Using System.Speech With .NET 7

In this article, I'll demonstrate how to use System.Speech.NET, a valuable tool for developing speech applications. It is available for .NET 4.x, .NET 5, 6, and 7.

It supports speech recognition and text-to-speech and provides a unified API.

With System.Speech.NET, you can easily create applications that understand and respond to natural language input.

We will focus here on the Speak method.

How do I do?

1) Create a folder and run dotnet command to create a new project,

2) Open Manage NuGet Packages... on the context menu in "Dependencies" on Solution Explorer,

3) Browse for System.Speech and add it to the project,

4) Create an extension class,

using System.Speech.Synthesis;
namespace System;
public static class SystemSpeechExtension {
    const int PDefaultRate = 3;
    const int PErrorRate = 4;
    public static void Speak(this string text2speak) {
        text2speak.Speak(PDefaultRate);
    }
    public static void Speak(this string text2speak, int rate) {
        var voice = new SpeechSynthesizer();
        voice.SetOutputToDefaultAudioDevice();
        voice.Rate = rate;
        voice.Speak(text2speak);
    }
    public static void SpeakError(this string text2speak) {
        #if(DEBUG)
        $ "Error {text2speak} while debugging!".Speak(PErrorRate);
        #endif
    }
}

How to use this extension

Add controls to your Form.

Add events

namespace WinFormsApp1;
public partial class Form1: Form {
    public Form1() {
        InitializeComponent();
    }
    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) => this.textBox1.Text.Speak();
    private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) => this.textBox1.Text.Speak(1);
    private void button3_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
        "Please, pay attention. Nothing is selected! Please, select an element.".Speak();
        try {
            var n = 0;
            var i = 0;
            var error = n / i;
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            ex.Message.SpeakError();
        }
    }
}

About the extension

Speak directly from the string like:

"Please, pay attention. Nothing is selected! Please, select an element.".Speak();     

Or from Text property,

this.textBox1.Text.Speak();

Bonus

While debugging, send speak from Message string error using SpeakError extension.

try {
    var n = 0;
    var i = 0;
    var error = n / i;
} catch (Exception ex) {
    ex.Message.SpeakError();
}

Extension methods are handy for working from value to action.

I hope this article helps you to make a better world.