| name | tts |
| description | Convert text to speech using the tts CLI. Use when the user asks to read text aloud, generate audio, speak something, or convert text to speech. |
TTS - Text to Speech Skill
You have access to the tts CLI for text-to-speech with voice cloning, powered by Qwen3-TTS running locally.
How to use
When the user asks you to speak, read aloud, or generate audio from text, use the tts CLI via the Bash tool.
Core commands
Speak text aloud (with streaming playback):
tts say "Text to speak"
Save to a WAV file:
tts say "Text to speak" --save output.wav --no-play
Speak and save simultaneously:
tts say "Text to speak" --save output.wav
Generate audio file (no playback):
tts generate "Text to speak" -o output.wav
Options
| Flag | Description |
|---|
-v, --voice NAME | Use a specific cloned voice |
-l, --language CODE | Language code (default: en, also: zh, ja, ko, etc.) |
-m, --model SIZE | Model: 1.7B (quality) or 0.6B (speed) |
-i, --instruct TEXT | Speaking style instruction (e.g., "Speak slowly and calmly") |
-s, --save PATH | Save audio to WAV file |
--no-play | Don't play audio, only save |
--no-stream | Disable streaming (generate all then play) |
--seed INT | Random seed for reproducibility |
-f, --file PATH | Read text from file instead of argument |
Voice management
tts voice list
tts voice add recording.wav --text "transcript" --voice myvoice
tts voice default myvoice
tts voice info myvoice
Piping text
echo "Hello world" | tts say
Guidelines
- Interpret $ARGUMENTS as the text to speak or as instructions about what to generate. If the user provides plain text, speak it directly. If they provide instructions (e.g., "read the README aloud"), follow them.
- Default to
tts say for quick playback. Use tts generate only when the user explicitly wants a file without playback.
- Always include
--instruct "Speak at a moderate, natural pace" by default for a comfortable listening speed. Adjust the instruct text based on context:
- Short notifications/alerts:
"Speak clearly and at a normal pace"
- Long paragraphs/explanations:
"Speak at a slightly slower, clear pace for easy listening"
- If the user asks for faster/slower speed, adjust accordingly (e.g.,
"Speak quickly", "Speak very slowly")
- Combine speed with tone when appropriate (e.g.,
"Speak slowly and calmly", "Speak quickly with excitement")
- Ask about voice preference only if the user hasn't specified one and has multiple voices available. Otherwise use the default voice.
- For long text from files, use
tts say --file <path> or pipe the content.
- Use
--instruct when the user describes a tone or speaking style (e.g., "read this excitedly", "speak in a calm voice").
- Language detection: If the text is clearly in a non-English language, set
--language appropriately (zh for Chinese, ja for Japanese, ko for Korean, etc.).
- For saving files, default to
.wav format and suggest a descriptive filename based on the content.
- Run tts commands with a timeout of 300000ms (5 minutes) since audio generation can take time for long text.
