Why Yoruba text to speech needs tone marks
Yoruba is a tonal language. The same letters can mean completely different things depending on the tone. Ọkọ is a husband, ọkọ̀ is a vehicle, and ọ̀kọ̀ is a spear. Without the marks, a voice has to guess, and a wrong guess can turn your car dealership ad into something funny.
So write your script with full tone marks and the dots under ẹ, ọ and ṣ. Kreyta's Yoruba voices follow what you write. If typing marks on your phone is slow, add a Yoruba keyboard, or write the script in English and use Translate my script, then have a Yoruba speaker check and correct it before you voice it.
Four Yoruba voices
Pick the voice that fits the message. Play the sample of each one first.
- A warm Yoruba woman, gentle and welcoming: food, family, health, church
- A deep, authoritative Yoruba man, calm and respected: property, finance, announcements
- A bright, energetic Yoruba woman: fashion, beauty, events, sales
- A lively, energetic Yoruba man: promos, music events, sports
Writing a Yoruba script people enjoy hearing
Start with a greeting that fits the time and the audience. 'Ẹ kú àárọ̀' for a morning radio spot, a respectful 'Ẹ' form when you are speaking to elders and customers. Keep sentences short so the voice has room to breathe. Use the slash mark / for a short pause and // for a long one.
Many Lagos listeners are comfortable with some English mixed in, especially for prices, brand names and phone numbers. That is fine and often sounds more natural than forcing a Yoruba word nobody uses. But for an audience in Ogbomoso or Ilesa, fuller Yoruba lands better. Know who you are talking to.
Brand names and places can trip any voice. Add them to Pronunciations once, for example 'Kreyta = KRAY-tah', and save them to your brand.
Beta means: check before you publish
Yoruba voices on Kreyta are marked Beta. They sound good, and they get better with a correctly marked script, but we ask everyone to have a native speaker listen before an ad goes out. A two minute check protects your brand. The voiceover is priced per started minute of speech, and you see the price before you make it.
How it works
Write or translate the script
Type Yoruba with tone marks, or write English and press Translate my script (free).
Choose Yoruba and a voice
Play the four samples and pick the one that fits.
Add pauses and names
Use / and // for pauses and save how your brand name is said.
Make, check, download
Make the take, have a Yoruba speaker listen, then download or use it in a video.
Questions and answers
Do I have to type the tone marks?
You get the best result with them. Without marks the voice has to guess the tones. A Yoruba keyboard on your phone makes it quick.
Can Kreyta translate my English script into Yoruba?
Yes, free. You see the translation next to your English and can edit it before anything is voiced. Have a native speaker check it.
Can I mix Yoruba and English?
Yes. Many Lagos ads mix both, especially for prices and brand names.
How much does a Yoruba voiceover cost?
The same as any voiceover: priced per started minute of speech, shown before you make it. New accounts get 3 free credits once.
Can I use it in a video?
Yes. Put it under a Kreyta video, add it in Kreyta Editor, or download the audio.