> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.retellai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pronunciation examples

> Adapt these Retell AI prompt examples when your voice agent needs help reading phone numbers, email addresses, websites, or times clearly during calls.

Use these examples when your agent needs help pronouncing a particular kind of information. Add only the instructions your task needs, following the [general prompting principles](/build/prompt-engineering-guide).

The [Agent Handbook](/build/agent-handbook) also provides presets for phone numbers, email spelling, and speech normalization. Check whether a preset covers your need before adding the same instructions to your prompt.

## Pronounce the phone numbers

For digit-by-digit pronunciation with pauses between groups, use spaced dashes as described in [Add pause or read slowly](/build/add-pause).

```
Read phone numbers digit by digit, with a spaced dash between groups.
For example, 415-892-3245 becomes "four one five - eight nine two - three two four five".
```

[Listen to the phone number example](https://retell-utils-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/speak_phone_number.wav).

## Pronounce the email

```
Spell out email addresses. Say "at" for @ and "dot" for periods.
For example, sam@example.com becomes "s-a-m at e-x-a-m-p-l-e dot com".
```

## Pronounce the website

```
Read recognizable words in website addresses normally, spell out initials, and say "dot" for periods.
For example, nklaundry.com becomes "en kay laundry dot com".
```

## Pronounce the time

```
Read times naturally and include AM or PM.
For example, 1:00 PM becomes "one PM" and 3:30 PM becomes "three thirty PM".
```

For requests such as “hold on,” see [Make the agent stay silent](/build/no-response), including the differences between reasoning and non-reasoning models.


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