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Introduction
This document describes how a specific series of strings are read by the TTS Engine for the English language in the US domain. All the specifications and usage are valid for the following solutions:
|
Voice Pack |
Version |
Release Date |
|---|---|---|
|
en-US Daphne Female Voice Pack |
|
|
|
en-US Oliver-Default Male Voice Pack |
|
|
|
en-US Oliver-Happy Male Voice Pack |
|
And for the TTS Engine version 2.5.5.
Numbers
Integers
Integers less then 1000
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[1-9][0-9] |
31 |
thirty one |
|
[1-9][0-9]…[0-9] |
159 |
one hundred fifty nine |
|
<dash> [1-9]…[0-9] |
-58 |
minus fifty eight |
In order to comply with the en-US rules, the word "and" is not used for dozens.
Integers greater then 999
Allowed thousands delimiters
-
Comma
-
None
Space delimiter will result in two separate number groups.
|
Format |
Example |
|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[1-9][0-9]…[0-9][0-9] |
2824 |
two thousand eight hundred twenty four |
|
[1-9] <comma> [0-9] …[0-9][0-9] |
2,824 |
two thousand eight hundred twenty four |
|
[1-9][0-9][0-9] <comma> [1-9][0-9][0-9] <comma> [1-9][0-9][0-9] |
857,467,987 |
eight hundred fifty seven million four hundred sixty seven thousand nine hundred eighty seven |
|
[1-9][0-9][0-9][1-9][0-9][0-9][1-9][0-9][0-9] |
857467987 |
eight hundred fifty seven million four hundred sixty seven thousand nine hundred eighty seven |
|
<dash> [1-9][0-9][0-9]…[0-9] |
-12345 |
minus twelve thousand three hundred forty five |
|
<dash> [1-9][0-9][0-9] <comma> … <comma> [1-9][0-9][0-9] |
-12,345 |
minus twelve thousand three hundred forty five |
Maximum supported value is 999 billions. Numbers greater than this will be spelled number by number.
Ordinal numbers
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[1-9]…[0-9]{st,nd,rd,th} |
1st |
first |
Decimals
Allowed decimal separator
-
dot
The individual numbers after the dot delimiter are spelled as single digits.
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[1-9]…[0-9] <dot> [0-9][0-9]…[0-9] |
2.4527 |
two point four five two seven |
|
<dash> [1-9]…[0-9] <dot> [0-9][0-9]…[1-9] |
-25.78 |
minus twenty five point seventy eight |
Number groups
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[0-9] <dash> … [0-9] <space> [0-9] <dash> … [0-9] <space> … |
4-2-1-4 2-3-4 7-5-3 |
four two one, two three four, seven five three |
16-digit card numbers
Card numbers belong to the number groups. In order to pronounce the 16-digit card number in groups of four digits with a short pause in between them, the input number has to contain the dashes, e.g.:
"Just to confirm, you said 5-8-9-7 4-2-6-5 1-2-3-4 7-4-6-8 9-7-2-6, correct?"
Input text in the format of: "5896 4265 1234 7468 9726"
will result in: "five thousand eight hundred ninety six four thousand two hundred sixty five,…"
Telephone numbers
Telephone numbers should be composed as number groups also. The following example:
"Your telephone number is 3-8-7 8-5-6 9-3-0."
would be read as "three eight seven <short pause> eight five six <short pause> nine three zero".
Combination of numbers and words
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[0-9] … [0-9] <dash> {word} |
16-digit |
sixteen digit |
|
{word} <dash> [0-9] … [0-9] |
COVID-19 |
covid nineteen |
Beware of using spaces. When the dash sign is surrounded by space, it is verbalized as word "dash". For example, the verbalization of "16 - digit" is "sixteen dash digit".
