Understanding the SAY Command

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 22 views

Introduction

When working with synthesized speech on macOS, the SAY command is a powerful tool that allows you to convert text into speech. However, when reading from a file that contains text in multiple languages, it can be challenging to switch between different voices seamlessly. In this article, we will explore how to switch synthesized speech voice when reading from a file using the SAY command on macOS.

Understanding the SAY Command

The SAY command is a built-in macOS utility that converts text into speech. It is a simple command-line tool that can be used to read text from a file, a string, or even a URL. The SAY command uses the built-in text-to-speech (TTS) engine on macOS, which is powered by the Apple Voice Services.

Basic Syntax of the SAY Command

The basic syntax of the SAY command is as follows:

say [-v voice] [-r rate] [-g pitch] [-i interval] [-f file] [-o output] text

Here are the options used in the above syntax:

-v voice: Specifies the voice to use for the synthesized speech. You can choose from a variety of voices, including male and female voices, as well as voices with different accents.
-r rate: Specifies the rate at which the text is spoken. You can choose from a range of rates, from 100 to 500 words per minute.
-g pitch: Specifies the pitch of the synthesized speech. You can choose from a range of pitches, from 0 to 100.
-i interval: Specifies the interval between each sentence. You can choose from a range of intervals, from 0 to 10 seconds.
-f file: Specifies the file to read from. You can use this option to read text from a file.
-o output: Specifies the output device to use for the synthesized speech. You can choose from a range of output devices, including the default output device.

Switching Between Different Voices

To switch between different voices when reading from a file, you can use the -v option followed by the voice name. For example, to use the "Alex" voice, you can use the following command:

say -v Alex text

To switch between different voices, you can use the following command:

say -v Voice1 text
say -v Voice2 text

However, this approach can be cumbersome when working with a large file that contains text in multiple languages.

Indicating Voice Changes in the File

To indicate voice changes in the file, you can use a special marker that tells the SAY command to switch to a different voice. The marker is a special string that starts with the # character followed by the voice name. For example, to switch to the "Alex" voice, you can use the following marker:

# Alex

You can place this marker at the beginning of a line or at the beginning of a paragraph to indicate that the voice should switch to the "Alex" voice.

Using a Custom Marker

To use a custom marker, you can specify the marker using the -m option followed by the marker string. For example, to use a custom marker ## followed by the voice name, you can use the following command:

say -m "## Voice1" text

You can place this marker at the beginning of a line or at the beginning of a paragraph to indicate that the voice should switch to the "Voice1" voice.

Example Use Case

Here is an example use case that demonstrates how to switch between different voices when reading from a file:

# English
Hello, this is an example of English text.

# Spanish
Hola, este es un ejemplo de texto en español.

# French
Bonjour, voici un exemple de texte en français.

# English
This is an example of English text again.

To read this file using the SAY command, you can use the following command:

say -v Alex file.txt

This command will read the file and switch between different voices based on the markers in the file.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored how to switch synthesized speech voice when reading from a file using the SAY command on macOS. We have discussed the basic syntax of the SAY command, how to switch between different voices, and how to indicate voice changes in the file using a special marker. We have also demonstrated an example use case that shows how to switch between different voices when reading from a file. With this knowledge, you can now use the SAY command to create more engaging and interactive text-to-speech experiences on macOS.

Q: What are the different voices available for the SAY command on macOS?

A: The SAY command on macOS supports a variety of voices, including male and female voices, as well as voices with different accents. Some of the available voices include:

Alex
Samantha
Victoria
Fred
Samantha (with a British accent)
Samantha (with an Australian accent)
Samantha (with a French accent)

You can use the -v option followed by the voice name to specify the voice to use for the synthesized speech.

Q: How do I specify the voice to use for the synthesized speech?

A: To specify the voice to use for the synthesized speech, you can use the -v option followed by the voice name. For example, to use the "Alex" voice, you can use the following command:

say -v Alex text

You can replace "Alex" with the name of the voice you want to use.

Q: How do I indicate voice changes in the file?

A: To indicate voice changes in the file, you can use a special marker that starts with the # character followed by the voice name. For example, to switch to the "Alex" voice, you can use the following marker:

# Alex

You can place this marker at the beginning of a line or at the beginning of a paragraph to indicate that the voice should switch to the "Alex" voice.

Q: Can I use a custom marker to indicate voice changes in the file?

A: Yes, you can use a custom marker to indicate voice changes in the file. To use a custom marker, you can specify the marker using the -m option followed by the marker string. For example, to use a custom marker ## followed by the voice name, you can use the following command:

say -m "## Voice1" text

You can place this marker at the beginning of a line or at the beginning of a paragraph to indicate that the voice should switch to the "Voice1" voice.

Q: How do I read a file that contains text in multiple languages using the SAY command?

A: To read a file that contains text in multiple languages using the SAY command, you can use the -v option followed by the voice name to specify the voice to use for the synthesized speech. You can also use the # marker to indicate voice changes in the file. For example:

# English
Hello, this is an example of English text.

# Spanish
Hola, este es un ejemplo de texto en español.

# French
Bonjour, voici un exemple de texte en français.

To read this file using the SAY command, you can use the following command:

say -v Alex file.txt

This command will read the file and switch between different voices based on the markers in the file.

Q: Can I use the SAY command to read text from a URL?

A: Yes, you can use the SAY command to read text from a URL. To read text from a URL, you can use the -f option followed by the URL. For example:

say -f https://example.com/text.txt

This command will read the text from the specified URL and convert it to speech.

Q: How do I specify the output device for the synthesized speech?

A: To specify the output device for the synthesized speech, you can use the -o option followed by the output device name. For example, to use the default output device, you can use the following command:

say -o default text

You can replace "default" with the name of the output device you want to use.

Q: Can I use the SAY command to read text from a file that contains multiple voices?

A: Yes, you can use the SAY command to read text from a file that contains multiple voices. To read a file that contains multiple voices, you can use the # marker to indicate voice changes in the file. For example:

# English
Hello, this is an example of English text.

# Spanish
Hola, este es un ejemplo de texto en español.

# French
Bonjour, voici un exemple de texte en français.

To read this file using the SAY command, you can use the following command:

say -v Alex file.txt

This command will read the file and switch between different voices based on the markers in the file.

Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with the SAY command?

A: To troubleshoot issues with the SAY command, you can check the following:

Make sure that the SAY command is installed and configured correctly on your system.
Check that the voice you are trying to use is available on your system.
Check that the file you are trying to read is in the correct format and contains the correct markers.
Check that the output device you are trying to use is available and configured correctly.

If you are still experiencing issues, you can try searching online for solutions or contacting Apple support for further assistance.