6 Best Text-to-Speech Engines for Android Phones
Many users prefer Android devices due to the flexibility that it offers. There is a wide range of apps available for tablets and smartphones running Android and the functionality supported is extensive. One of the most practical features available is Text-to-Speech, also known as TSS and while this technology is not exclusive to Android, the variety and quality of solutions available for this platform are remarkable. In this list, we have gathered some of the best Text-to-Speech Engines for Android Phones.
TTS will come handy when learning a new language or when you want to listen to a book being read out loud. It is possible to find a great selection of engines that support TSS and the best options score highly in terms of voice sound, pace, resolution, and consistency. To provide a better experience, the top TSS engines use natural sounding voices and in some cases, they offer the possibility of changing the pitch and tone, in order to suit the type of text.
In order to help you to take advantage on the benefits that text-to-speech can offer, we have gathered a list of the TSS engines that are guaranteed to offer high quality when you need to transform your text into audio. By default Google powers most of the Android phones with Google Text To Speech engine. And most probably, you (your phone) might be using this service.
Though this service is not such popular, still, there are many options that you opt and ditch the Google TTS service. In this list, while we cover the Google TSS, we have five more apps that you install right-away on your phone and make use of this ability, text to speech, more precisely. Now, we shall start our list of the best Text-to-Speech Engines for Android Phones.
1# Google TSS
Most users rely on Google since it is the default option available for Android devices in most cases. It supports a wide variety of applications including Google Play Books and Google Translate, which means that you can listen to a book while you are taking care of other tasks or listen to the pronunciation of a word in another language.
The main downside of Google TSS is that the voices lack expression and sound artificial. However, it is a practical option with a vast selection of languages supported.
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2# IVONA Text-to-Speech
Text-to-Speech doesn’t have to be monotonous and robotic. With options like IVONA, you can enjoy voices that sound more natural and that are easy to understand. You can listen to books and articles being read out loud with accuracy or choose a voice that is more “human” in order to replace the artificial tone of your virtual assistant. IVONA supports different languages including English, Icelandic and Polish. It can be downloaded for free and additional voices are available for purchase.
3# CereProc
CereProc gives you the possibility of choosing the specific voice, language and accent that you want to listen to. The languages available include English, French, Dutch and German and you can choose female or male voices. English speakers can opt for a particular accent. CereProc voices can be used to listen to social media communications, navigation directions, eBooks and more. The voices available offer impressive realism and are very pleasant, just keep in mind that each one of them costs around $1.60 USD.
4# SVOX Classic Text to Speech Engine
If you are looking for real voices and support for a wide variety of languages, consider this Classic TSS Engine solution by SVOX. There are over 25 languages available and their selection of voices includes more than 40 female and male options. You can find Japanese, Russian, Mexican Spanish, Czech, Finnish, Norwegian, US English and more.
While switching between voices can be complicated, most voices are clear and allow you to access navigation directions, call or SMS notifications or to listen to your documents. When you download the app, there is a free trial that includes all voices for 2 weeks. After that, you can purchase specific options for about $2 each.
5# eSpeak
Cainteoir Technologies offers an effective TSS solution that stands out for offering an extensive selection of languages. Unfortunately, the voices sound artificial and monotonous, but the app is lightweight and would be a good option for devices that have a very limited memory capacity. Furthermore, eSpeak is very easy to use, works well and the voices are clear. There are over 79 language and accent options available including German, Swedish, Estonian, Irish, Czech, English, and Finnish.
6# Acapela TSS Voices
Although Acapela is not one of the most affordable options available, the high quality of the voices that it offers, make it worth considering. The app can be downloaded for free, but you will need to purchase at least one voice to use it and these cost between $4.50 and $14. In spite of the prices, Acapela has become one of the options preferred by users thanks to the clarity and accuracy of the voices supported.
That ends our list here and we hope that our readers would like our list of best Text-to-Speech Engines for Android Phones. If you have anything better to share with us, do let us know through the comment section available below. We would love to hear from you and improve our list. We would appreciate if you share your thoughts and feedback on this list. Stay connected with us for more useful lists and tutorials.