Countdown’s Susie Dent helps Amazon’s Alexa understand more UK regional dialects

1 September 2020, 16:14

Susie Dent joins with Amazon's Alexa to add hundreds of British words
Susie Dent joins with Amazon’s Alexa to add hundreds of British. Picture: PA

The language expert has helped with a scheme to improve the virtual assistant’s recognition of regional words and phrases from across the UK.

Amazon’s Alexa can now better understand UK regional dialects after being trained in local phrases and language by expert Susie Dent.

The tech firm has worked with the Countdown star to expand Alexa’s vocabulary, introducing the virtual assistant to hundreds of new regional words.

As a result, Amazon says the AI helper is now able to understand a range of regional ways of saying hello, as well as different regional names for dinner, a bread roll, sandwiches, mum and dad, woodlice and children, among others.

“Nowhere is the diversity of English vocabulary more apparent than in Britain. Our local languages are constantly evolving and changing,” Dent said.

“It is virtually impossible for people to learn every single phrase and utterance, but with technology getting smarter all the time, perhaps one day assistants like Alexa will understand everything from ‘dabberlick’ (tall and skinny) to ‘crumpsy’ (grumpy).

“In the meantime, I’m delighted to teach Alexa some new words and encourage everyone to converse more with each other, and with Alexa, so we can all learn the glorious quirks of British language.”

As part of the ongoing development of Alexa, Amazon uses language experts at its Cambridge Development Centre to train the assistant on the variations of British speech, including the rolling “R” in Scottish accents to the use of long vowels in the south of England.

Dennis Stansbury, Alexa UK country manager, said continually improving the software’s understanding of language was vital for making the user experience the same for everyone.

“Unlike us, Alexa cannot feign understanding through nodding, so in the instance Alexa mishears a word or question, the team have worked hard on ways to get better at understanding these – like Alexa asking follow-up questions to clarify what you might mean,” he said.

“The goal is for Alexa to work equally well for every customer, and at Amazon we’re always working to improve.

“On this project, Susie Dent, a top lexicographer, has joined with Alexa to highlight the complexity of the British language and bolster Alexa’s vocabulary with uniquely British phrases and words.”

According to Amazon Alexa research, more than a third of people (34%) admitted they had changed the way they speak in order to be understood, while 18% said they were too embarrassed to speak up when they heard a regional word or phrase they did not understand.

By Press Association

More Technology News

See more More Technology News

Hands holding the iPhone 16

How smartphones powered the AI boom in 2024

London skyline

US investor to snap up maritime AI specialist Windward for £216m

Donald Trump

How will a second Trump presidency impact the tech world in 2025?

Morning drone (002)

Drone project reaches ‘important milestone’ with final trial flights

Prime Minister hosts Chanukah reception

AI tech giants should not be subsidised by British creatives, Starmer signals

Dr Craig Wright arrives at the Rolls Building in London for the trial earlier this year (Lucy North/PA)

Computer scientist behind false Bitcoin founder claim sentenced for contempt

Google has been contacted for comment (PA)

ICO criticises Google over ‘irresponsible’ advertising tracking change

Some 22% of consumers have increased their use of second-hand shopping apps in the past three months (Depop/PA)

Millions of Britons earning average £146 a month on second-hand platforms

ChatGPT being used via WhatsApp

ChatGPT joins WhatsApp to allow anyone to access the AI chatbot

A Facebook home page on a laptop screen

Meta fined more than 250 million euro by Irish data commission following breach

Finger poised above WhatsApp app on smartphone

Ending use of WhatsApp is ‘clear admission’ Government was wrong, claim Tories

Phone with WhatsApp on the screen

Scottish Government to cease use of WhatsApp by spring, says Forbes

Open AI

OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT search engine tool to all users

Most people happy to share health data to develop artificial intelligence

Government launches consultation on copyrighted material being used to train AI

Debbie Weinstein

Google names UK executive as president for Europe, Middle East and Africa

The Apple App store app on an iPad (PA)

Shopping and Roblox named among most popular Apple App Store downloads of 2024