frosas.net

Install Festival.

$ sudo apt-get install festival

(this command is for Debian based Linuxes)

Create an easy to use script (at /usr/local/bin/pronounce, for example) to do the pronunciations.

#!/bin/bash

TEXT=`cat /dev/stdin`
SPEED="${1:-2}"
echo "(Parameter.set 'Duration_Stretch $SPEED)(SayText \"$TEXT\")" | festival

Don't forget to chmod +x it!

Use it!

$ echo My tailor is rich | pronounce

It has an optional argument that controls the pronunciation speed (by default is 2). For example,

$ echo "Dearest creature in creation
Studying English pronunciation,
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse." | pronounce 4

will pronounce it four times slower than the normal speed.