Break

Nodes and Palette Options > Detailed Palette Option Descriptions > Break

	Break

Type

SSML item

Available from

Any level tab in the Prompt File Editor. For more information about the Prompt File Editor, see Using the Prompt File Editor.

Purpose

Speech synthesis engines that are SSML-compliant use a built-in algorithm to apply breaks, or pauses, in the reading of text. This algorithm is based on the linguistic context. There might be times, however, when you want to override the automatic breaks of the speech synthesis engine. Use the Break item to insert breaks or override automatic breaks in speech synthesis.

Note:

The Break item and its properties function correctly only with SSML-compliant speech synthesis engines. The Microsoft Speech SDK, which is used by Dialog Designer during application simulation, is not an SSML-compliant speech synthesis engine, so any settings you make with this item are ignored. For more information about the SSML standard, see the Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) Version 1.0 W3C Recommendation.

Behavior

The specific behavior of the Break item depends on the properties you use.

In general, the Break item overrides an automatic break as interpreted and applied by the speech synthesis engine. The Break item also inserts a break where the speech synthesis engine might not place one.

For example, if you placed the following text into a TTS prompt segment:

"Here comes a break and now the break is over."

The speech synthesis engine might render this with a very slight pause before the word "and." If you want a longer pause at that point, you can divide the TTS text into two segments:

"Here comes a break"

"and now the break is over."

Then you can place a Break item between them, either to increase the relative length of the pause with the Strength property, or to set an exact length for the pause with the Time property. For more detailed information about these properties, see the following section, "Properties."

Properties

Strength - With the Strength property, you can change the length of an automatic break relative to the default interpretation of the speech synthesis engine. For example, if the speech synthesis engine places a break at a point in the text where you do not want one, you can override it by using a Strength setting of none.

Select one of the following settings:


Strength Setting	Description
none	This setting suppresses any automatic breaks that the speech synthesis engine might apply to the text.
x-weak weak medium strong x-strong	These settings represent a range of break options. The weaker the setting, the shorter the break is at the point where the Break item is inserted. The stronger the setting the longer the break is. The specific application of these settings varies according to the TTS server.

Time - With the Time property, you can specify exactly the amount of time that the break lasts, in milliseconds or seconds. For example, if you set the Time property to 200ms, the system inserts a 200 millisecond (or 0.2 second) pause at that point in the prompt.

Select one of the following settings:


Time Setting	Description
250ms 500ms 750ms 1s 2s 3s 4s 5s	This setting applies a pause of the exact duration selected at the point where it is inserted. ms = milliseconds s = seconds
custom	With this setting, you can define the exact length of time that you want the pause to last. When you select this setting, Dialog Designer automatically adds the Custom Break Time [s or ms] property to the Property view.
Custom Break Time [s or ms]	This setting is available only when the custom setting for Time is selected. With it, you can determine exactly how long a pause you want to insert. The acceptable format for this setting is a number followed, with no space, by: ms = milliseconds s = seconds For example, if you want to insert a pause of exactly one and one-fourth seconds, enter in this field 1250ms. Note: You cannot use decimals in this field. If you want to use a fraction of a second as your time, you must enter it as milliseconds (ms).