diff --git a/voice_manager.py b/voice_manager.py
index bb6d869..635cdf7 100644
--- a/voice_manager.py
+++ b/voice_manager.py
@@ -105,26 +105,36 @@ class VoiceManager:
             "macOS System Voices:\n" + "\n".join(macos_lines)
         )
 
+    def set_voice(self, voice_name: str) -> tuple[bool, str]:
+        return self.apply_voice(voice_name)
+
     def apply_voice(self, voice_name: str) -> tuple[bool, str]:
+        import re
         voice_name = voice_name.strip()
         matched_voice = None
 
-        # Check voice aliases first (e.g. Daniel -> bm_george)
         clean_name = voice_name.lower()
+        norm_name = re.sub(r"[^a-z0-9]", "", clean_name)
+
+        # Check voice aliases first (e.g. Daniel -> bm_george, bella -> af_bella)
         if clean_name in VOICE_ALIASES:
             matched_voice = VOICE_ALIASES[clean_name]
+        elif norm_name in VOICE_ALIASES:
+            matched_voice = VOICE_ALIASES[norm_name]
 
-        # Exact match or fuzzy match
+        # Exact or normalized match in Kokoro voices (e.g. afbella -> af_bella)
         if not matched_voice:
             for v in KOKORO_VOICES:
-                if clean_name == v.lower():
+                v_norm = re.sub(r"[^a-z0-9]", "", v.lower())
+                if norm_name == v_norm or clean_name == v.lower():
                     matched_voice = v
                     break
 
         if not matched_voice:
-            # Partial match search
+            # Partial/substring match search
             for v in KOKORO_VOICES:
-                if clean_name in v.lower():
+                v_norm = re.sub(r"[^a-z0-9]", "", v.lower())
+                if norm_name in v_norm or v_norm in norm_name:
                     matched_voice = v
                     break