Ratio
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[0-9] … [0-9] <colon> [0-9] … [0-9] |
16:9 |
sixteen to nine |
|
[0-9] … [0-9] <dash> [0-9] … [0-9] |
16-9 |
sixteen to nine |
Percentage
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[1-9]…[0-9] <percent sign> |
15% |
fifteen percent |
Time
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[00-99] <colon> [00-59] <colon> [00-59] |
12:11:01 |
twelve hours ten minutes and one second |
|
[00-24] <colon> [00-59] |
23:15 |
twenty three fifteen |
|
[1-12] <space> {PM, AM} |
2 PM |
two p m |
|
[1-12] <space> {P.M., A.M.} |
2 P.M. |
two p m |
|
[0-12] <colon> [0-59] <space> {PM, AM} |
02:20 PM |
two twenty p m |
|
[0-12] <colon> [0-59] <space> {P.M., A.M.} |
02:20 P.M. |
two twenty p m |
|
00:00 |
00:00 |
midnight |
Time Intervals
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[0-9] … [0-9] <dash> [1-9] … [0-9] <space> {days, hours, months, minutes} |
3-5 days |
three to five days |
Date
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[1-31] <space> {month} <space> [0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9] |
14 May 2022 |
the fourteenth of may twenty twenty two |
|
[1-31] <space> {month} |
14 May |
the fourteenth of may |
|
{month} <space> [1-31] <comma> <space> [1-9][0-9][0-9][0-9] |
June 6, 2020 |
june sixth twenty twenty |
|
{month} <space> [1-31] |
June 6 |
june sixth |
|
[00-31] <slash> [00-12] <slash> [1-9][0-9] |
31/12/19 |
the thirty first of december twenty twenty two |
|
[00-12] <slash> [00-31] <slash> [1-9][0-9] |
12/31/22 |
december thirty first twenty two |
|
[00-31] <slash> [00-12] <slash> [1-9][0-9][0-9][0-9] |
27-05-2021 |
may twenty seventh twenty twenty one |
|
[00-31] <dot> [00-12] <dot> [1-9][0-9][0-9][0-9] |
27.05.2021 |
may twenty seventh twenty twenty one |
|
[0-31] <dot> [0-12] <dot> [1-9][0-9][0-9][0-9] |
27.5.2021 |
may twenty seventh twenty twenty one |
|
[1-9][0-9][0-9][0-9] <dash> [00-12] <dash> [00-31] |
2022-11-02 |
november second twenty twenty two |
|
[00-31] <slash> [00-12] |
05/12 |
may twelfth |
|
{month}<space> [1-31]{st,nd,rd,th} |
October 21st |
october twenty first |
Units
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
{amount} {unit} |
2.5GB |
two point five gigabytes |
|
{amount} <space> {unit} |
3 m |
three meters |
|
{amount} {unit} <slash> {unit} |
1500MB/s |
one thousand five hundred megabytes per second |
|
{amount} <space> {unit} <slash> {unit} |
1 km/h |
one kilometer per hour |
Unit
|
Abbreviation |
Verbalization |
Abbreviation |
Verbalization |
|---|---|---|---|
|
mm |
millimeter(s) |
cm |
centimeter(s) |
|
m |
meter(s) |
km,Km |
kilometer(s) |
|
m²,m2 |
square meter(s) |
m³,m3 |
cubic meter(s) |
|
“,in |
inch(es) |
ft |
foot(feet) |
|
yd |
yard(s) |
mi |
mile(s) |
|
mph,MPH |
mile(s) per hour |
h,hr |
hour(s) |
|
min,mins |
minute(s) |
s |
second(s) |
|
g,gm |
gram(s) |
kg,Kg |
kilogram(s) |
|
oz |
ounce(s) |
lb,lbs |
pound(s) |
|
ml,mL |
milliliter(s) |
cl,cL |
centiliter(s) |
|
l,L |
liter(s) |
gal |
gallon(s) |
|
Hz,hz |
hertz |
kHz,KHz,khz |
kilohertz |
|
MHz |
megahertz |
GHz,Ghz,ghz |
gigahertz |
|
mW |
milliwatt(s) |
w,W |
watt(s) |
|
kW,KW |
kilowatt(s) |
MW |
megawatt(s) |
|
GW |
gigawatt(s) |
kwh,kWh,KWh |
kilowatt(s) hour |
|
v,V |
volt(s) |
mA |
milliampere(s) |
|
A |
ampere(s) |
db,dB |
decibel(s) |
|
kb,Kb,kbit |
kilobit(s) |
mb,Mb,Mbit |
megabit(s) |
|
gb,Gb,Gbit |
gigabit(s) |
tb,Tb,Tbit |
terabit(s) |
|
pb,Pb,Pbit |
petabit(s) |
bps |
bit(s) per second |
|
Kbps |
kilobit(s) per second |
Mbps |
megabit(s) per second |
|
Gbps |
gigabit(s) per second |
Tbps |
terabit(s) per second |
|
kB,KB |
kilobyte(s) |
MB |
megabyte(s) |
|
GB |
gigabyte(s) |
TB |
terabyte(s) |
|
PB |
petabyte(s) |
kBps,KBps |
kilobyte(s) per second |
|
MBps |
megabyte(s) per second |
GBps |
gigabyte(s) per second |
|
TBps |
terabyte(s) per second |
PBps |
petabyte(s) per second |
|
°C,°c |
degree(s) celsius |
°F,°f |
degree(s) fahrenheit |
Words
Abbreviations and Spelling
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[A-Z] … [A-Z] |
ABC |
a b c |
|
[A-Z] <dot> [A-Z] <dot> … [A-Z] <dot> |
B.C. |
b c |
|
[a-z] <dot> [a-z] <dot> … [a-z] <dot> |
e.g. |
for example |
|
[a-zA-Z] & [a-zA-Z] |
R&D |
r-n-d |
|
[a-zA-Z] , like [a-zA-Z] |
a, like alpha |
A, like alpha |
|
{common abbreviation} |
Dr. |
doctor |
|
<space> [A-Z] {<comma>, <dot>, <space>} |
A or B |
a or b |
All the capitalized letters are supposed to be spelled.
