===== Syntax =====

<code php>string metaphone(string $text [, int $phonemes = 0])</code>

//(PHP 4 >= 4.01, PHP 5)//

^ $text | Source text or binary string for the metaphone analysis. |
^ $phonemes | Restrict the length of consequtive phonetic characters to this amount, zero denotes no limit. |
^ RETURNS | Phonetic code for the supplied source string **$text** or false on error. |

===== What it Does =====

Calculates the metaphone key for the provided string **$text**.  This is similar to the [[soundex]] function which uses phonetics to create code for common English character sequences.  It is a bit more accurate than [[soundex]] because it understands many of the basic rules of English pronunciation.

===== Example =====

<code php>
// calulate the metaphone for Mr. Rasmus
$metaphone = metaphone('Rasmus Lerdorf');
echo 'The metaphone for "Rasmus Lerdorf" is: ' . $metaphone;
</code>