View source for For people who've lost the power of speech, the voice synthesiser is a godsend

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| publication = Time Out London
| file = 1998-11-25 Time Out.jpg
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| date = 1998-11-25
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| language = English 
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| categories = advertisements
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For people who've lost the power of speech, the voice synthesiser is a godsend.

You just type what you want to say on a laptop, and it automatically converts converts your words into sound.

But computerised voices have never been completely satisfactory. Simply because there's more to talking than just words.

When we speak, we use inflection and intonation to give extra meaning to what we say.

And it's hard to convey, say, urgency or irony if you can only speak in the same flat, measured tones.

That's why BT have developed the Laureate speech synthesis system.

Laureate actually allows the user to add emphasis to what they're saying.

And, while the synthetic voice that sounds completely natural is still some way off, the results are much closer to human speech than previous systems.

Not only that, people who use Laureate are able to choose a voice that's the same sex and the same approximate age.

In the future, we hope to be able to offer them the same regional accent as well.

After all, just because someone talks through a computer, it shouldn't mean they have to sound like one.

Laureate is just one of many BT projects that help people communicate more effectively.

Indeed, better communication can help people from all walks of life. If you'd like to know more, why not call us on Freefone 0800 800 848. or find us at www.bt.com


Until now, people with computerized voices spoke in a rather distinctive way. 

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