Synthesized speech is sound generated by a computer to resemble spoken language. The system may convert written text into audio or produce a voice directly from another input, such as neural signals. It can help someone communicate when their own muscles cannot produce clear speech.
In a brain-computer interface, software may first decode attempted speech into text and then speak that text aloud. Other experimental systems try to map brain activity more directly into sound, reducing delay and potentially preserving features such as rhythm or intonation. Some systems can be trained to sound like a person's earlier recorded voice.
The result may be easier to understand than a simple letter-by-letter interface, but it can introduce mistakes. Speech recognition and neural decoding can select the wrong words, and a natural-sounding voice may conceal uncertainty. The speed of response, clarity and user's ability to correct errors all matter for real conversations.
When reviewing a demonstration, ask whether the audio is produced live or reconstructed later, whether the person can use it independently and how intelligibility was measured. Synthesized speech can restore a means of expression without restoring the physical ability to speak.