Speech Synthesis Markup Language is an XML-based standard that lets you control how a TTS engine speaks text. With it you can insert pauses, emphasize words, change speaking rate, pitch, and volume, and spell out abbreviations.

Do AWS Polly, Google, and Azure all support the same SSML?

They share a common core (speak, break, emphasis, prosody, say-as) but each adds engine-specific tags. This builder outputs the common subset that works across all three. Always check provider docs before using vendor-only tags.

How do I add a pause?

Use a break tag with a time value, like a 500 millisecond or one second pause. SSML accepts time in milliseconds (500ms) or seconds (1s), or strength keywords such as weak, medium, and strong.

Why isn't my SSML being read as markup?

Most engines require you to flag the input as SSML rather than plain text — for Polly set TextType to ssml, for Azure use the SSML request body, for Google set input.ssml. If you pass SSML as plain text the tags are read aloud literally.

Can I nest prosody and emphasis tags?

Yes. You can wrap an emphasized word inside a prosody block to combine stress with a slower rate or higher pitch. Keep nesting shallow and always close tags in the reverse order you opened them.

TTS SSML Markup Builder

TTS SSML markup builder

AI voice generators sound robotic when you feed them raw text. SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) is the XML dialect that lets you control how the voice speaks — where it pauses, which words it stresses, and how fast, high, or loud it sounds. This builder turns your plain text into valid, copy-ready SSML for AWS Polly, Google Cloud TTS, and Azure Speech.

How it works

SSML wraps your text in a root <speak> element. Inside it you add tags:

<speak>
  <prosody rate="slow" pitch="+10%" volume="loud">
    Welcome to <emphasis level="strong">Gera</emphasis>.
    <break time="500ms"/> Let's begin.
  </prosody>
</speak>

<break time="500ms"/> inserts a pause. Use ms, s, or a strength keyword (weak, medium, strong).
<emphasis level="strong">word</emphasis> stresses a word.
<prosody rate pitch volume> controls speed, pitch, and loudness for the enclosed text.

The builder applies global prosody to your whole text, then lets you drop in break and emphasis tags so the output is always well-formed and balanced.

Tips for natural-sounding speech

Pause after clauses, not every word. A 300–500ms break after a comma and a 600–800ms break at a full stop reads naturally; more sounds halting.
Emphasis sparingly. Stressing one keyword per sentence lands; stressing three flattens the effect.
Subtle prosody wins. Rate slow/fast or pitch ±10% is enough — large shifts sound cartoonish.
Flag the input as SSML. Polly needs TextType=ssml, Google needs input.ssml, Azure expects the SSML request body. Otherwise the tags are spoken aloud.