Using computer algorithms, text-to-speech (TTS) technology converts written text into spoken words. The process of producing TTS typically involves several steps:
Text analysis
The first step is to analyze the written text and identify the individual words, punctuation, and formatting. This can involve parts-of-speech tagging, syntax parsing, and named entity recognition.
Linguistic processing
Once the text has been analyzed, the TTS system applies linguistic rules to determine the pronunciation, stress, and intonation of each word. This involves converting the written text into a phonetic representation that the system can use to generate speech.
Acoustic modeling
The TTS system uses acoustic models to generate speech after the text has been processed linguistically. This involves synthesizing speech sounds by manipulating and combining pre-recorded speech samples or generating them on the fly using statistical models.
Synthesis
The final step is to combine the speech sounds into coherent and natural-sounding speech. This involves adjusting each sound’s timing, pitch, and volume to create a seamless and expressive voice.
The steps above can vary depending on the specific TTS system and the complexity of the synthesized language. Some TTS systems also use machine learning techniques to improve the quality and naturalness of the synthesized speech over time.
