Tags

Tags are special codes which you can insert into the text to make the text-to-speech engine behave in certain ways.  Tags control attributes like voice characteristics, word emphasis, number interpretation, and much more.  For example:

\Spd=282\	Speak 282 words per minute.
\xWac=4\	Put very heavy emphasis (level 4) on the following word.
\xSpl=allchars\	Pronounce all characters individually by name.
Form:

	Tags begin and end with a backslash_character (\).
	Tag labels are not case-sensitive, but the  names of speakers and voices are.  For example, \vce\ is the same as \VCE\ or \Vce\, but \Vce=Speaker=Reed\ is not equivalent to \Vce=Speaker=reed\.
	Tags are sensitive to white space.  For example, \vce\ is not the same as \ vce \.
	Punctuation marks can immediately follow any tag. 
	A phrase-final intonation tag must be followed immediately by a punctuation mark. 

 	See the Table of Tags for a list of all the tags available.
	Additional information and examples are available on some especially useful tags:

Language/Dialect 

Emphasis 

Pause Length 

Built-in Voices 

Voice Characteristics 

Tags Example

The following story illustrates a variety of tags.  The story also contains some SPRs  to customize the pronunciation of some words.  Click on a   button below to hear the portion of text following it.



		\Vce=Speaker=Grandma\ Preparing for Trails \xWac=0\ Day 

\Vce=Speaker=Reed\ I can bring two rakes on trails \xWac=0\ day.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ Can you bring \xWac=3\ three rakes?



	\Vce=Speaker=Reed\ I don't \xWac=2\ have three rakes.  I was borrowing the \xWac=2\ second one from my \xWac=2\ daughter.

	\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ We are going to have \xWac=3\ loads of \xWac=2\ volunteers.  \xWac=2\ One team will build a \xWac=2\ bog bridge.  But the \xWac=3\ rest will be clearing the new trail around the \xWac=2\ beaver pond.  Do you have any \xWac=3\ other tools?



	\Vce=Speaker=Reed\  What \xWac=2\ \xSPR=`[.1kYn.dx]\  tools?  I have a wrench \xPhf=ContinuationRise\, a drill \xPhf=ContinuationRise\, a hammer \xPhf=ContinuationRise\, and a level.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\  Saws, shovels, clippers, shears?



	\Vce=Speaker=Reed\  I could bring a shovel \xPhf=SmallRise\.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\  Great! \Spd=205\ Will you see \xWac=3\ Greg this week?



	\Vce=Speaker=Reed\  Yes \xPhf=SmallRise\.  Tomorrow \xPhf=SmallRise\.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\  Can you ask him to bring some juice and snacks?



	\Vce=Speaker=Reed\  He  brought them \xWac=3\ last time. \Pau=50\ And wasn't too \xWac=Scooped\ happy about it.

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\  I'll get somebody else \xWac=0\ then \xPhf=LargeFall\.







		\Vce=Speaker=Grandma\ Trails \xWac=0\  Day Arrives.

\Vce=Speaker=Sandy\ Mom!  I just saw a real \xSPR=`[.1layv]\ beaver!!

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xBth=100\ \xSPR=`[SSSUS]\, you'll scare her away!

\Vce=Speaker=Sandy\ Oh, she's already gone.  But I saw her.



	\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ You're \xWac=2\ lucky then.  They aren't usually around during the middle of the day.  If you're hungry for lunch, go get our bag.

	\Vce=Speaker=Sandy\ \xWac=2\ Which bag?

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ \xWac=High\ You \xWac=Low\ know.  The one you marked \xSpl=alphanumeric\ OL \xSpl=off\ for "Our Lunch."

\Vce=Speaker=Sandy\ Oh yeah.



	\Vce=Speaker=Reed\ How many acres are in this preserve?

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ Exactly?  I think its \Pau=150\ \Spd=149\ \xYr=off\ 1250. \xYr=on\



	\Vce=Speaker=Reed\ Wow.  We don't \xWac=0\ \xSPR=`[.1hAf.0tx]\  take care of all of it, \xWac=2\ do we?

\Vce=Speaker=Shelley\ Oh, no.  It'll take care of \xWac=2\ itself \xPhf=LargeFall\.



