  Spoken dialogue systems have transformed human-machine interaction by
providing real-time responses to queries. However, misunderstandings between
the user and system persist. This study explores the significance of
interactional language in dialogue repair between virtual assistants and users
by analyzing interactions with Google Assistant and Siri, focusing on their
utilization and response to the other-initiated repair strategy "huh?"
prevalent in human-human interaction. Findings reveal several
assistant-generated strategies but an inability to replicate human-like repair
strategies such as "huh?". English and Spanish user acceptability surveys show
differences in users' repair strategy preferences and assistant usage, with
both similarities and disparities among the two surveyed languages. These
results shed light on inequalities between interactional language in
human-human interaction and human-machine interaction, underscoring the need
for further research on the impact of interactional language in human-machine
interaction in English and beyond.
