Choosing the right voice for your assistant

The voice is the first thing callers hear from your business. It plays a big part in whether a call feels familiar and professional. In fonea you choose the voice yourself, per configuration — from 30 voices, female and male, from calm and warm to clear and matter-of-fact.

In short: Open your voice config in the dashboard, pick one of the 30 voices in the Voice field and save. The voice is independent of the language — every voice works in German, Swiss German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. Listen to your choice with a test call before you go live.

Don't worry: Nothing is final. You can change the voice at any time and hear it immediately with a test call — feel free to try a few.

Where to set the voice

• In the dashboard, open the Voice Configs area and click the configuration you want to adjust.
• Open the selection menu in the Voice field.
• Each entry shows a name and, underneath, a short description in the format Gender · Character — for example Clara with the subtitle *Female · Firm* or Noah with *Male · Friendly*.
• Choose a voice and click Save changes.

The voice applies to *this* configuration. If you run several numbers or configurations, each one can use a different voice — say, a calmer voice for your main number and another for a branch.

Voice and language are separate

A common misunderstanding: the voice does not determine the language. They are separate fields.

• Language determines which language your assistant speaks by default. Available are German, Swiss German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. If your assistant notices that a caller speaks another supported language, it switches on its own.
• Voice determines the sound. All 30 voices are available in every language — so you're completely free in your choice.

If you want your assistant to speak Swiss German, choose Swiss German as the language and pair it with a voice whose character suits your business.

How to find the right voice

A few pointers from practice:

• Match your industry. A doctor's practice or law firm often comes across better with a calm, warm voice (e.g. *Sara · Warm*, *Lena · Gentle*) than with a very lively one. A restaurant or trade business can sound friendlier and more open (*Noah · Friendly*, *Marco · Upbeat*).
• Firm or soft. "Firm" voices (*Clara*, *Jonas*, *Leon*) sound clear and lead the conversation confidently. "Gentle" or "warm" voices feel more approachable.
• Consistency with your brand. Choose the voice the way you would answer the phone yourself.

There is no "right" choice — what matters is that the voice suits you.

Before going live: a test call

The description in the menu points you in a direction, but you can only really judge a voice in conversation. So use the test call in your configuration: you'll hear your chosen voice with your greeting and in your language, before real callers do. Feel free to try two or three voices before you settle.

The 30 voices at a glance

In the selection menu the voices are sorted alphabetically by name. This overview shows each voice's gender and character as a guide.

The character descriptions are shown in the dashboard automatically in your interface language.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a different voice for each number?

Yes. The voice belongs to the respective voice config. If you run several configurations, each can have its own voice.

Does the voice have to match the language?

No. All 30 voices work in all supported languages. You set language and voice independently of each other.

Can I listen to the voices in advance?

The best way to judge a voice is a test call in your configuration — there you hear it with your greeting and in your language.

What does the subtitle behind the name mean?

It's a short characterisation of the voice in the format Gender · Character, for example *Female · Warm*. It helps you quickly narrow down a voice that suits your business.