelling until it sounds right, then save
You don't need IPA notation. Just write what it should sound like in English — capital letters mark the stressed syllable.
When is it used?
The hint replaces the display_name in any spoken AI praise: lesson playback ("Great work, [hint]!"), milestone certificate emails, and teacher-triggered class praise.