Adding pauses in text to speech

Nov 26, 2019

Any updates on this? I just had a request to pause between sentences and while adding   ...   at the end of sentences does add a bit of a delay it seems to have limits.

Best, Steve

8 Replies
Thor Melicher

I recently created an application that might address the need of adjusting the speed for Text to Speech in Storyline.  It’s a bit of a workaround though as you’ll have to go to the source that Storyline uses, Amazon Polly voices.  

Here’s what you do: 

  1. Get an Amazon Polly account (yes, there is some cost involved but doesn’t seem that prohibitive) (https://aws.amazon.com/polly/)
  2. Save your scripts as separate files (MS-Word or Text)
  3. Download HeroVoice TTS from the Microsoft Windows Store (fully functioning 15-day free trial)
  4. Encode your files with HeroVoice TTS – apply a global setting for speed and even comma duration so your files are consistent.
  5. Select the voice you want – these are the same as you’ll find in Storyline today including Neural voices (which aren’t currently available in Storyline)
  6. Load each audio file into Storyline

If you want to have even more control, you can also use SSML for creating even more nuanced text to speech.

Dennis Pecorella

I have noticed that adding a period and inserting a return adds a nice pause in between words. For example:

Rather than "I prefer to eat pie, but very much enjoy cake as well."

I would type:

"I prefer to eat pie.

But very much enjoy cake as well."

I have found that this technique gives me a nice pause when I am making a point or identifying different areas on a screen, for example.

For longer pauses I do usually split the text to speech into two and move the second to a place further along the timeline, as suggested above.

I hope that's helpful for someone! 

Meera Lynn

If at the end of each section you want to add a longer silence, add ... then a one space return.

So the paragraph So before you learn how to create and manage tasks, let’s have a brief introduction to understand the purpose of tasks, examples of tasks, when to use tasks, and how to use tasks.

becomes

So before you learn how to create and manage tasks…

Let’s have a brief introduction to understand the purpose of tasks…

Examples of Tasks…

When to use Tasks…

And how to use Tasks…