Patent ID: 8719027

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of providing a pronunciation of a proper name to a remote device, the method comprising: receiving, with a computer processor, a first textual input indicative of the proper name to be pronounced; searching a database, with the computer processor, the database having a plurality of records each record having an indication of a textual representation of a proper name and an associated indication of an audible representation, of a proper name; and identifying a record for a matching proper name, when the textual representation in the record matches the first textual input; providing at least one output to the remote device of the audible representation of the record identified, for pronunciation of the proper name in the record identified; receiving a second textual input indicative of a desired pronunciation from a remote device, the second textual input comprising a textual representation for a different word, other than the proper name indicated by the first textual input, the different word having a different spelling than the proper name indicated by the first textual input but a similar pronunciation; generating a new audible representation from the textual representation of the different word using an automated text to speech engine; associating, with the computer processor, the new audible representation with the first textual input indicative of the proper name to be pronounced; and creating a record in the database, with the computer processor, including the proper name to be pronounced and the associated new audible representation.