There are multiple formulations to ask a question and get the same answer, regardless of the formulation asked. At Hubi.ai, we’ve implemented a synonymy system that allows you to cover as many alternative formulations as possible without having to write them yourself in your knowledge base.

In this article, learn about Hubi.ai’s new synonymy feature!

 

What is the new synonymy feature?

This new feature is based on the semantic grouping of words. Like in a dictionary, users create their own groups of synonyms to use in knowledge bases. The synonyms created are adapted to the contexts of their bases.

Synonymy is a huge advantage for content creators. Indeed, it will no longer be necessary to rewrite the same question by hand by replacing only the keywords with their synonyms. Writing the question once and replacing the keywords with the synonym group headings will suffice. The Hubi engine will then automatically identify the formulations that match the pattern provided by the alternative question.

 

Case study

To understand how this new feature works, let’s take a group of synonyms as an example:

The heading only allows you to call the synonym group in the alternative questions of your knowledge base, much like the name of a variable in a program.

Note: In our example, the group heading corresponds to a word that is not included in the synonym group. In order for the group heading to also be recognized as a synonym, it is essential to include it in the synonym group.

To use a group of synonyms in a knowledge base, simply use the hash symbol (#) and select the name of the desired group of synonyms from the list to add it to an alternative question. The pattern of our example is therefore the following: “How to insure my #Housing?”. The bot will therefore be able to identify that the following four formulations correspond to the alternative question pattern:

  • “How to insure my house?”
  • “How to insure my apartment?”
  • “How to insure my studio?”
  • “How to insure my villa?”

Thus, when a bot user writes one of these four sentences, the bot will answer with the answer associated with the pattern. If a user uses the same pattern without using a word from the group of synonyms, for example “How do I insure my mobile home?”, the bot will not find an answer.

Thanks to the synonyms, a single pattern is sufficient to cover several formulations. By combining several synonyms in the same alternative question, more formulations will be covered!

Nevertheless, before creating the patterns in the alternative questions, it is essential to work on the creation of synonyms. If a word is found in several groups of synonyms used in identical patterns, the bot will not be able to identify to which group of synonyms it refers and it will not be able to find the right answer.

It is therefore essential to think carefully about the creation of synonym groups in order to prevent a word from being found in several synonym groups, especially since synonym groups are not limited to a single knowledge base.

 

Conclusion

The new Synonyms feature allows content creators to create groups of synonyms for use within their knowledge bases. These synonym groups allow for fewer identical formulations to be written by changing only one or more keywords. Thanks to synonyms, several formulations are covered by a single pattern in the bot templates. The number of alternative questions visible in the portal will be significantly reduced thanks to the use of synonyms.