Print Print    Close Close

How to get Alexa to speak more like you

By Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report

Published December 18, 2022

Fox News
How Alexa can speak more like you Video

Take a moment to learn the newest ways to get Alexa to speak the way you want. It will dramatically improve how you are currently using Alexa forever.

CLICK TO GET KURT’S CYBERGUY NEWSLETTER WITH QUICK TIPS, TECH REVIEWS, SECURITY ALERTS AND EASY HOW-TO’S TO MAKE YOU SMARTER

An echo dot on a wooden table.

Amazon's Alexa (Fox News)

Change Alexa's speed

You can change Alexa's volume directly on most devices or by using your voice, but did you know you can change Alexa's speed at which the device talks to you?

Say "Alexa, speak faster" or "Alexa, speak slower" either once, or a few times to get the device speaking at the rate you'd like. If you end up wanting Alexa to go back to the original speed, just say "Alexa, speak at your default rate" and the settings will reset.

 4 COMMON THINGS ALEXA CAN DO BETTER THAN YOU

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson speaking.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson demonstrates how to customize Alexa. (Fox News)

4 SIMPLE AND POWERFUL TIPS FOR MASTERING YOUR IPHONE CALCULATOR

Use Alexa's brief mode

Speaking of needing Alexa to speed up, sometimes the device just says too many phrases. You may just be wanting a quick response about the temperature or package delivery, and Alexa will give a whole spiel about other settings you can change.

Turn on Brief mode on your Alexa devices to receive just the basic answers Alexa will provide.

  • Open your Alexa app
  • Tap More (the three horizontal lines on the bottom right)
  • Tap Voice responses
  • Toggle on Brief Mode so Alexa will speak less or opt for a short sound instead of a wordy response

In Voice responses, you can also select Whisper Mode, which means Alexa will whisper back if you whisper to the device, or Adaptive volume, which means your device will increase volume automatically if your environment is louder.

UNWANTED EMAILS FLOODING YOUR INBOX? HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO

Screenshot of instructions on how to change Alexa to brief mode.

Screenshot of how to change your settings on Amazon's Alexa (Fox News)

HOW TO CHECK IF SOMEONE IS STEALING YOUR WI-FI AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

Change or turn off Alexa's wake word

At this point, the name Alexa has been changed forever. You can't even watch a video where someone says the name without setting off your devices and getting voices coming from everywhere. If you want to change that, you can opt for a different "wake word" to get your Alexa's attention. You can also stop Alexa from listening to you entirely.

How to change Alexa's wake word

  • Open your Alexa app
  • Tap Devices
  • Tap Echo & Alexa
  • Tap the device you want to change the wake word for (if you want to do it for all of your Alexa devices, just do this individually for each one)
  • Tap the Settings icon in the top-right corner
  • Scroll down and tap Wake word
  • Select from the options

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS ON YOUR ANDROID DEVICES

Screenshot on how to change Alexa's settings.

Screenshot instructing how to change Amazon Alexa's wake word (Fox News)

You can also change Alexa's voice to someone like Samuel L. Jackson or Melissa McCarthy by saying, "Alexa, change your voice."

 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

How to stop Alexa from listening to you

If you just need a pause from Alexa altogether and none of the wake words work for you, you can mute Alexa. Most newer Alexa devices have a mute button, which is a circle with a slash through it. Simply tap that, and you'll see a red light indicating your Alexa's in mute mode.

Photo of an echo dot.

An Amazon Echo Dot with a red ring and Alexa muted (Fox News)

For more of my Alexa tips, head over to CyberGuy.com and search "Alexa" and be sure to sign up for my free newsletter.

Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. CyberGuy.com articles and content may contain affiliate links that earn a commission when purchases are made.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Print Print    Close Close

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/alexa-speak-more-like

  • Home
  • Video
  • Politics
  • U.S.
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • World
  • Sports
  • Weather
  • Privacy
  • Terms

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.Do Not Sell my Personal Information - New Terms of Use - FAQ