{{unreferenced, date=July 2008
Java Speech API Markup Language (JSML) is an
XML
Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing arbitrary data. It defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. T ...
-based
markup language
Markup language refers to a text-encoding system consisting of a set of symbols inserted in a text document to control its structure, formatting, or the relationship between its parts. Markup is often used to control the display of the document ...
for annotating text input to
speech synthesizer
Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware products. A text-to-speech (TTS) system converts normal languag ...
s. JSML is used within the Java Speech API. JSML is an XML application and conforms to the requirements of well-formed XML documents. Java Speech API Markup Language is referred to as JSpeech Markup Language when describing the W3C documentation of the standard. Java Speech API Markup Language and JSpeech Markup Language identical apart from the change in name, which is made to protect Sun trademarks.
JSML is primarily an XML text format used by Java applications to annotate text input to speech synthesizers. Elements of JSML provide speech synthesizer with detailed information on how to speak text in a naturalized fashion.
JSML defines elements which define a document's structure, the pronunciation of certain words and phrases, features of speech such as emphasis and intonation, etc. JSML is designed in the Java fashion to be simple to learn and use, to be portable across different synthesizers and computing platforms, and although designed for use within is also applicable to a wide range of languages. An example of how JSML is defined is set out below:
This block about JSML is constructed as
a JSML example.
The W3C has developed a standard markup language called SSML, which is based on JSML but is not identical to it. This became a formal
W3C recommendation
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Founded in 1994 and led by Tim Berners-Lee, the consortium is made up of member organizations that maintain full-time staff working t ...