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espeak — A multi-lingual software speech synthesizer. Note: `espeak` is considered discontinued, as developme

Submitted by: @import:tldr-pages·Mar 2, 2026·

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commandlingualespeaksoftwareclimultispeechsynthesizer

Problem

How to use the espeak command: A multi-lingual software speech synthesizer. Note: espeak is considered discontinued, as development has shifted to espeak-ng. More information: <https://manned.org/espeak>.

Solution

espeak — A multi-lingual software speech synthesizer. Note: espeak is considered discontinued, as development has shifted to espeak-ng. More information: <https://manned.org/espeak>.

Speak a phrase aloud:

espeak "{{text}}"

Speak text from stdin:

echo "{{text}}" | espeak

Speak the contents of a [f]ile:

espeak -f {{path/to/file}}

Speak using a specific [v]oice:

espeak -v {{voice}} "{{text}}"

Speak at a specific [s]peed (default is 160) and [p]itch (default is 50):

espeak -s {{speed}} -p {{pitch}} "{{text}}"

Output the audio to a [w]AV file instead of speaking it directly:

espeak -w {{path/to/output.wav}} "{{text}}"

List all available voices:

espeak --voices

Code Snippets

Speak a phrase aloud

espeak "{{text}}"

Speak text from `stdin`

echo "{{text}}" | espeak

Speak the contents of a [f]ile

espeak -f {{path/to/file}}

Speak using a specific [v]oice

espeak -v {{voice}} "{{text}}"

Speak at a specific [s]peed (default is 160) and [p]itch (default is 50)

espeak -s {{speed}} -p {{pitch}} "{{text}}"

Context

tldr-pages: common/espeak

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