Common abbreviation
|
Abbreviation |
Verbalization |
Abbreviation |
Verbalization |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Prof. |
professor |
Mr. |
mister |
|
Dr. |
Doctor |
Mrs. |
Misses |
|
e.g. |
for example |
Ms. |
miss |
|
etc. |
and so on |
Jr. |
junior |
|
Inc. |
incorporated |
Co. |
company |
|
Ph.d |
P H D |
Sr. |
senior |
|
hon. |
honorable |
Pres. |
President |
|
Gov. |
Governor |
Lt. |
Lieutenant |
|
Col. |
Colonel |
Gen. |
General |
|
corp. |
corporation |
Univ. |
university |
|
assn. |
association |
Dept. |
department |
|
ave. |
avenue |
rd. |
road |
|
st. |
street |
blvd. |
boulevard |
|
ln. |
lane |
vs. |
versus |
|
ft. |
foot |
in. |
inch |
|
lb. |
pound |
oz. |
ounce |
|
gal. |
gallon |
pt. |
pint |
|
qt. |
quart |
cu. |
cubic |
|
sq. |
square |
hr. |
hour |
|
min. |
minute |
sec. |
second |
|
yr. |
year |
mo. |
month |
|
wk. |
week |
no. |
number |
|
pg. |
page |
vol. |
volume |
|
vol. |
volume |
ed. |
edition |
|
rev. |
revised |
trans. |
transalted |
|
pub. |
published |
ltd. |
limited |
|
govt. |
government |
inst. |
institute |
|
acad. |
academy |
soc. |
society |
|
bros. |
brothers |
mfg. |
manufacturing |
|
natl. |
national |
intl. |
international |
|
org. |
organization |
temp. |
temperature |
|
approx. |
approximately |
prelim. |
preliminary |
|
prov. |
province |
jan. |
January |
|
feb. |
February |
mar. |
March |
|
apr. |
April |
jun. |
June |
|
jul. |
July |
aug. |
August |
|
sept. |
September |
oc. |
October |
|
nov. |
November |
dec. |
December |
|
mon, |
Monday |
tue. |
Tuesday |
|
wed. |
Wednesday |
thu. |
Thursday |
|
fri. |
Friday |
sat. |
Saturday |
|
sun. |
Sunday |
attn |
attention |
|
attn. |
attention |
attn: |
attention |
|
P0 |
P 0 |
P.0. |
P 0 |
Dashed words
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
[a-Z] … [a-z] <dash> [a-Z] … [a-z] |
|
e mail |
|
[a-Z]…[a-z] <space> <dash> <space> [a-Z] … [a-z] |
Paris - Texas |
paris dash texas |
URLs and E-mails
|
Format |
Example |
|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
(www) <dot> {word} <dot> {domain} |
|
w w w dot g o o g l e dot com |
|
{word} <at sign> {word} <dot> {domain} |
i n f o at o m i l i a dot com |
|
Currency
|
Format |
Example |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Input String |
Verbalized Form |
|
|
{currency symbol} {amount} |
$25.10 |
twenty five dollars and ten cents |
|
£25,000 |
twenty five thousand pounds |
|
|
{amount} {currency symbol} |
25.10€ |
twenty five euros and ten cents |
|
{amount} <space> {currency code} |
25 USD |
twenty five us dollars |
|
{currency code} <space> {amount} |
GBP 25 |
twenty five pounds sterling |
|
{currency code} {amount} <space> {quantity} |
$1.3 million |
one point three million dollars |
|
{amount} <space> {quantity} <space> {currency code} |
1 million USD |
one million us dollars |
Currency code
|
Code |
Verbalized form |
Subdivision |
|---|---|---|
|
USD |
u s dollar(s) |
cent(s) |
|
EUR |
euro(s) |
cent(s) |
|
GPB |
pound(s) sterling |
penny, pence |
Currency symbol
|
Symbol |
Verbalized form |
|---|---|
|
$ |
dollar(s) |
|
€ |
euro(s) |
|
£ |
pound(s) |
Amount examples
|
Amount |
Verbalized form |
|---|---|
|
$235,125,250.12 |
two hundred and thirty five millions one hundred and twenty five thousand two hundred and fifty dollars and twelve cents |
|
$3.458 |
three point four five eight dollars |
