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What Is the Glossary?
The Glossary is a workspace-level feature that lets you define rules for how Synthesia handles specific terms across all your videos, including how Synthesia pronounces and translates each term. Rules you set in the Glossary apply automatically across your workspace, so your team does not have to manage the same terms video by video.
You can use the Glossary to:
Define consistent translations for terms across multiple languages and locales.
Prevent certain terms from being translated.
Set how Synthesia pronounces terms, and control which voices or locales a pronunciation applies to.
Manage and update entries in bulk with CSV imports.
Apply Glossary rules automatically when you generate new translations, including translations you create with Syren.
Access the Glossary
To access the Glossary:
Go to your Synthesia workspace.
Select Glossary in the navigation menu.
✍️ By default, any workspace user can add, edit, or delete Glossary terms. Workspace admins can restrict Glossary management to admins only. When restricted, the Glossary menu item is hidden for non-admin members. To learn how, see the Allow or Restrict Glossary Editing section.
Add or Edit a Term
To add or edit a term:
Go to the Glossary tab in the navigation menu.
Select + New term.
Enter the term.
Select the original language of the term.
Fill in the Pronunciation and Translation sections, as described below.
Select Save to apply the term to your workspace Glossary.
Set the Pronunciation
Under Pronunciation, set how Synthesia pronounces the term. You can type a phonetic spelling or select Record to speak the pronunciation aloud.
Choose how Synthesia saves the pronunciation:
IPA: A phonetic spelling that uses the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Respelling: A text replacement that spells the word the way it sounds.
Synthesia suggests the best option based on what you enter, and you can change the option. Synthesia uses the option you save every time the Glossary applies this pronunciation. For help choosing, check the tips that appear when you create a pronunciation, and hover over each option to see a tooltip.
Use the scope setting to control which voices the pronunciation applies to:
All voices in a language: The pronunciation applies to every voice in that language.
Specific voices: The pronunciation applies only to the voices you select.
Specific accent: The pronunciation applies only to a regional variant of the language, for example British English.
Set the Translation
Under Translation, toggle on Don't translate if the term should stay the same across all languages, for example acronyms or brand names. Or define translations for each target language and locale as needed.
✍️ Glossary rules apply only when you create a new translation or dubbed video, including translations you create in Syren. To apply updated Glossary terms to an existing language version, translate the video again.
Add a Pronunciation to the Glossary From the Editor
You can add a pronunciation directly from the script editor while you work on a video, without leaving your workflow.
📚 To learn more, check out How do I use pronunciation in Synthesia?
Manage Translation Terms From the Editor
You can access and manage your translation Glossary directly from the editor while you work on a video. This makes it easy to update terms without leaving your workflow.
Open a video in the editor.
Highlight the word in the script and select Add translation.
In the panel that opens, you can:
View any current translations.
Toggle on Don't translate.
Select Manage translations to open the full Glossary page in a new tab.
View, add, or edit Glossary terms as needed.
Download Your Glossary as a CSV File
To download your Glossary as a CSV file:
Go to the Glossary tab.
Select Download.
The file downloads to your device.
✍️ Each workspace has a separate Glossary. Downloading and uploading a CSV file is the recommended way to keep Glossary terms consistent across multiple workspaces.
Import Terms With a CSV File
To import terms with a CSV file:
Go to the Glossary tab.
Select Import CSV.
Upload a CSV file with your terms and translations. Your CSV file can include an optional column that sets IPA or respelling for each pronunciation.
Synthesia replaces conflicting rules for the same term and language.
Allow or Restrict Glossary Editing
To allow or restrict Glossary editing:
Select your user icon on the home page.
Choose Account info from the dropdown menu.
Scroll to General settings under your workspace name.
Toggle on Restricted glossary management to restrict Glossary management to workspace admins only.
💬 FAQs
What are the difference between pronunciation and translation?
What are the difference between pronunciation and translation?
Translations control how written terms are translated across languages and locales. Pronunciation, on the other hand, controls how terms are pronounced.
Why are my Glossary updates not reflected in my existing translated video?
Why are my Glossary updates not reflected in my existing translated video?
Glossary rules apply only when you create a new translation. Updating a Glossary term does not change previously translated or dubbed video versions. To apply updated Glossary rules, translate the video again for the affected language. Synthesia then generates a new translated version with your latest Glossary settings.
Does the Glossary work in Syren?
Does the Glossary work in Syren?
Yes. When you ask Syren to translate your video, Syren applies your workspace Glossary translation terms, including terms set to Don't translate. Syren translates the video you are working on, so duplicate your video first to create several language versions.
What is the recommended CSV format for importing glossary terms?
What is the recommended CSV format for importing glossary terms?
Your CSV should include fields for source language, source term, target language or locale, and target term. You can also include a "Do not translate" flag. For full details and structure, see the Translation Glossary documentation.
Can I have one glossary across multiple workspaces?
Can I have one glossary across multiple workspaces?
No. Each workspace has its own Glossary, and only one glossary can exist per workspace. If you need to use the same glossary in another workspace, download it as a CSV file and upload it there.
Should I use IPA or respelling for a pronunciation?
Should I use IPA or respelling for a pronunciation?
Synthesia suggests the best option for each pronunciation, and the tips that appear when you create a pronunciation explain when to use each option. Synthesia uses the option you save every time the Glossary applies the pronunciation.
What's Next?
📚 To learn more about setting pronunciation in the editor, check out How do I use pronunciation in Synthesia?
📚 To learn more about translating your videos, check out How do I translate a video?