A method for configuring a controlling device (100, 110) to command functional operations of a target appliance (102, 104, 106, 108), the method comprising: causing a codeset record to be provisioned to the controlling device for use in commanding functional operations of the target appliance (102, 104, 106, 108), the provisioned codeset record comprising protocol and formatting information and a series of individual command function entries wherein each of the series of individual command function entries comprises command data and wherein each of the series of individual command function entries also comprises a phonetic representation of a unique one of a plurality of function name synonyms by which each of the series of individual command function entries having the command data is to be referenced; causing less than all of the individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record to each be assigned to one of a plurality of command function keys of the controlling device (100, 110) whereupon a subsequent activation of one of the plurality of command function keys will cause the controlling device (100, 110) to transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of the one of the plurality of individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record that was assigned to the one of the plurality of command function keys activated; and causing the controlling device to (100, 110) transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of one of the plurality of individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record having a phonetic representation of a function name synonym which corresponds to voice data provided to a speech recognition engine. causing a codeset record to be provisioned to the controlling device for use in commanding functional operations of the target appliance (102, 104, 106, 108), the provisioned codeset record comprising protocol and formatting information and a series of individual command function entries wherein each of the series of individual command function entries comprises command data and wherein each of the series of individual command function entries also comprises a phonetic representation of a unique one of a plurality of function name synonyms by which each of the series of individual command function entries having the command data is to be referenced; causing less than all of the individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record to each be assigned to one of a plurality of command function keys of the controlling device (100, 110) whereupon a subsequent activation of one of the plurality of command function keys will cause the controlling device (100, 110) to transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of the one of the plurality of individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record that was assigned to the one of the plurality of command function keys activated; and causing the controlling device to (100, 110) transmit a command communication by using the protocol and formatting information and the command data of one of the plurality of individual command function entries from within the provisioned codeset record having a phonetic representation of a function name synonym which corresponds to voice data provided to a speech recognition engine.