Text-To-Speech

Text-to-Speech (TTS) is a software which renders the machine readable text into Human Voice. The TTS software allows people with visual impairments or reading disabilities to listen to written works on a computer or a mobile device. Text to Speech system when integrated with screen reader would enable visually challenged users to interpret and perform computer operations with audio interface. Thus TTS system integrated with screen reader would be a potential assistive technology which will help visually challenged section and learning disabled section of the society to use the benefits of ICT and knowledge sharing. Under the consortium Mode project with leadership from IIT Madras and other consortia members are : IIIT Hyderabad, IIT Kharagpur, IISc Bangalore, IIT Guwahati, IIT Mandi, CDAC Mumbai, CDAC Thiruvananthapuram, CDAC Kolkata, SSNCE Chennai, DA-IICT Gujarat and PESIT Bangalore, funded by TDIL Programme , Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt. of India. Text to Speech for 13 Indian Languages namely Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Odia, Assamese, Manipuri, Kannada, Bodo and Rajasthani have been developed using the both Open Source FESTIVOX Framework and State-of-the art HTS based engine.

Application development under TTS Project:

1. TTS integrated with Screen Reader for Visually Challenged persons : TTS integrated with Screen Reader are available in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.


2. Browser Plug-in: TTS as a browser plug-ins are also developed for eight Indian Languages namely Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Odia and Gujarati. They are:
   TTS Mozilla plugin
   TTS Chrome plugin


3. SMS Reader in Indian Languages - Sandesh Pathak: SMS Reader is an Android App and is made available for 5 Indian Languages namely Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati. Click here to download


4. Website to check the voice quality of TTS systems: The quality of all the languages can be checked and voice can also be saved from http://www.iitm.ac.in/donlab/hts/, visit to experience the TTS voice quality.