Writing a script that TTS reads well

The same voice can sound natural or stilted depending on the script. TTS reads exactly what is written, so phrasing that looks fine on the page often snags on the ear. Following the points below alone makes a visible difference to the result.

1. One idea per sentence

When a sentence runs long, TTS finds nowhere to breathe and reads it flat. Past about 40 characters, split it in two.

2. Commas are breath — spaces are not

TTS pauses briefly at a comma and a little longer at a full stop. Put a comma before a word you want to stress, or where the listener needs a moment to take something in. Too many commas, though, and it sounds chopped up.

Pressing the space bar repeatedly or adding blank lines does nothing. Runs of spaces collapse into one during conversion, and line breaks are simply read through. To create a pause, use punctuation, not whitespace.

2-1. When you need an exact number of seconds

Pauses from punctuation cannot be given a length. If you need exactly two seconds here, use Script mode: set Gap between lines under Script settings and that much silence goes between every line (0–2 seconds).

You do not need several characters for this. Write several lines under the same name and one voice reads them with a pause after each.

It suits anything where the spacing has to be even — language-listening material, phone greetings, meditation and breathing guides.

3. Check how numbers come out

Depending on context, a digit can be read in more than one way. Most of the time it is fine, but for a number that matters, preview it — and if it sounds wrong, write it out in words.

4. Write dates and times as you would say them

Forms like "2026.09.21", "2026. 10. 13." and "9/21" can have the dots and slashes read aloud, or come out wrong. Write them the spoken way instead. Note that in Korean the month names for October and June are 시월 and 유월, not 십월 or 육월 — listen, and if it sounds off, spell it out.

5. Phone numbers one digit at a time

Left as "1588-1234", it may be read as one large number. For an announcement, write it digit by digit — "일오팔팔, 일이삼사" — with a comma between groups, which also makes it easier to write down.

6. Register abbreviations once

For abbreviations that recur — AI, KPI, NH — register them once under Pronunciation fixes on the main screen ("AI → 에이아이") instead of editing every script. The audio uses the corrected pronunciation while the subtitles keep the original spelling.

Left as plain letters, they are often run together into a single mangled word, especially abbreviations containing a slash.

7. Drop brackets, or turn them into sentences

For a listener, a parenthesis breaks the flow. If the information is necessary, make it a sentence.

8. Turn symbols and units into words

Symbols such as ~, /, &, % and → are either skipped or read awkwardly. Make "A/B" into "A or B", "%" into "per cent", "&" into "and". Emoji and decorative characters are best removed entirely.

Numbers with units go wrong especially often. Spell the unit out and put the digits in spoken order.

9. Put question marks and exclamation marks to work

A question mark lifts the end of the sentence; an exclamation mark adds a little force. Narration that opens with a question ("Has this ever happened to you?") is good at catching attention. Scatter exclamation marks everywhere, though, and it sounds overblown.

10. Always listen before you commit

When the script is done, preview the opening before rendering the whole thing. There is always something only the ear catches. Check proper nouns, numbers and any technical term appearing for the first time; where there is a problem, add a pronunciation fix or change the script.

On one line

Before and after

Applying all of the above to real sentences looks like this. Put both versions in and listen — the difference is obvious.

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