# Lesson 14: Multilingual & Pronunciation

**URL:** <https://community.retellai.com/t/lesson-14-multilingual-pronunciation/2932>\
**Category:** Module 4: Voice, Language & Quality\
**Created:** [May 31, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://community.retellai.com/t/lesson-14-multilingual-pronunciation/2932 "2026-05-31T01:52:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex008/uploads/retell1/original/2X/a/a06e2942efdc48016940732a05d1274957507ee3.png) [@system](https://community.retellai.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://community.retellai.com/t/lesson-14-multilingual-pronunciation/2932/1 "2026-05-31T01:52:38Z")

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## Multilingual & Pronunciation

### Multilingual Agents

- Retell supports multiple languages in a single agent
- Configure the primary language and allowed secondary languages
- Agent can detect the caller’s language and switch automatically
- Supported languages include English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and many more

### Speech Recognition

- Multiple ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) providers available
- Choose based on accuracy, language support, and latency needs
- Some providers are better for specific accents or noisy environments

### Pronunciation Tips

- Use phonetic spelling for unusual words in your prompt
- Example: “The company name is Acme (pronounced ACK-mee)”
- Use SSML tags for precise control over pronunciation
- Test pronunciation in the Playground before deploying

### Handling Noise & Edge Cases

- **Background noise** — configure noise sensitivity settings
- **Voicemail/IVR detection** — agent can detect when it hits a voicemail or automated system
- **Silence handling** — configure how long to wait before prompting
- **Backchanneling** — agent says “mm-hmm”, “I see” to show it’s listening