Text to speech

Download all scripts: text_to_speech.zip

Set up a virtual environment

https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/venv.html

# macOS or Unix
# Create a new virtual environment
python3 -m venv venv-COURSE

# Activate the virtual environment
source venv-COURSE/bin/activate

# Install gTTS (Google Text-to-Speech)
pip install gTTS

# Windows
# Create a new virtual environment
py -m venv venv-COURSE

# Activate the virtual environment
venv-COURSE\Scripts\activate.bat

# Install gTTS (Google Text-to-Speech)
pip install gTTS

text_to_speech.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import os.path  # Used to assemble a path to a file
from gtts import gTTS  # Used to convert text to speech (an MP3 file with spoken text)
from subprocess import call  # Used to play an MP3 file

# Choose a string to be converted to an MP3 file
text = 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana'

# Assemble a path to a file
filename = 'gTTS.mp3'  # Choose a file name
directory_of_script = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))  # Get the directory name of this script
path_to_file = os.path.join(directory_of_script, filename)  # Join the directory name and the filename

# Request the MP3 file
print('Requesting an MP3 file for \'{}\'.'.format(text))
tts = gTTS(text = text, lang = 'en')

# Save the MP3 file
print('Saving the MP3 file to \'{}\'.'.format(filename))
tts.save(path_to_file)

# Play the MP3 file
print('Playing the MP3 file.')
call(['afplay', path_to_file])

'''
datetime – A module for basic date and time types
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/datetime.html

gTTS – A Python interface for Google's Text to Speech API
	https://github.com/pndurette/gTTS

os.path — Common pathname manipulations
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/os.path.html

subprocess
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html
'''

the_time_is.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

from datetime import datetime  # Used to get the current time
import os.path  # Used to assemble a path to a file
from gtts import gTTS  # Used to convert text to speech (an MP3 file with spoken text)
from subprocess import call  # Used to play an MP3 file

# Create a string with the current time
now = datetime.now()  # Get current time as datetime object
text = datetime.strftime(now, 'The time is %-H o\'clock %-M minutes and %-S seconds')  # Format the datetime object

# Assemble a path to a file
filename = 'gTTS.mp3'  # Choose a file name
directory_of_script = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))  # Get the directory name of this script
path_to_file = os.path.join(directory_of_script, filename)  # Join the directory name and the filename

# Request the MP3 file
print('Requesting an MP3 file for \'{}\'.'.format(text))
tts = gTTS(text = text, lang = 'en')

# Save the MP3 file
print('Saving the MP3 file to \'{}\'.'.format(filename))
tts.save(path_to_file)

# Play the MP3 file
print('Playing the MP3 file.')
call(['afplay', path_to_file])

'''
datetime – A module for basic date and time types
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/datetime.html

gTTS – A Python interface for Google's Text to Speech API
	https://github.com/pndurette/gTTS

os.path — Common pathname manipulations
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/os.path.html

subprocess
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html
'''

the_time_is_multilingual.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

import argparse  # Used to parse command line arguments
from datetime import datetime  # Used to get the current time
import os.path  # Used to assemble a path to a file
from gtts import gTTS  # Used to convert text to speech (an MP3 file with spoken text)
from subprocess import call  # Used to play an MP3 file

# Setup argument parser
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description = 'Speak the current time using Google Text-to-Speech.')
parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', help = 'Comment what\'s going on', default = False, action='store_true')
parser.add_argument('-l', '--language', help = 'Select the language', default = 'en', choices=['de', 'en'])
args = parser.parse_args()

# Create a string with the current time
now = datetime.now()  # Get current time as datetime object
if args.language == 'en':
	text = datetime.strftime(now, 'The time is %-H o\'clock %-M minutes and %-S seconds')  # Format the datetime object
else:
	text = datetime.strftime(now, 'Es ist %-H Uhr %-M Minuten und %-S Sekunden')  

# Assemble a path to a file
filename = 'gTTS.mp3'  # Choose a file name
directory_of_script = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))  # Get the directory name of this script
path_to_file = os.path.join(directory_of_script, filename)  # Join the directory name and the filename

# Request the MP3 file
if args.verbose: print('Requesting an MP3 file for \'{}\'.'.format(text))
tts = gTTS(text = text, lang = args.language)

# Save the MP3 file
if args.verbose: print('Saving the MP3 file to \'{}\'.'.format(filename))
tts.save(path_to_file)

# Play the MP3 file
if args.verbose: print('Playing the MP3 file.')
call(['afplay', path_to_file])

'''
argparse
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/argparse.html

datetime – A module for basic date and time types
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/datetime.html

gTTS – A Python interface for Google's Text to Speech API
	https://github.com/pndurette/gTTS

os.path — Common pathname manipulations
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/os.path.html

subprocess
	https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html
'''