Voice pronunciation issues after updating maps

[misterfuss]

Hello,

First post here. I just noticed after updating to maps version 865 and app version 9.056 that "Susan" pronounces highway 101 differently. She now says "us minus one hundred one" instead of "you ess one oh one." Did I do something wrong when I performed my update? Is there a way to correct this?

Many thanks in advance,

Misterfuss

 

[canderson]

This could be a function of a map change that modified something that looked like "US101" to "US-101", and Susan is doing the best she knows how with that.

There's a discussion that has taken place over many months that addresses such issues. https://www.tomtomforums.com/general-tomtom-discussion/21171-how-fix-poor-tts-pronunciation.html

You'll need to page forward to the discussion of the ".lex" file. Users have tweaked that file to modify the way spoken numbers are managed, and I suspect your problem might be remedied similarly. If not, feel free to tag onto the end of that thread with your issue. It's been a while since I looked at it.

 

[misterfuss]

Thanks canderson for the link. I will try changing the cphoneme.dat to cphoneme.old before I try changing .lex files and report back tomorrow. If I need to tweak the .lex files, I will make a backup first.

 

[canderson]

Thanks canderson for the link. I will try changing the cphoneme.dat to cphoneme.old before I try changing .lex files and report back tomorrow. If I need to tweak the .lex files, I will make a backup first.

I don't think that the cphoneme file will help you. The dash (minus) that you are hearing is probably present in the map file data itself. The .lex file allows you to modify the very structure of the thing being pronounced, and it should be possible to delete the "-" in the redefinition of the number pronunciation.

 

[misterfuss]

I don't think that the cphoneme file will help you. The dash (minus) that you are hearing is probably present in the map file data itself. The .lex file allows you to modify the very structure of the thing being pronounced, and it should be possible to delete the "-" in the redefinition of the number pronunciation.

You are correct. Changing the cphoneme file didn't help. I was unable to backup my files either yet. I see that Home is offering me TomTom application 9.061. I wonder if my issue is resolved in this update. (Home says to see the list of changes I should go to tomtom.com/6420, but the latest version listed there is 9.051 and that lists "minor changes.")

 

[Andy_P]

I would be on the phone reporting it to TomTom direct if this has happened after a map update.

As an end user, you shouldn't need to mess about with those config files unless you wanted to make minor improvements.
Something as major as it saying "us minus" needs fixing at their end.

 

[misterfuss]

Update to TTS issues...

I would be on the phone reporting it to TomTom direct if this has happened after a map update.

As an end user, you shouldn't need to mess about with those config files unless you wanted to make minor improvements.
Something as major as it saying "us minus" needs fixing at their end.

Hi Andy,
I did contact TomTom via email and their response was unhelpful. (It seemed canned, wanting me to do a soft reset, hard reset, reinstall application software, etc.)

After getting their response, I decided to try changing the .lex files. (after backing up my data.) I changed entries in the LoquendoTTS\data\roadnrEnglishUS.lex file to help with my problem. I changed "br" = "branch" to "br" = "bridge" and "0" = "west" to "0" = "oh" and added "us-101" = "you ess one oh one" and things seem ok right now.

I agree with you that an end-user shouldn't have to change .lex files (or other files) but it seemed to be an easier "fix" than dealing with TomTom support.

 

[Andy_P]

I agree with you that an end-user shouldn't have to change .lex files (or other files) but it seemed to be an easier "fix" than dealing with TomTom support.

You've hit the nail on the head there!

 

[misterfuss]

Most voice issues resolved, some still exist...

As mentioned above, my US 101 issues have been resolved, but I still have some "branch" versus "bridge" issues.

Somehow, Golden Gate Br is still being pronounced as "Golden Gate Branch" at some locations (at :07). (and Golden Gate Bridge at other locations. (at :15))

YouTube - TomTom Bridge word choice issue

 

[canderson]

As mentioned above, my US 101 issues have been resolved, but I still have some "branch" versus "bridge" issues.

Any chance that (if you look REALLY closely) some of them are "Br" and others are "Br."?

 

[misterfuss]

"br." = "bridge" just added

Hi Canderson,

I just added "br." = "bridge" to the .lex file and I will advise if this works. (I may not take that route again until next week though.) Currently in the .lex file there is no occurrence of "branch" so I am not too optimistic that this will work.

I had also previously added "golden gate br" = "golden gate bridge" and "gate br" = "gate bridge" but still had the problem.

Is there an alternate file that TomTom uses to get the words that "Susan" uses?

Thanks.

 

[canderson]

Hi Canderson,

I just added "br." = "bridge" to the .lex file and I will advise if this works. (I may not take that route again until next week though.) Currently in the .lex file there is no occurrence of "branch" so I am not too optimistic that this will work.

I'd be sure that both "br" and "br." are in there. It's an 'override' file if you are not running the *.dat file now.

Is there an alternate file that TomTom uses to get the words that "Susan" uses?

Thanks.

Not for your particular model, no. I've seem some very different directory structures and files for countries other than the U.S., though.

 

[misterfuss]

I can live with it now.

Just reporting back that I had added the "Br." as well as "Br" to mean bridge and not branch. I don't find the word branch at all in the .lex file, but Susan sometimes still uses that when giving directions towards Golden Gate Bridge.

I find it ironic that she pronounces "Golden Gate Br" as Golden Gate Branch and "G. G. Br" as Golden Gate Bridge. (There is no "G. G." in the .lex file either.)

I give up. Oh well, it is somewhat improved over what it was.