A Practical Guide to Marking Up Narration Scripts
Preparing scripts for recording, with pronunciation, emphasis and pacing notes.
Tomas Lindqvist
At a glance
- Pronunciation names and terms need phonetic guidance
- Numbers how figures are spoken should be specified
- Emphasis marking stress avoids wrong readings
- Pacing breaks and pauses can be marked
Why it matters
Why it matters: Marked scripts prevent retakes, especially for names, technical terms and numbers.
Best practice
- Add phonetic notes for names and terms
- Write numbers as they should be spoken
- Mark emphasis where meaning depends on it
- Indicate pauses and section breaks
- Send marked scripts before the session
Common pitfalls
Watch out for:
- Unmarked technical terminology
- Numbers left ambiguous
- Scripts sent at session start
- Pronunciation corrected take by take
When to call in a specialist
Bottom line Bring in help when scripts are technical or multilingual.
Where this comes from
- Microsoft Learn — Microsoft Writing Style Guide
- ACX — Audio submission requirements
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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