eSpeak NG
Don’t want to install eSpeak NG? Drop the file here.
The first 20 minutes of any recording are transcribed free: a recording up to 20 minutes transcribes in full, a longer one is previewed, and a pack from $6 (500 minutes) transcribes the rest and opens every export, and credits never expire.
Compact open-source TTS for 100+ languages — the embedded workhorse.
Best for accessibility / screen readers (Orca, NVDA) and embedded systems where size matters more than quality. Pricing: free (GPL-3.0).
What it is
eSpeak NG is the maintained fork of eSpeak — a tiny formant-synthesis TTS engine supporting 100+ languages. The default backend for NVDA on Windows and Orca on Linux. Sub-megabyte footprint. GPL-3.0. Consent posture: synthetic-only by design.
Watch out for: Formant-synthesis — robotic by design, not natural-sounding.
Install / use
sudo apt install espeak-ngWhat people actually do with eSpeak NG-style transcription
The tool is the means. These are the jobs — each one priced at published rates, each one wired up on its own page.
Features
| Speaker diarization | No |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 100 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Links
eSpeak NG vs Whipscribe
| Feature | eSpeak NG | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | free (GPL-3.0) | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | — | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | — | Yes |
| Streaming | — | No |
| Languages | 100 | 99 |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to eSpeak NG
Frequently asked about eSpeak NG
Is eSpeak NG free?
Yes. eSpeak NG is free and open source (free (GPL-3.0)).
Does eSpeak NG work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
eSpeak NG runs on Linux, macOS and Windows.
How many languages does eSpeak NG support?
eSpeak NG lists 100 languages. That is the Whisper-family multilingual set, so quality varies by language — English and the large European languages are strongest.
Does eSpeak NG identify different speakers?
No. eSpeak NG does not label speakers; a conversation comes back as one continuous text. If you need speaker labels, that is a separate tool or a different service.
Does eSpeak NG give word-level timestamps?
No — eSpeak NG produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can eSpeak NG transcribe live audio?
No — eSpeak NG works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is eSpeak NG HIPAA compliant?
eSpeak NG does not claim HIPAA compliance. For PHI, run it on infrastructure you control or choose a service that will sign a BAA.
What are the limitations of eSpeak NG?
Formant-synthesis — robotic by design, not natural-sounding.
Who is eSpeak NG best for?
Accessibility / screen readers (Orca, NVDA) and embedded systems where size matters more than quality.
Does eSpeak NG run offline?
eSpeak NG runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use eSpeak NG in the browser?
No — eSpeak NG is a Linux, macOS and Windows application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Where is the eSpeak NG source code?
On GitHub at github.com/espeak-ng/espeak-ng. It is maintained by eSpeak NG community.
What kind of tool is eSpeak NG?
In this directory eSpeak NG is filed under tts as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to eSpeak NG?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/espeak-ng-alternatives comparing eSpeak NG with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Can I automate eSpeak NG-style transcription without running it myself?
Yes. If what you want is transcripts rather than the tool itself, Whipscribe does the same job as a hosted API: submit a file or URL, poll a job id, pull the result as txt, json, srt, vtt or docx. $0.012 a minute — about $0.72 an audio hour — bought as credits that never expire. The automation recipes on this site show it wired to Drive folders, Zoom recordings, S3 buckets and no-code platforms.
Whipscribe is a hosted transcription service. If you want transcripts without running infrastructure, paste a URL or drop a file in the form below — you'll have a transcript in seconds.
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