Kindle 2 TTS had my back!

daffy4u · 05-19-2009, 10:06 PM

As some of you know I work in commercials. This past Sunday I was shooting a promo for a series. One of the characters had a line with the word "tousled" in it. The client and the writer had the character pronouce the word as "toss-eled". I told them that was not how the word was pronounced. Several other people agreed with the client and others said it should be pronounced "tozz-eled". I kept saying that neither of the pronunciations was how I'd ever heard it pronounced ("toww-zled" with an oww as in ouchy). They didn't agree with me until I pulled out my Kindle 2.

I had no internet connection on either the K2 or my laptop so I searched the books I had on my K2 for the word "tousled" and I found it in my copy of "The Stand". I turned of the TTS for that page (luckily it was near the top of the page) and the K2 pronounced it the same was I did (yay!). I played it for the client and they agreed to record a "wild line" where the character just said the dialog (no camera), pronouncing the word the way I and my K2 did. They'll be able to replace that one word without us having to shoot the scene again.

Kindle 2 to the rescue.

Ervserver · 05-19-2009, 11:04 PM

You violated TOS for playing the Kindle aloud for an audience

daffy4u · 05-19-2009, 11:05 PM

Watch me run and hide!

Slow_hand · 05-20-2009, 05:51 AM

Get it to read Obama.

JSWolf · 05-20-2009, 06:23 AM

tousled tou-zuhld

So what was the series being promoted?

poohbear_nc · 05-20-2009, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Watch me run and hide!

I have this mental picture of Jeff Bezos in an Elmer Fudd hunting outfit showing up on your sound stage saying: "Be vewy, vewy quiet -- I'm hunting Daffy!"

mores · 05-20-2009, 08:48 AM

@poohbear ... isn't the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "officially" abbreviated with HHGGß I'm referring to your signature, by the way

poohbear_nc · 05-20-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mores

@poohbear ... isn't the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "officially" abbreviated with HHGGß I'm referring to your signature, by the way

I've seen it abbreviated a couple of ways in different forums - this has always been my own shorthand for it.

daffy4u · 05-20-2009, 09:16 AM

2 posts for the price of 1!

daffy4u · 05-20-2009, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow_hand

Get it to read Obama.

Yeah, I know about that but "Obama" is an uncommon proper noun (in English anyway) not a semi-common word which has been in the dictionary for a very long time (and K2 was correct in this case).

emellaich · 05-20-2009, 11:54 AM

I use TTS when I go from reading to driving so I don't have to put my book down.

Anyway, the K2 is pretty good, but I have seen it make some interesting pronunciation choices.

It likes to find abbreviations where none exist. In one of my novels, the writer ended many sentences with the word 'alas' so that the text looked like this: "alas." . Every time the Kindle read this it said "Alaska". I can't recall the other examples, but in general it sometimes has problems with the last word in a sentence.

It can also make the wrong choice on words like "read" (red, or reed?) . I have heard a few other stumbles, but it does an acceptable job.

I'd much rather read than listen and I'm not an audiobook fan. However, TTS gives me the ability to switch modes when reading doesn't work, and to switch back when it does.

krisk · 05-20-2009, 12:33 PM

good for you and Kindle!!!! it really grates my nerves when supposedly educated professional people do that. this morning the broadcaster pronounced vehemently (lets see if I can do this) va-HEEE-imently. might as well draw your nails across a chalkboard!

suliabryon · 05-20-2009, 12:37 PM

OMG. That is a fabulous story! I'm a writer, and back in college I majored in (of course) English lit. I would not have been able to let that go, either. And I'm amazed that so many of them did not know how to pronounce that word!

Kindle 2 - not just for reading, but also for winning word arguments.

Daithi · 05-20-2009, 02:26 PM

I've always pronounced it tussled as in the past tense of tussle. That's what a third grade education gets you.

krisk · 05-20-2009, 03:11 PM

your hair became tousled when you tussled with your brother.

