3. How do I have aws polly use ssml?

AI ChatGPT
,
1

While Amazon Polly voices are pretty good, the voices have limitations and when used in a context that a voice is not trained in, a voice can be inaccurate.

You,
First, what is SSML?

ChatGPT
SML stands for Speech Synthesis Markup Language. It is a standardized markup language that allows developers to control aspects of speech synthesis, such as pronunciation, volume, pitch, rate, etc., in a text-to-speech (TTS) system. SSML is used to enhance the quality of synthesized speech from written text.

Here are some key features of SSML:

  1. Pronunciation: Adjusting the pronunciation of words that may not be pronounced correctly by default in TTS systems. This can be done by specifying the phonetic pronunciation of words.
  2. Prosody: Controlling elements like pitch, rate (speed), and volume. For example, you can make the speech sound more excited by increasing the pitch and rate.
  3. Pauses: Adding pauses at specific points in the text, which can help in making the speech sound more natural.
  4. Emphasis: Placing emphasis on certain words to convey meaning more effectively.
  5. Different Voices: Some TTS systems allow the selection of different voices, either to represent different characters in a narrative or to better match the voice to the content.
  6. Audio Insertion: Inserting audio clips within the speech. This can be used for sound effects or playing music.

SSML is widely used in various applications, including virtual assistants, automated customer service systems, accessibility tools for visually impaired users, and more. It helps in making the synthesized speech more natural and tailored to specific needs or contexts.

You
how do I have aws polly use ssml?

ChatGPT
Amazon Polly supports the Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML), which allows you to control various aspects of speech such as pronunciation, volume, pitch, speech rate, and more. Here’s how you can use SSML with Amazon Polly:

  1. Format Your Text with SSML Tags: Wrap your text with the <speak> tags and use other SSML tags to control the speech output. For example:
<speak>
    Welcome to our website. <break time="1s"/> How can I assist you today?
</speak>
  1. Using the AWS CLI: If you’re using the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) to synthesize speech with Amazon Polly, you can specify the --text-type parameter as ssml. For example:
aws polly synthesize-speech \
    --output-format mp3 \
    --voice-id Joanna \
    --text-type ssml \
    --text '<speak>Welcome to our website. <break time="1s"/> How can I assist you today?</speak>' \
    output.mp3
  1. Using the AWS SDK: If you’re using one of the AWS SDKs (e.g., Python’s Boto3), you can specify the text type as ssml when making the synthesize_speech call. Here’s a Python example using Boto3:
import boto3

polly_client = boto3.client('polly')

response = polly_client.synthesize_speech(
    VoiceId='Joanna',
    OutputFormat='mp3',
    Text='<speak>Welcome to our website. <break time="1s"/> How can I assist you today?</speak>',
    TextType='ssml'
)

with open('output.mp3', 'wb') as file:
    file.write(response['AudioStream'].read())
  1. SSML Tags Supported by Amazon Polly: Amazon Polly supports a variety of SSML tags, including but not limited to:
  • <break>: Inserts a pause.
  • <emphasis>: Adds emphasis to the enclosed text.
  • <prosody>: Adjusts the rate, pitch, or volume of the speech.
  • <say-as>: Specifies how the enclosed text should be spoken.
  • <phoneme>: Specifies the phonetic pronunciation for the enclosed text.
  • <sub>: Substitutes the provided text for the original text.Always refer to the official Amazon Polly documentation for a comprehensive list of supported SSML tags and their usage.
  1. Test Your SSML: Before using SSML in production, it’s a good idea to test your SSML to ensure it produces the desired speech output. You can use the Amazon Polly console to input your SSML and listen to the synthesized speech.

By using SSML with Amazon Polly, you can have more control over the speech output and create a more natural and engaging user experience.