Sinhala Text To Speech in C#

This is a simple c# sharp program that speaks the sinhala Unicode characters. Normaly known as "text to speak". This can be used to further development of your software.

Step 01

First you have to install these software.

Sinhala Text to Speak Developed by the University Of Colombo School Of Computing.Download

or

Windows version of the "eSpeak" Text to Speak Download (Compiled for Windows. SAPI5 and command-line versions.)

You can install both of them if you like. By doing that you can two sinhala voice.

Step 02

How to install "eSpeak".

You just have to click on the .exe install it. But there is one more thing you have to concern. When installing you have to give the language as "si" instead of "en en+f2".

change above one to below one

"eSpeak" contains several other languages. You just have to find the language code (ex: "si" for sinhala ) and input it when you install eSpeak.

for more info go to http://espeak.sourceforge.net/

Step 03

Before you compile the code you have add reference to Visual Studio 2010.

Right click on "reference" on the solution explorer and right click on it and click "add".

And then click ".NET" tab and select "System.speech". Then press ok.

Source :: code explained with comments

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows;
using System.IO;
using System.Speech.Synthesis;
using System.Speech.AudioFormat;
using System.Speech.Recognition;
using System.Speech.Recognition.SrgsGrammar;
using System.Speech.Synthesis.TtsEngine;

// before compiling, add references -> System.Speech

namespace ConsoleApplication4
{
    class Program
    {
        
        
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            //string that is to be read
            string TextProperty = "";
            
            //stores the voices that are installed on your computer 
            List<VoiceInfo> lst = new List<VoiceInfo>();

            // Initialize a new instance of the SpeechSynthesizer.
            using (SpeechSynthesizer synth = new SpeechSynthesizer())
            {

                // Output information about all of the installed voices. 
                Console.WriteLine("Installed voices -");

                foreach (InstalledVoice voice in synth.GetInstalledVoices())
                {
                    VoiceInfo info = voice.VoiceInfo;
                    string AudioFormats = "";
                    foreach (SpeechAudioFormatInfo fmt in info.SupportedAudioFormats)
                    {
                        AudioFormats += String.Format("{0}\n",
                        fmt.EncodingFormat.ToString());
                    }

                    Console.WriteLine(" Name:          " + info.Name);
                    Console.WriteLine(" Culture:       " + info.Culture);
                    Console.WriteLine(" Age:           " + info.Age);
                    Console.WriteLine(" Gender:        " + info.Gender);
                    Console.WriteLine(" Description:   " + info.Description);
                    Console.WriteLine(" ID:            " + info.Id);
                    Console.WriteLine(" Enabled:       " + voice.Enabled);
                    if (info.SupportedAudioFormats.Count != 0)
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine(" Audio formats: " + AudioFormats);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        Console.WriteLine(" No supported audio formats found");
                    }

                    string AdditionalInfo = "";
                    foreach (string key in info.AdditionalInfo.Keys)
                    {
                        AdditionalInfo += String.Format("  {0}: {1}\n", key, info.AdditionalInfo[key]);
                    }

                    Console.WriteLine(" Additional Info - " + AdditionalInfo);
                    Console.WriteLine();
                }

                foreach (InstalledVoice voice in synth.GetInstalledVoices())
                {
                    //add the voice to the list
                    lst.Add(voice.VoiceInfo);
                }
            }



            // Initialize a new instance of the SpeechSynthesizer.

            using (SpeechSynthesizer synth1 = new SpeechSynthesizer())
            {

                //select the voice you want to speak
                //to read sinhala unicode you must input the the index of a sinhala voice.
                //sinhala voices
                //  * Festival Sinhala Dephone
                //  * eSpeak-si
                //or input the index of the voice that you would like to hear.
                synth1.SelectVoice(lst[5].Name);

                //change the speed of speaking
                synth1.Rate = -3;

                //creat a folder called "speak" in your "c" drive
                //and create a "abc.txt" with sinhala unicode
                // try puting these "කොළොඹ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයිය පරිගණක  අධ්‍යනායතනය "
                PromptBuilder speakText = new PromptBuilder();
                using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(@"C:\speak\abc.txt"))
                {
                    // read all content file to the string property on your form.
                   TextProperty = reader.ReadToEnd();
                }

                // Speak the contents of the prompt.
                synth1.Speak(TextProperty);
            }
        }
    }
}

This program has been tested with "win 7" and "win 8" with "Visual Studio 2010"

Download the complete project and compile and run it.
please leave a comment.

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Harsha Jayamanna