/**
 * Soundex Phonetic Algorithm
 * src/phonetic/Soudex.ts
 *
 * @see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundex
 *
 * Soundex is a phonetic algorithm for indexing names by sound. It is used to
 * encode words into a phonetic representation, allowing for the comparison of
 * words based on their pronunciation rather than their spelling. This works
 * by mapping letters to digits, ignoring certain letters, and applying specific
 * rules to handle character combinations.
 *
 * It is particularly useful for matching names that may be spelled differently
 * but sound similar and commonly used in genealogical research and databases
 * to find similar-sounding names.
 *
 * The Soundex algorithm is not case-sensitive and ignores vowels and certain
 * consonants. It outputs an array of strings that represents the phonetic code
 * of the input, typically limited to the length of four characters.
 *
 * @module Phonetic/Soundex
 * @author Paul Köhler (komed3)
 * @license MIT
 */
import type { PhoneticOptions } from '../utils/Types';
import { Phonetic } from './Phonetic';
/**
 * Soundex class extends the Phonetic class to implement the Soundex phonetic algorithm.
 */
export declare class Soundex extends Phonetic {
    protected static default: PhoneticOptions;
    /**
     * Constructor for the Soundex class.
     *
     * Initializes the Soundex phonetic algorithm with the mapping and options.
     *
     * @param {PhoneticOptions} [opt] - Options for the Soundex phonetic algorithm
     */
    constructor(opt?: PhoneticOptions);
    /**
     * Adjusts the phonetic code by removing leading zeros and ensuring the
     * first character is uppercase.
     *
     * @param {string} code - The phonetic code to adjust
     * @param {string[]} chars - The characters used in the phonetic code
     * @returns {string} - The adjusted phonetic code
     */
    protected adjustCode(code: string, chars: string[]): string;
}