How to Utilize the 'espeak' Command (with examples)

The ’espeak’ command is a versatile text-to-speech synthesizer that can convert text into audible speech via the default sound device on your computer. This open-source tool is useful for creating spoken word audio content, assisting visually impaired users by reading text aloud, or as a resource for language development projects. ‘Espeak’ supports various features such as reading text files, saving audio to files, and using different voices. More information about the tool is available on the eSpeak website .

Speak a Phrase Aloud

Code:

espeak "I like to ride my bike."

Motivation:

Using ’espeak’ to speak a phrase aloud can be particularly helpful in scenarios where you need a quick auditory output of a piece of text. For example, you might want to test the sound of a sentence you’re writing for a story or prepare material for a language learning app. This straightforward functionality is perfect for situations requiring immediate feedback.

Explanation:

• espeak: This is the main command used to invoke the text-to-speech engine.
• "I like to ride my bike.": The phrase enclosed in quotation marks is the exact text that ’espeak’ will convert to speech.

Example Output:

Upon executing this command, you would hear a clear, robotic voice saying, “I like to ride my bike.” through your computer’s speakers.

Speak a File Aloud

Code:

espeak -f path/to/file

Motivation:

Sometimes, it might be more convenient or necessary to listen to longer text documents rather than individual phrases. For instance, using ’espeak’ to read a file aloud can be beneficial when proofreading a written document or when multitasking, allowing you to listen to content while performing other tasks.

Explanation:

• espeak: Again, this command invokes the espeak tool.
• -f: This option specifies that the content to be spoken is stored in a file.
• path/to/file: This argument should be replaced with the actual path to the text file you wish to have spoken aloud.

Example Output:

If the file at path/to/file contains, for instance, “This is a test document.”, ’espeak’ will read that sentence audibly without displaying anything in the terminal.

Save Output to a WAV Audio File

Code:

espeak -w filename.wav "It's GNU plus Linux"

Motivation:

There are scenarios in which you may want to produce an audio file with your text-to-speech conversion for later use, whether it’s creating sample sound bites for a presentation, distributing audio messages, or building an archive of pronounced text. This capability is vital when the auditory output needs to be portable, shared, or saved for future use.

Explanation:

• espeak: Calls the espeak program.
• -w: Indicates that the output should be directed to a WAV file instead of real-time speech.
• filename.wav: Designates the name of the file where the audio will be stored. Replace “filename” with your desired file name.
• "It's GNU plus Linux": The text input that will be converted to sound and saved to the audio file.

Example Output:

After running this command, you won’t hear anything immediately, but a new file named filename.wav will be created in your current directory. Playing this file back will reveal the phrase “It’s GNU plus Linux,” audibly.

Use a Different Voice

Code:

espeak -v voice

Motivation:

Diversity in voice output is beneficial for various applications, whether you aim to differentiate between multiple speakers in a project or require a pleasant voice variation for accessibility tools. ‘Espeak’s ability to switch voices can provide unique auditory characteristics suitable for targeted audiences or language training simulations.

Explanation:

• espeak: Initiates the command-line tool.
• -v: This option allows you to choose different voices available within ’espeak’.
• voice: Replace this argument with the name of the chosen voice (e.g., ’en-us’, ’en-uk’, or other language codes/voice types depending on the installation setup).

Example Output:

Using a command like espeak -v en-us "Hello!", you will hear the word “Hello!” spoken in a different accent than the default one, allowing for a diverse array of auditory expressions.

Conclusion

The ’espeak’ command presents several useful features that are easily accessible and beneficial for a variety of purposes. Whether you’re looking to instantly convert text to speech, accessibly consume text documents, save spoken text for later use, or apply alternative voices for dynamic outputs, ’espeak’ offers robust solutions and easy implementation on the command line.