Siri calling wrong contact

I always say “hey siri, call Shaun” and Siri has called my husband Shaun. This has worked for years.

Suddenly the request is now calling another Sean in my contacts. The second Shaun/Sean isn’t a new contact. They are not someone I call frequently, I’d say rarely. What’s caused the change? How can I train Siri to call the correct default contact?

iPhone 12

iOS 17.4.1

iPhone 12, iOS 17

Posted on May 10, 2024 2:48 AM

Reply
1 reply

May 10, 2024 3:11 AM in response to Battremendouslyyahoo

Shaun is an Anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include ShawnSean, and Shawne.


  • Add Phonetic Name: Edit your husband Shaun's contact and add his name phonetically in a separate field. For example, type "Shawn" (or whichever pronunciation you use) in the nickname field. This might help Siri recognize your intended contact.
  • You can try re-training Siri by deleting both Shaun contacts and then adding them back again. This might help Siri recognize your intended Shaun more accurately.
  • You can also assign relationships to your contacts in your iPhone's settings. For example, you can specify that one Shaun is your husband. You can do this by going to Contacts, selecting the Shaun you want to assign a relationship to, tapping Edit, then tapping add related name. This can help Siri prioritize the correct contact when you use terms like "my husband."
  • See if you have a nickname set for your husband Shaun's contact. Siri might be prioritizing the nickname over the full name.


Change iPhone Language (Optional): If none of the above work and you primarily use the phonetic spelling (Sean), you can consider changing your iPhone language to match. This might be a big change though, so only consider it if the other solutions don't work for you. Go to Settings > General > Language & Region and choose the language that best reflects how you pronounce Shaun's name.


Siri calling wrong contact

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.