Yes, Teradata has a function called SOUNDEX does what you're looking for. If two strings have the same soundex value, then they are phonetically equivalent.Good luck!

Barry,What you say about it ?SELECT case when SOUNDEX('phone') = SOUNDEX('fone') then 'both equal' else 'both not equal :-( ' endRegards,M.Adeel Sabir

Could be how 'fone' is perceived to be pronounced by TDSELECT case when SOUNDEX('fawn') = SOUNDEX('fone') then 'both equal' else 'both not equal ' endboth equalTbob

From the manual, it does look like the intent was to be used on surnames....Soundex is a system that codes surnames having the same or similar sounds, but variantspellings. The Soundex system was first used by the National Archives in 1880 to index theUnited States census.Soundex codes begin with the first letter of the surname followed by a three-digit code. Zerosare added to names that do not have enough letters.So, maybe you wouldn't want to apply it to other words.I believe that it's the only function that Teradata has that does something like the phonetic comparison, though.

Hi Tim,if you're on V2R5.1+ this could be solved with a UDF implementing a more advanced phonetic algorithm, e.g. metaphone. You just have to find an implentation in C and wrap it into the UDF...Dieter

This is an old post....and we are on TD 14.0 now. Do we have any inbuilt functionality in Teradata that simulates Sybase's difference function? Or the only option is building a custom UDF?

-- Sybase Example 1
select difference("smithers", "smothers")

---------
4

-- Sybase Example 2
select difference("smothers", "brothers")

---------
2 

It is basically a difference between two soundex values and returns a value from 0 to 4. The best match is 4.

-- Teradata Example 1
SELECT
       CASE
              WHEN SOUNDEX('smithers') = SOUNDEX('smothers')
              THEN 4
              ELSE 0
       END
-- Returns 4

-- Teradata Example 2
SELECT
       CASE
              WHEN SOUNDEX('smithers') = SOUNDEX('brothers')
              THEN 4
              ELSE 0
       END
-- Returns 0