Then (with all due respect) the questions either need to indicate the version, or have version-specific options. Given the mess the latter would become, the former would be much...

Except, when I cut-and-paste from the question:

SELECT

TRY_CONVERT(VARCHAR(10), 'Mar 34, 2016 4:56 PM')

I get an error:

Msg 195, Level 15, State 10, Line 3

'VARCHAR' is not a recognized...

Hi -- We make our business sorting out names (direct marketing).  Soundex just simply won't get you where you need to go without too much colateral damage.

Do a Google on "metaphone" or "metafone" or...