Hi, and Welcome to the Apple Community.
Re: "There needs to be a way to make Siri say a real word when you call his or her name.
What is the solution?"
Hehe .. Siri on my Mac replied "Good Afternoon" when I checked with just "Hey Siri" just now.
I know iPhone is quite different, though.
You may be getting "uh-huh" because you haven't given Siri anything to do, other than just activate Siri.
Eg: One young lady I know who relies on Siri's help often uses "Hey Siri, tell me a joke".
Apple support has lots of articles online (example links below) for improving communication with Siri.
Use Siri
Eg: says: When you activate Siri with your voice, Siri responds out loud.
Say “Hey Siri,” then ask a question or make a request.
For example, say something like “Hey Siri, what’s the weather for today?”
Find out what Siri can do
Eg: says: "Personalize your experience with Siri
The more you use Siri, the better it knows what you need.
You can also tell Siri about yourself".
"Hey Siri, Fred Smith is my brother" ...
ie: prepares the way for "Hey Siri, Call my brother" or "Hey Siri, Text Fred that its all ok."
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Re: i can’t even tell if Siri is responding because when my phone is facedown, Siri can’t hear me at all.
Use accessibility features with Siri on iPhone – Apple Support
Eg: says you can: Use “Hey Siri” when iPhone is covered or facing down
To allow iPhone to listen for “Hey Siri” when it’s covered or facing down,
go to Settings > Accessibility > Siri, then turn on Always Listen for “Hey Siri.”
More articles are available (links are below):
Tell Siri about yourself
Have Siri announce calls and notifications
Add Siri Shortcuts
About Siri Suggestions
Use Siri in your car
Change Siri settings
All the best :-)
