---
layout: page
category_title: Basic commands
category-page: basic
tags: say
author: Gianmarco De Vita
title: say
---
<p>You can convert text into audible speech just by writing the command
  <code>say</code> followed by a string. This is possible thanks to the
  Speech Synthesis manager.</p>

<pre>
    Device-name:Current-position username$ say string
</pre>

<p>Naturally, the wide presence of flags for this command allows you to use
  this command for many different tasks. Notice that using more flag
  simultaneously, you will be able to solve more complex operations.</p>

<h3>Read a particular file</h3>
    <p>By writing the command followed by the flag <code>-f</code> and, instead
      of the string, by the path of a text file, you will get as output a voice
      reading the content of that file.</p>

<pre>
  Device-name:Current-position username$ say -f path/text.txt
</pre>

<h3>Specify the reading voice</h3>
    <p>By writing the flag <code>-v</code> followed by a person name and a string, you
      can decide which voice should read the string.</p>

<pre>
  Device-name:Current-position username$ say -v name string
</pre>

<p><b>Notice.</b> Of course, you're not expected to know every possible voice,
  so, by writing "?" as argument of the command (including also the flag -v),
  you will get a list of all the available voices.</p>

<pre>
  Device-name:Current-position username$ say -v ?
</pre>

<h3>Specify the Speech Rate</h3>
    <p>By writing the flag <code>-r</code> followed by a rate and then by a
      string, you can decide the reading speed in words per minute.</p>

<pre>
    Device-name:Current-position username$ say -r rate string
</pre>

<h3>Store the output in an audible file</h3>
    <p>You can save the result of the command in an audible file. To do that,
    you have just to write after the command the flag <code>-o</code> followed
    by the path/name of the output file and then the string that has to be read.</p>

<pre>
  Device-name:Current-position username$ say -o path/audiofile.*format string
</pre>

<h3>Try by yourself - Flags combinations</h3>
    <p>As said above, you can use more flags in the same command, once you know
      well them. See the examples below and try to guess the output. You can
      copy these commands into your terminal to verify your answers. Naturally,
      you have to create the text files if they don't exist (with some text
      inside), to make the work.</p>

<pre>
  Device-name:Current-position username$ say -v Alex -f hello_world.txt
</pre>

<pre>
  Device-name:Current-position username$ say -o hi.aac -f hello_world.txt
</pre>