Situation
I'm using a text-to-speech program to read a document in which several languages are used. The speech output is difficult to understand for the parts in the foreign language because they are not pronounced correctly.
Information
Speech synthesis is used by various audiences: the visually impaired, the blind, all people with reading difficulties, such as dyslexics, and more generally, people who do not have access to their screens, such as those who listen in their vehicles.
Therefore, it is important to properly code the content so that it is correctly rendered in the appropriate language.
Demonstration
Here is a quote from Martin Luther King:
« The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy"
And its translation:
"A man is not measured by his actions in comfort and convenience, but in hardship and controversy."
Voice reading:
- No language settings, everything is in French.;
- the language is changed to US English, starting from the quote;
- The language is correctly configured for each block.
Our recommendations
Adjust the language, even if only one word is affected, so that the reading is done in the desired language.
Feel free to customize the speech synthesis by adjusting the voice, tone, and language to suit your needs.
Explore more!
- Find the correct language code: github;
- Speechify: Text-to-speech in Word for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS users;
- Ideance: Discover screen readers: assistive technologies for visually impaired people.
Status
Sent to staff: November 24, 2025