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# TTS Input Tips

How you format the text in a TTS request affects pronunciation and pacing. If a word
comes out wrong or the output audio doesn't sound natural, try the tips below.

| Tip                                                       | Applies to                  |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| [Spell words phonetically](#spell-words-phonetically)     | All models                  |
| [Write acronyms in capitals](#write-acronyms-in-capitals) | All models                  |
| [Write out numbers](#write-out-numbers)                   | All models                  |
| [Use punctuation for pauses](#use-punctuation-for-pauses) | All models                  |
| [Break up long sentences](#break-up-long-sentences)       | All models except Ukrainian |
| [Avoid special symbols](#avoid-special-symbols)           | All models                  |
| [Mark stresses](#mark-stresses)                           | Ukrainian                   |

## Spell words phonetically

If a word is mispronounced, replace it with a phonetic spelling that guides the model
toward the right sound.

| Instead of | Try      |
| ---------- | -------- |
| `Aoife`    | `ee-fah` |

## Write acronyms in capitals

If an acronym isn't read correctly, write it in capital letters, separate the letters
with periods, or both.

| Instead of | Try               |
| ---------- | ----------------- |
| `brb`      | `BRB` or `B.R.B.` |

## Write out numbers

Write numbers in words rather than numerals. This gives more stable results.

| Instead of                       | Try                                      |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| My dad's yacht cost \$1,000,000. | My dad's yacht cost one million dollars. |

## Use punctuation for pauses

Commas, dashes and ellipses change the rhythm and add natural pauses.

```
I get where you're coming from, but I... um... don't know what to say.
```

## Break up long sentences

Long or complex sentences are harder to read clearly. Split them into shorter ones.

| Instead of                                                                                    | Try                                                                                               |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| He arrived late because the train was delayed and stuck outside the station for over an hour. | He arrived late because the train was delayed. It was stuck outside the station for over an hour. |

## Avoid special symbols

Replace special symbols like `( )`, `@`, `#`, `"`, `$`, etc., with words, or rephrase
the sentence without them.

| Instead of                                  | Try                                                |
| ------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| He works (as does his brother) at the bank. | He works at the bank. His brother works there too. |
| Our #1 priority is safety.                  | Our number one priority is safety.                 |

## Mark stresses

With the Ukrainian model, stress marks let you control where the stress falls in a
word. This is useful for homographs or names where the model might otherwise guess wrong.

A stress mark is placed **immediately before the vowel** that should be stressed. You
can mark stress in any of three equivalent ways:

* **Stress token** — insert a `<stress>` token before the vowel, e.g. `йог<stress>урт`.
* **Plus sign** — insert a `+` before the vowel, inside the word, e.g. `йог+урт`.
* **Unicode combining accent** — place a combining acute accent (U+0301) after the
  vowel, e.g. `йогу́рт`.

If a single mark doesn't take effect, you can repeat it to push the model harder
toward placing the stress, e.g. `йог<stress><stress>урт` or `йог++урт`.

> **Note**
>
> Repeated marks only increase how strongly the stress is enforced — they do **not**
> add a second or secondary stress. Start with a single mark and only add more if it
> isn't honored. More than three repeats is not recommended.