Microsoft Speech Object Library

Abstract

This article is about Text-to-Speech (TTS) using Microsoft Word and the Microsoft Speech Object Libraray (SpVoice SAPI 5.4).

Description

Findings

XML markup seems to work only when speak-mode is not asynchronous.

Sample Code (VBA)

Voices Overview

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Sub listAvailableVoices()

 

    Dim tts As SpVoice

    Set tts = New SpVoice

    Dim voices As Variant

    Dim v As Variant

   

    Set voices = tts.GetVoices

    For Each v In voices

        Debug.Print v.GetDescription

    Next

   

    Set tts = Nothing

   

End Sub

Speak Text

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Sub speakXMLText(ByVal strText As String)

 

    Dim tts As SpVoice

    Set tts = New SpVoice

    Dim voices As Variant

   

    ' setup

    With tts

        Set voices = tts.GetVoices

        Set tts.voice = voices(0) '"CereVoice Isabella - English (East Coast America)"

        .Rate = -1 ' speed

    End With

   

    tts.Speak strText, SVSFIsXML

   

    Set tts = Nothing

   

End Sub

Speak Text (output to file)

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Sub speakXMLTextToFile(ByVal strText As String, ByVal strFilePath As String)

 

    Dim tts As SpVoice

    Set tts = New SpVoice

    Dim voices As Variant

    Dim FileStream As New SpFileStream

       

    ' setup

    With tts

        Set voices = tts.GetVoices

        Set tts.voice = voices(0) '"CereVoice Isabella - English (East Coast America)"

        .Rate = -1 ' speed

        .Volume = 100

    End With

   

    FileStream.Open strFilePath, SSFMCreateForWrite, True

    Set tts.AudioOutputStream = FileStream

    tts.Speak strText, SVSFIsXML

    'tts.Speak st, SVSFlagsAsync + SVSFPurgeBeforeSpeak

   

    FileStream.Close

 

    Set tts = Nothing

    Set FileStream = Nothing

   

End Sub

Speak Text Sentence by Sentence (with given Silence)

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Sub speakDocumentSentenceBySentence(Optional ByVal intSilence As Integer = 1000)

 

    Dim tts As SpVoice

    Set tts = New SpVoice

    Dim voices As Variant

   

    ' setup

    With tts

        Set voices = tts.GetVoices

        Set tts.voice = voices(0) '"CereVoice Isabella - English (East Coast America)"

        .Rate = -1 ' speed

    End With

   

    Dim st As Variant

    For Each st In ThisDocument.Sentences

        tts.Speak st, SVSFIsXML

        tts.Speak "<silence msec='" & intSilence & "'/>", SVSFIsXML

    Next

   

    Set tts = Nothing

   

End Sub

Speak Text Sentence by Sentence (output to file with given silence)

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Sub speakDocumentSentenceBySentenceToFile(ByVal strFilePath As String, Optional ByVal intSilence As Integer = 500)

 

    Dim tts As SpVoice

    Set tts = New SpVoice

    Dim voices As Variant

    Dim FileStream As New SpFileStream

   

    ' setup

    With tts

        Set voices = tts.GetVoices

        Set tts.voice = voices(0) '"CereVoice Isabella - English (East Coast America)"

        .Rate = -1 ' speed

    End With

   

    FileStream.Open strFilePath, SSFMCreateForWrite, True

    Set tts.AudioOutputStream = FileStream

   

    Dim st As Variant

    For Each st In ThisDocument.Sentences

        tts.Speak st, SVSFIsXML

        tts.Speak "<silence msec='" & intSilence & "'/>", SVSFIsXML

    Next

   

    FileStream.Close

 

    Set tts = Nothing

    Set FileStream = Nothing

   

End Sub

 

Source Text

Source text can be enriched with XML tags for example to speak up or to spell parts of the given text.

 

<voice emotion='happy'>the sun is shining.</voice>

<voice emotion='sad'>the sun is shining.</voice>

 

<volume level="20">

This text should be spoken at volume level fifty.

 

   <volume level="100">

      This text should be spoken at volume level one hundred.

   </volume>

 

</volume>

 

<volume level="80"/>

All text which follows should be spoken at volume level eighty.

 

<rate absspeed="5">

   This text should be spoken at rate five.

   <rate absspeed="-5">

      This text should be spoken at rate negative five.

   </rate>

</rate>

<rate absspeed="10"/>

 

<rate speed="5">

   This text should be spoken at rate five.

      <rate speed="-5">

         This text should be spoken at rate zero.

      </rate>

</rate>

 

<pitch absmiddle="5">

This text should be spoken at pitch five.

   <pitch absmiddle="-5">

      This text should be spoken at pitch negative five.

   </pitch>

</pitch>

<pitch absmiddle="10"/>

 

<pitch middle="5">

This text should be spoken at pitch five.

   <pitch middle="-5">

      This text should be spoken at pitch zero.

   </pitch>

</pitch>

 

<emph> boo </emph>!

 

<spell>

These words should be spelled out.

</spell>

These words should not be spelled out.

 

Five hundred milliseconds of silence <silence msec="500"/> just occurred.

 

<pron sym="h eh 1 l ow & w er 1 l d "/>

<pron sym="h eh 1 l ow & w er 1 l d"> hello world </pron>

 

<context id="date_mdy"> 03/04/01 </context> should be March fourth, two thousand one.

<context id="date_dmy"> 03/04/01 </context> should be April third, two thousand one.

<context id="date_ymd"> 03/04/01 </context> should be April first, two thousand four.

 

<voice required="Gender=Female;Age!=Child">

A female non-child should speak this sentence, if one exists.

 

<voice required="Age=Teen">

   A teen should speak this sentence - if a female, non-child teen is present, she will be selected over a male teen, for example.

   </voice>

</voice>

 

<voice required="Language=409">

A U.S. English voice should speak this.

</voice>

<lang langid="409">

   A U.S. English voice should speak this.

</lang>

 

<P DISP="disp" PRON="pron">word</P>

 

<P>/disp/word/pron;</P>

 

<P DISP="greeting" PRON="ah">hello</P>

 

<P>/greeting/hello/ah;</P>

 

Links

  1. Object and Classes Overview
  2. SpVoice Interface (SAPI 5.4)
  3. XML TTS Tutorial (SAPI 5.3)
  4. SpeechVoiceSpeakFlags (SAPI 5.3)
  5. Text-to-Speech (Microsoft Word, VBA)
  6. Wikipedia: Microsoft Speech API
Dieter Neumann