SSML

SSML, or Speech Synthesis Markup Language, is an XML-based markup language used to control the synthesis of speech in text-to-speech (TTS) systems. It allows developers to specify how text should be spoken, including aspects such as pronunciation, emphasis, pitch, rate, and volume. SSML is widely used in various applications, including voice assistants, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, and accessibility tools for visually impaired users.

The language provides a set of tags and attributes that can be embedded within text to influence the speech output. For example, the <say-as> tag can be used to specify how a particular word or phrase should be pronounced, while the <prosody> tag can adjust the pitch, rate, and volume of the speech. The <break> tag can introduce pauses, and the <emphasis> tag can add emphasis to certain words.

SSML is supported by many TTS engines and platforms, including Amazon Polly, Google Text-to-Speech, and Microsoft Azure Speech Service. It is designed to be platform-independent, allowing developers to create speech synthesis applications that can work across different systems and devices.

The use of SSML can significantly enhance the naturalness and clarity of synthesized speech, making it a valuable tool for developers looking to improve the user experience in speech-enabled applications. However, it requires a good understanding of both the language itself and the specific TTS engine being used, as the implementation and support for SSML features can vary between platforms.