How can I install and use text-to-speech software? [duplicate]

In order of descending popularity:

say converts text to audible speech using the GNUstep speech engine.
```
sudo apt-get install gnustep-gui-runtime
say "hello"
```

festival General multi-lingual speech synthesis system.

sudo apt-get install festival
echo "hello" | festival --tts

spd-say sends text-to-speech output request to speech-dispatcher
```
sudo apt-get install speech-dispatcher
spd-say "hello"
```
espeak is a multi-lingual software speech synthesizer.
```
sudo apt-get install espeak
espeak "hello"
```

espeak is a nice little tool.

I just like playing around with it in a command line. You might find it conflicts with Pulseaudio so I'm using a long-winded version that negates having to set it up properly.

sudo apt-get install espeak
espeak --stdout "this is a test" | paplay

espeak --help will show you the options to calibrate reading speed, pitch, voice, etc.

When you're doing your notes, save them as a text file and then:

echo "these are my notes" > text.txt
espeak --stdout -f text.txt > text.wav
paplay text.wav # you should hear "these are my notes"

You can then play around with ffmeg et al to compress this down from PCM to something more manageable like MP3 or OGG. But that's a different story.

From man spd-say:

NAME
       spd-say - send text-to-speech output request to speech-dispatcher

SYNOPSIS
       spd-say [options] "some text"

DESCRIPTION
       spd-say  sends text-to-speech output request to speech-dispatcher process which handles it and ideally outputs the result
       to the audio system.

OPTIONS
       -r, --rate
              Set the rate of the speech (between -100 and +100, default: 0)

       -p, --pitch
              Set the pitch of the speech (between -100 and +100, default: 0)

       -i, --volume
              Set the volume (intensity) of the speech (between -100 and +100, default: 0)

Hence you can get text-to-speech by following command:

spd-say "<type text>"

Ex:

spd-say "Welcome to Ubuntu Linux"

You can also set speech rate, pitch, volume etc. see man-page.

Python Google Speech :

pip install google_speech

google_speech "Test the hello world"

Svox From Android :

apt-get install svox-pico

pico2wave --wave=test.wav "Test the hello world"
play test.wav

Svox Nanotts :

git clone https://github.com/gmn/nanotts.git
cd nanotts
make

./nanotts -v en-US "Test the hello world"

Linked resource: Comparison of speech synthesizers
Post source: Linuxhacks.org
Disclosure: I am the owner of Linuxhacks.org

Mbrola doesn't work since 11.10.

SVOX (pico) tools are easy to install, easy to use and brings good quality voices in Ubuntu. Install it:

sudo apt-get install libttspico0 libttspico-utils libttspico-data

Even more easy, you can use LibreOffice in combination with SVOX (pico) tools by install the "Read Text" extension and you obtain a "GUI" for this excellent TTS software:

Set up Read Text Extension's options with Tools - Add-ons - Read selection.... Use /usr/bin/python as the external program. Select a command line option that includes the token (PICO_READ_TEXT_PY).

How can I install and use text-to-speech software? [duplicate]

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