Voices
SuttaCentral Voice uses different voices depending on user preference and/or context. These voices serve a need but should not be taken as ideal. They simply are the best we can do at this time. Please consult ordained humans for proper guidance on chanting.
Amy (en-GB)
Amy is a female British voice chosen for clarity and neutral emotional affect. Amy is the default voice for recitation. Amy's pronunciation of Pali is approximate, since Amy lacks appropriate phonemes.
Russell (en-AU)
For listeners with high-frequency hearing loss, a male voice may be more intelligible. Russell is a male Australian voice with a speed intermediate between Amy and Raveena. Russell's pronunciation of Pali is approximate, since Russell lacks appropriate phonemes.
Raveena (en-IN)
Raveena is a female Indian voice chosen for speed, clarity and neutral emotional affect. Raveena speaks at a fast rate and is suited for review of familiar material. Raveena's pronunciation of Pali is more accurate than Amy's, but still lacks full phonemes.
Matthew (en-US)
Matthew is a male voice chosen for speed, clarity and neutral emotional affect. Matthew is even faster than Raveena but does not pronounce Pali words as accurately. Voice relies on the standard Matthew style. It does not use the newscaster style, which has excessive emotional affect.
Aditi (hi-IN)
Aditi is a female voice with full Hindi phonemes that are well-matched with Pali. However, Aditi's cadence is conversational and imprecise. In particular, Aditi's vowels aren't the proper length. Pali long vowels should be exactly twice the length of short vowels. This is critical because vowel length allows us to hear the difference between ananda (starting with short "a") and ānanda (starting with long "a"); (ananda means unhappy; ānanda means very happy). Lastly, chanting should be resonant and immersive. Consult a human for proper chanting cadence.
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