SSML - C#

SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) is an XML-based markup language designed to assist in the generation of synthetic speech. With the use of SSML markup, developers can customize various aspects of synthetic speech, including the voice, pronunciation, intonation, and speech rate.

In C#, developers can integrate SSML markup into their code using various libraries and APIs, including the System.Speech.Synthesis namespace in .NET.

Usage

To use SSML markup in C#, start by importing the System.Speech.Synthesis namespace into your code:

using System.Speech.Synthesis;

Next, create an instance of the System.Speech.Synthesis.SpeechSynthesizer class:

SpeechSynthesizer synthesizer = new SpeechSynthesizer(); 

You can then use the SpeechSynthesizer class to specify various aspects of the synthetic speech, including the voice:

synthesizer.SelectVoice("Microsoft Zira Desktop"); 

the speech rate:

synthesizer.Rate = 0; // range is -10 to 10 

and the actual text to be spoken, with SSML markup embedded:

synthesizer.SpeakSsml("<speak>Hello, <say-as interpret-as=\"characters\">world</say-as>!</speak>"); 

This code generates synthetic speech that says "Hello, world!" with the word "world" spelled out character by character.

SSML Markup

SSML markup consists of various tags that allow developers to customize synthetic speech. Some of the most commonly used tags include:

• <speak>...</speak>: Specifies the text that should be spoken.
• <say-as interpret-as="...">...</say-as>: Specifies that the enclosed text should be interpreted as a particular type of content (e.g., as a date, a number, etc.).
• <prosody rate="...">...</prosody>: Specifies the speech rate of the enclosed text.
• <phoneme ph="...">...</phoneme>: Specifies the phoneme (i.e., the sound) of the enclosed text.

Developers can embed SSML markup directly into their C# code using string literals, as shown in the previous code examples.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SSML markup is an essential tool for generating high-quality synthetic speech in C#. Developers can use the System.Speech.Synthesis namespace to integrate SSML markup into their code and control various aspects of synthetic speech, including voice, pronunciation, intonation, and speech rate. SSML markup consists of various tags that allow developers to customize synthetic speech in a wide variety of ways.