Text to Speech API in Kotlin

Creating an Android application with text-to-speech (TTS) functionality can be a fascinating project, especially for beginners. In this tutorial, I'll guide you through integrating a TTS API in an Android app using Kotlin. We'll cover the essentials, from setting up your project in Android Studio to implementing TTS features.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, ensure you have the following installed:

• Android Studio: The primary IDE for Android development.
• Kotlin: The preferred language for modern Android apps.
• Java: Necessary for certain Android functionalities.
• Android SDK: Essential for building and testing your app.

Creating a New Project

1. Open Android Studio and create a new project.
2. Choose an Empty Activity template.
3. Name your project TTSApp, select Kotlin as the language, and finish the setup.

Setting Up the Layout

In your activity_main.xml file, define the UI components:

xml





    

    

    

Adding Text-to-Speech Functionality

First, add the necessary imports in your MainActivity.kt file:

kotlin

import android.os.Bundle

import android.speech.tts.TextToSpeech

import android.widget.Button

import android.widget.EditText

import android.widget.TextView

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity

import java.util.Locale

Next, implement the TextToSpeech.OnInitListener interface and initialize the TTS engine:

kotlin

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity(), TextToSpeech.OnInitListener {

    private lateinit var tts: TextToSpeech

    private lateinit var editText: EditText

    private lateinit var btnSpeak: Button

    private lateinit var textView: TextView

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {

        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

        editText = findViewById(R.id.editText)

        btnSpeak = findViewById(R.id.btnSpeak)

        textView = findViewById(R.id.textView)

        tts = TextToSpeech(this, this)

        btnSpeak.setOnClickListener {

            speakOut()

        }

    }

    override fun onInit(status: Int) {

        if (status == TextToSpeech.SUCCESS) {

            val result = tts.setLanguage(Locale.US)

            if (result == TextToSpeech.LANG_MISSING_DATA || result == TextToSpeech.LANG_NOT_SUPPORTED) {

                textView.text = "Language not supported"

            } else {

                btnSpeak.isEnabled = true

            }

        } else {

            textView.text = "Initialization failed"

        }

    }

    private fun speakOut() {

        val text = editText.text.toString()

        tts.speak(text, TextToSpeech.QUEUE_FLUSH, null, "")

    }

    override fun onDestroy() {

        if (tts != null) {

            tts.stop()

            tts.shutdown()

        }

        super.onDestroy()

    }

}

Customizing TTS

You can adjust the speech rate and pitch to make the TTS sound more natural:

kotlin

tts.setSpeechRate(1.0f)  // Normal speed

tts.setPitch(1.0f)  // Normal pitch

Handling Edge Cases

Ensure you handle scenarios where TTS might not be available or supported:

kotlin

override fun onInit(status: Int) {

    if (status == TextToSpeech.SUCCESS) {

        val result = tts.setLanguage(Locale.US)

        if (result == TextToSpeech.LANG_MISSING_DATA || result == TextToSpeech.LANG_NOT_SUPPORTED) {

            textView.text = "Language not supported"

        } else {

            btnSpeak.isEnabled = true

        }

    } else {

        textView.text = "Initialization failed"

    }

}

Additional Features

Notifications

You can use TTS to read out notifications, enhancing accessibility. Implement a notification listener to achieve this.

Widgets

Create a widget that triggers TTS when clicked. Use setOnClickListener to handle click events and findViewById to link UI elements.

Integration with Other APIs

Integrate with Speech Recognition APIs to convert speech to text and then read it out using TTS. You can also use libraries like Retrofit for network calls or Firebase for cloud functionalities.

Advanced Topics

• Jetpack Compose: For a modern UI toolkit, consider migrating to Jetpack Compose.
• Text-to-Speech in Flutter: If you prefer cross-platform development, Flutter offers TTS plugins.
• Python for Backend: Use Python for backend services that can send text to your Android app for TTS.
• JavaScript Integration: Use JavaScript for web-based TTS applications.
• GitHub Repositories: Explore GitHub for sample projects and libraries.

In this tutorial, we explored the basics of integrating a Text-to-Speech API in an Android application using Kotlin. We covered setting up the project, adding TTS functionality, and handling edge cases. TTS is a powerful tool for creating more accessible and interactive Android apps. Happy coding!

Feel free to share your thoughts or questions in the comments. If you run into any issues, I'll be glad to help out.

Speechify Text to Speech API

The Speechify Text to Speech API is a powerful tool designed to convert written text into spoken words, enhancing accessibility and user experience across various applications. It leverages advanced speech synthesis technology to deliver natural-sounding voices in multiple languages, making it an ideal solution for developers looking to implement audio reading features in apps, websites, and e-learning platforms.

With its easy-to-use API, Speechify enables seamless integration and customization, allowing for a wide range of applications from reading aids for the visually impaired to interactive voice response systems.

How to implement text-to-speech in Android Kotlin?

To implement text-to-speech in Android Kotlin, initialize the TextToSpeech engine in your MainActivity and use the speak method to synthesize speech from text.

What is text-to-speech API?

The text-to-speech API in Android allows your app to convert text to spoken words using the device's text-to-speech engine.

How to add text-to-speech in Android app?

Add text-to-speech in your Android app by integrating the TextToSpeech engine in Kotlin, handling initialization with TextToSpeech.OnInitListener, and using speak for playback.

What languages are TTS in Android?

The TTS engine in Android supports multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Chinese, with the availability depending on the installed language packs.