Phenry makes the case for a 'one size fits all' pronunciation dictionary and I would like to champion the alternative DIY approach.
The trouble with a 'one size fits all' dictionary is that it has to be large, includes words that don't need correcting and everything else that you don't need. In the absence of a commercial customizable dictionary where the user chooses what to include, an elegant approach is to use TA to develop a personalized dictionary.
I have used TextAloud for many years and think that it has excellent text pronouncing facilities, especially with the handling of regular expressions. As a novice in this area I have found the support for using these facilities has also been excellent.
I use Ivona voices where the built in dictionary is already very good. For the occasional error, digital and online dictionaries allow me to copy and paste IPA pronunciations into TA dictionaries. The result is a personalized dictionary that is small and executes instantaneously. There is still a problem with heteronyms but I am hopeful that an AI (artificial intelligence) approach may eventually be found. In the meantime a simple pre-processing of the text using the TA editor allows rapid correction of the most common heteronyms.
I'm sure there will be support for both approaches but for now I am sticking with DIY.