05-19-2009, 10:06 PM	#1
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	Kindle 2 TTS had my back! As some of you know I work in commercials. This past Sunday I was shooting a promo for a series. One of the characters had a line with the word "tousled" in it. The client and the writer had the character pronouce the word as "toss-eled". I told them that was not how the word was pronounced. Several other people agreed with the client and others said it should be pronounced "tozz-eled". I kept saying that neither of the pronunciations was how I'd ever heard it pronounced ("toww-zled" with an oww as in ouchy). They didn't agree with me until I pulled out my Kindle 2. I had no internet connection on either the K2 or my laptop so I searched the books I had on my K2 for the word "tousled" and I found it in my copy of "The Stand". I turned of the TTS for that page (luckily it was near the top of the page) and the K2 pronounced it the same was I did (yay!). I played it for the client and they agreed to record a "wild line" where the character just said the dialog (no camera), pronouncing the word the way I and my K2 did. They'll be able to replace that one word without us having to shoot the scene again. Kindle 2 to the rescue.

05-20-2009, 09:16 AM	#9
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	2 posts for the price of 1! Last edited by daffy4u; 05-20-2009 at 11:59 AM.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Kindle TTS: Would you use a different voice?	Kindle Addict	Amazon Kindle	18	03-30-2014 02:00 PM
kindle 2 and the TTS	capelord	Amazon Kindle	3	09-27-2009 08:39 PM
Firmware Update Kindle 2.0.3 officially disables TTS	demoric	Amazon Kindle	14	08-07-2009 06:37 PM
National Federation of the Blind sues over Kindle TTS	rhadin	News	14	06-27-2009 02:03 PM

05-19-2009, 11:04 PM	#2
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	You violated TOS for playing the Kindle aloud for an audience

05-19-2009, 11:05 PM	#3
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	Watch me run and hide!

05-20-2009, 05:51 AM	#4
Slow_hand Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 326 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore Device: Amazon Kindle 2	Get it to read Obama.

05-20-2009, 06:23 AM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 75,991 Karma: 134368292 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	tousled tou-zuhld So what was the series being promoted?

05-20-2009, 08:48 AM	#7
mores Guru Posts: 834 Karma: 102419 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: iPhone	@poohbear ... isn't the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "officially" abbreviated with HHGGß I'm referring to your signature, by the way

05-20-2009, 11:54 AM	#11
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	I use TTS when I go from reading to driving so I don't have to put my book down. Anyway, the K2 is pretty good, but I have seen it make some interesting pronunciation choices. It likes to find abbreviations where none exist. In one of my novels, the writer ended many sentences with the word 'alas' so that the text looked like this: "alas." . Every time the Kindle read this it said "Alaska". I can't recall the other examples, but in general it sometimes has problems with the last word in a sentence. It can also make the wrong choice on words like "read" (red, or reed?) . I have heard a few other stumbles, but it does an acceptable job. I'd much rather read than listen and I'm not an audiobook fan. However, TTS gives me the ability to switch modes when reading doesn't work, and to switch back when it does.

05-20-2009, 12:33 PM	#12
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	good for you and Kindle!!!! it really grates my nerves when supposedly educated professional people do that. this morning the broadcaster pronounced vehemently (lets see if I can do this) va-HEEE-imently. might as well draw your nails across a chalkboard!

05-20-2009, 12:37 PM	#13
suliabryon Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle	OMG. That is a fabulous story! I'm a writer, and back in college I majored in (of course) English lit. I would not have been able to let that go, either. And I'm amazed that so many of them did not know how to pronounce that word! Kindle 2 - not just for reading, but also for winning word arguments.

05-20-2009, 02:26 PM	#14
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	I've always pronounced it tussled as in the past tense of tussle. That's what a third grade education gets you.

05-20-2009, 03:11 PM	#15
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	your hair became tousled when you tussled with your brother.

Advert

Advert