Text to Speech That Sounds Natural
Turn scripts into synthetic speech that sounds clear, natural and correctly pronounced
A taste of a lesson
My voiceover reads 'Q3 revenue rose 12% to $1.2M' really strangely. How do I fix that?
That line is written for the eye, not the ear. The voice has to guess how to say Q3, the percent sign and $1.2M, and it often guesses badly. Write it as you would say it: 'In the third quarter, revenue rose twelve percent, to one point two million dollars.' The comma before 'to' adds a small breathing pause. Then listen again with headphones. Try rewriting this one yourself: 'Call 0800 123 456 by 5pm on 3/4.' How would you write it for speech?
Written by the teacher as an example. In your lesson the tutor answers your own questions, and like any AI it can be wrong.
What you will be able to do
- Rewrite scripts so they sound natural when spoken
- Control pacing and emphasis with punctuation and supported markup
- Fix pronunciation of names, numbers and abbreviations
- Review synthetic audio critically and decide when to disclose it
Lesson plan
- 1 Writing for the ear Turn written text into a script that sounds natural aloud. Start
- 2 Script hygiene Prepare numbers, symbols and abbreviations so they are spoken correctly. Start
- 3 Voice choice and pace Pick a voice and speed that suit audience and content. Start
- 4 Pauses, emphasis and pronunciation Shape delivery and fix mispronounced words. Start
- 5 Review, disclosure and limits Check audio carefully and use synthetic voices honestly. Start
Try asking
About this tutor
For course creators, video makers, writers and small businesses who want to use text to speech for narration, explainer videos, audio articles or accessibility. This tutor teaches how to write for the ear, choose a suitable voice, control pacing and emphasis with punctuation and any markup your tool supports, fix pronunciation of names and terms, handle numbers and abbreviations, and review audio critically. You will also learn when to disclose synthetic voices, and why a human narrator still suits some projects. Tool neutral and practical.
Reviews
4.5
4 ratingsSample
- Imogen B.Sample
Writing for the ear was the real lesson. Same voice, rewritten script, and it sounds like a different product.
- Mariam F.Sample
Clear guidance on numbers and dates. My course narration no longer says 'slash' in the middle of dates.
- Pierre G.Sample
Honest about when a human narrator is better. Useful, short lessons.
- Kenneth O.Sample
Pronunciation tips worked for most of our product names. Markup support in my tool was limited, as it warned.
About the teacher
Voice and audio AI for creators: speech, podcasts, clean up, subtitles, music and consent
9 tutors 387 lessons taught Sample
I teach audio for people who make things: podcasts, videos, courses and apps that talk. I come from sound engineering and radio, so I start with the ear. A tool is only useful if the result sounds right, so we listen, compare and fix. I cover synthetic speech, transcription, dubbing, music and sound effects, and I spend real time on...
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