2. Speech Speech Configuring the voice and what gets spoken Joanmarie Diggs joanied@gnome.org

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 Speech Preferences
Enable speech

The Enable speech check box controls whether or not Orca will make use of a speech synthesizer. Magnification-only and Braille-only users will likely want to uncheck this checkbox.

Text-To-Speech Options
Speech system

This combo box allows you to select your preferred speech system from those you have installed. Examples include Speech Dispatcher and GNOME Speech.

Speech synthesizer

This combo box allows you to select the speech synthesizer to be used with your chosen Speech system.

Voice settings

This combo box makes it possible for you to use different voices so that you can better distinguish uppercase and linked text from other text, and on-screen text from text added by Orca.

Configuring Multiple Voices

For each voice you wish to configure, first select the voice in the Voice settings combo box. Then configure the person, rate, pitch, and volume to be used for that voice.

Person

This combo box allows you to choose which "person" or "speaker" should be used with the selected voice. For instance, you might wish to have David speak by default, but have hyperlinks spoken by Alice. Note that what you find in the Person combo box will depend on which speech synthesizers you have installed.

Rate, Pitch, and Volume

These three left-right sliders allow you to further customize the sound of the person you have just selected.

Punctuation Level

The Punctuation Level radio button group is used to adjust the amount of punctuation spoken by the synthesizer. The available levels are None, Some, Most, and All.

None

Choosing a punctuation level of None would, as you expect, cause no punctuation to be spoken. Note, however, that special symbols such as subscripted and superscripted numbers, unicode fractions, and bullets are still spoken at this level, even though some might consider these types of symbols punctuation.

Some

Choosing a punctuation level of Some causes all of the previously-mentioned symbols to be spoken. In addition, Orca will speak known mathematical symbols, currency symbols, and "^", "@", "/", "&", "#".

Most

Choosing a punctuation level of Most causes all of the previous-mentioned symbols to be spoken. In addition, Orca will speak all other known punctuation symbols other than "!", "'", ",", ".", "?".

All

Choosing a punctuation level of All, as expected, causes Orca to speak all known punctuation symbols.

Default value: Most

Verbosity

The Verbosity setting determines the amount of information that will be spoken in various situations. For example, if it is set to verbose, and you arrow into a word that is misspelled, Orca will announce that the word is misspelled. When the level is set to brief, this announcement will not be made.

Default value: Verbose

Table Rows

The Table Rows radio button group determines what gets spoken when navigating amongst rows in a table. The available options are speak row and speak cell.

Consider the process of examining the list of messages in your Inbox. In order to have Orca announce the sender, subject, date, and presence of attachments you would need speak row. On the other hand, when navigating amongst rows in a spreadsheet, hearing the full row may not be desired. In that case, speak cell should instead be chosen.

Default value: Speak row

Progress Bar Updates
Enabled

If the Enabled checkbox is checked Orca will periodically present the status of progress bars.

Default value: checked

Frequency (secs)

This spin button determines how often the announcement is made.

Default value: 10

Restrict to

This combo box allows you to control which progress bars should be presented, assuming the presentation of progress bar updates has been enabled. The choices are All, Application, and Window.

Choosing All will result in Orca presenting updates for all progress bars, regardless of where the progress bars are located.

Choosing Application will result in Orca presenting updates from progress bars in the active application, even if they are not in the active window.

Choosing Window will result in Orca only presenting updates for progress bars in the active window.

Default value: Application

Only speak displayed text

Checking this checkbox causes Orca to only speak actual text displayed on screen. This option is intended primarily for low vision users and users with a visual learning disability.

Speak multicase strings as words

In some texts, and especially when working with code, one often comes across a "word" consisting of several words with alternating case, such as "MultiCaseString." Speech synthesizers do not always pronounce such multicase strings correctly. Checking the Speak multicase strings as words checkbox will cause Orca to break a word like "MultiCaseString" into separate words ("Multi," "Case," and "String") prior to passing it along to the speech synthesizer.

Break speech into chunks between pauses

Depending on the enabled speech settings, Orca may have quite a bit to say about a particular object such as its name, its role, its state, its mnemonic, its tutorial message, and so on. Checking the Break speech into chunks between pauses checkbox will cause Orca to insert brief pauses in between each of these pieces of information.

Say All By

The Say All By combo box allows you to specify whether Orca speaks a sentence at a time or a line at a time when doing a "Say All" of a document.

System Information

The following items control the presentation of a variety of supplemental, "system" information about the item with focus. Because the associated text does not appear on screen, this information is presented in Orca's System voice.

Configuration of System Information

The follow items will not be available for configuration if the Only speak displayed text checkbox is checked.

Speak blank lines

If the Speak blank lines checkbox is checked, Orca will say "blank" each time you arrow to a blank line. If it is unchecked, Orca will say nothing when you move to a blank line.

Speak indentation and justification

When working with code or editing other documents it is often desirable to be aware of justification and indentation. Checking the Speak indentation and justification checkbox will cause Orca to announce this information.

Speak object mnemonics

If the Speak object mnemonics checkbox is checked, Orca will announce the mnemonic associated with the object with focus (such as AltO for an OK button).

Speak child position

Checking the Speak child position checkbox will cause Orca to announce the position of the focused item in menus, lists, and trees (e.g. "9 of 16").

Speak tutorial messages

If the Speak tutorial messages checkbox is checked, as you move amongst objects in an interface, Orca will provide additional information, such as how to interact with the currently-focused object.