PHP soundex() Function

Calculate the soundex key of "Hello":

<?php
$str = "Hello";
echo soundex($str);
?>

Definition and Usage

The soundex() function calculates the soundex key of a string.

A soundex key is a four character long alphanumeric string that represent English pronunciation of a word.

The soundex() function can be used for spelling applications.

Note: The soundex() function creates the same key for similar sounding words.

Tip: metaphone() is more accurate than soundex(), because metaphone() knows the basic rules of English pronunciation.

soundex(string)

Parameter	Description
string	Required. Specifies the string to check

Return Value:	Returns the soundex key of the string on success, or FALSE on failure.
PHP Version:	4+

Using the soundex() function on two similar sounding words:

<?php
$str = "Assistance";
$str2 = "Assistants";

echo soundex($str);
echo "<br>";
echo soundex($str2);
?>