Fixing AI Pronunciation of Restaurant and Menu Names

Last updated: March 23, 2026

Getting your restaurant's name and menu items pronounced correctly by the AI voice agent is essential for a professional caller experience. Whether your restaurant has a French, Italian, Japanese, or other non-English name — or your menu features items with unique pronunciations — Maple provides several ways to ensure the AI says everything correctly. This guide walks you through the techniques available to fix pronunciation issues.

Prerequisites

  • Access to your Maple dashboard with admin or manager permissions

  • Knowledge of the correct pronunciation of the words you want to fix

  • Access to your POS system (for menu item adjustments)

Method 1: Add Phonetic Guidance in the Welcome Message

If adjusting the business name field alone doesn't resolve the issue, you can also embed pronunciation guidance directly in the welcome message field.

  1. Go to Voice Agent settings in your Maple dashboard.

  2. Find the welcome message (greeting) field.

  3. Write out your restaurant name phonetically within the greeting text.

  4. Click Save Changes.

  5. Call your AI line to test the result.

This approach is especially useful when you want the business name field to retain the correct spelling for other system purposes but need the spoken greeting to sound right.

Method 2: Fix Menu Item Pronunciation via Toast Descriptions

Since the AI pulls all menu information from your POS system, enriching your item descriptions is the best way to help the AI correctly pronounce and recognize menu items.

  1. Log in to your POS system.

  2. Navigate to the menu item you want to fix.

  3. Update the item description to include:

    • Phonetic variations of the item name (e.g., for "kulfi," add "kulfee" or "kool-fee")

    • Alternate names or slang that customers commonly use (e.g., adding "burger" as an alternate for "Grilled Smash Burger")

    • Contextual descriptions of the food item that help the AI understand what it is

  4. Save your changes.

  5. Allow time for the menu sync to update in Maple, then test by calling and asking about the item.

Understanding POS' (ex., Toast's) Three Name Fields

Toast supports multiple identifiers for a single menu item:

  • Customer-facing name — The marketing name shown on menus (e.g., "Grilled Smash Burger")

  • POS name — What appears on receipts and kitchen displays

  • Description/AI recognition field — Additional context that helps the AI identify and pronounce the item

Use the description field strategically to bridge the gap between your branded menu names and the words customers actually say when ordering.

Method 3: Request a Pronunciation Dictionary Update

For persistent pronunciation issues — especially with menu items that the AI consistently mispronounces or fails to recognize — you can request that the Maple support team update your pronunciation dictionary on the backend.

  1. Compile a list of words or item names that the AI mispronounces.

  2. For each word, include:

    • The current (incorrect) pronunciation you're hearing

    • The correct pronunciation (written phonetically)

    • The correct spelling of the word

  3. Submit your list through one of these channels:

    • In-app support line — Click Get Help at the bottom left of your Maple dashboard. Text message is the fastest option.

    • Email — Send to the support team with your location name and pronunciation details.

  4. The support team will add these entries to your profile's pronunciation dictionary so the AI recognizes and pronounces the variations correctly.

If you discover additional mispronounced words after your initial submission, simply report them through the same support channels. There's no limit to the number of words you can add.

Troubleshooting

Issue

What to Try

Phonetic spelling isn't changing the pronunciation

The voice pronunciation may be cached. Save your changes, wait a few minutes, and test again. If it persists, contact support.

AI doesn't recognize a menu item when customers say it differently

Add alternate names and phonetic variations to the item description in Toast.

You've tried multiple phonetic spellings and none sound right

Contact support via Get Help to have the engineering team configure the pronunciation directly on the backend.

AI says the right name in the greeting but mispronounces it later in the call

You may need both a phonetic spelling in settings and a pronunciation dictionary update. Contact support.

Best Practices

  • Test after every change. Call your AI line immediately after saving pronunciation updates to verify the result.

  • Keep a running list of mispronounced words as you discover them, and submit them in batches to support.

  • Think like your customers. When adding alternate names in Toast, consider every way a caller might refer to a menu item — including abbreviations, nicknames, and common mispronunciations.

  • Use the fastest support channel. For pronunciation dictionary updates, texting through the in-app support line typically gets the quickest turnaround.