|
$5,000.00 |
five thousand dollars |
|
$0.01 |
one cent |
|
$-0.01 |
minus one cent |
Quantity
|
million |
|
billion |
|
trillion |
Punctuation and Characters Processing
Supported characters
|
Char |
Description |
Used as/in |
Char |
Description |
Used as/in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
. |
period |
sentence ending |
@ |
at sign |
email address |
|
decimal separator |
- |
dash |
number group |
||
|
, |
comma |
sentence break |
word group |
||
|
thousands separator |
minus sign |
||||
|
? |
question mark |
sentence ending |
+ |
plus sign |
math equation |
|
! |
exclamation mark |
sentence ending |
$ |
dollar sign |
part of currency |
|
' |
apostrophe |
contraction |
€ |
euro sign |
part of currency |
|
possessive noun |
£ |
pound sign |
part of currency |
||
|
% |
percent sign |
percentage value |
& |
ampersand |
and (except for the R&D like cases) |
Other characters or punctuation will be removed and will not affect the voice.
Punctuation
If no punctuation is present in the input text, the period will be added automatically. There is no check of the sentence content or a type in order to distinguish the punctuation.
Thank you for using our service → Thank you for using our service.
What can I do for you → What can I do for you.
|
Char |
Description |
Effect |
|---|---|---|
|
. |
period |
falling intonation |
|
? |
question mark |
raising intonation |
|
|
space |
pause |
|
- |
dash |
short pause |
|
, |
comma |
falling intonation |
|
! |
exclamation mark |
increased intensity |
The question mark does not always result in rising intonation. It follows the question intonation rules of en-US referring to rising, falling and rise-fall intonation for yes/no, wh- or multiple choice questions.
Examples
This section illustrates the examples of common prompts and verbalization usage.
Input:
"Welcome to voice-enabled service line of ABC Bank! What can I do for you today?"
Verbalized output:
"welcome to voice enabled service line of a b c bank ! what can I do for you today ?"
Input:
"Ok, first, please say or enter your 16-digit card number."
Verbalized output:
"ok , first , please say or enter your sixteen digit card number ."
Input:
"Just to confirm, you said: 5-8-9-7 4-2-6-5 1-2-3-4 7-4-6-8 9-7-2-6."
Verbalized output:
"just to confirm , you said five eight nine seven , four two six five , one two three four , seven four six eight , nine seven two six ."
Input:
"The balance on your visa is $2670.52 and it is due March 21. Anything else?"
Verbalized output: "the balance on your visa is two thousand six hundred and seventy dollars and fifty two cents and it is due march twenty first . anything else ?"
Input:
"Your email is cadomaitis@omilia.com. Is that correct?"
Verbalized output:
"your email is c a d o m a i t i s at o m i l i a dot com. is that correct?"
Input:
"To confirm, Your appointment will be set for Tuesday, October 25th, 09:00 to 10:30 AM. Shall I proceed?"
verbalized output:
"to confirm, your appointment will be set for tuesday , october twenty fifth, nine to ten thirty a m . shall I proceed ?"
Input:
"The balance on your mastercard is -1.35 USD. The debt has to be paid until 2022-11-02."
verbalized output:
"the balance on your mastercard is minus one u s dollar and thirty five cents . the debt has to be paid until november second twenty twenty two ."