AI-generated voices are becoming incredibly realistic, and tools like ElevenLabs are leading the way. But sometimes, when you generate speech from text, the result can feel a little flat. The voice may be natural, but it doesn’t always capture the right emphasis, emotion, or dramatic pauses that make spoken language engaging.
Luckily, there are some simple but powerful techniques you can use to guide ElevenLabs’ text-to-speech (TTS) system to emphasize certain words or phrases. These tricks work across both Version 2 and Version 3 of the ElevenLabs models—with Version 3 offering a unique feature for even finer control.
In this article, we’ll go step by step through:
- Why emphasis matters in AI-generated speech.
- A basic method using capitalization and quotation marks (works in both V2 and V3).
- A more advanced method using audio tags (exclusive to V3).
- Extra ideas, questions answered, and a few words of caution.
So, grab a cup of coffee and let’s dive in.
Why Does Emphasis Matter in AI Voice Generation?
Think of the last audiobook or podcast you enjoyed. Chances are, the speaker didn’t just read words monotonously—they used rhythm, stress, and tone to highlight important parts of the story.
Without emphasis, even a beautifully written sentence can sound lifeless. For example:
- Flat version: “The tiger moved silently through the tall grass. Each step showed the perfect balance of power and grace.”
- Emphasized version: “The tiger moved silently through the tall grass. Each step showed the perfect balance of power and grace.”
That little push of intensity changes everything. It makes the phrase memorable.
AI speech synthesis is powerful, but it often defaults to a neutral tone. That’s where these techniques come in—they help you give subtle instructions to the AI about where to stress words, how to pace sentences, and how to inject emotion.
Step 1: The Capitalization + Quotation Technique
Let’s begin with the simplest method, which works on both Version 2 and Version 3 models of ElevenLabs.
Imagine you want to emphasize the phrase: power and grace.
The standard approach would be to just write the sentence normally:
The tiger moved silently through the tall grass. Each step showed the perfect balance of power and grace, a reminder of why it rules the wild.
If you generate speech with this text, you’ll probably get a flat, evenly-paced read. Nothing special stands out.
The Trick
To add emphasis:
- Put the key phrase in uppercase.
- Add quotation marks around it.
Like this:
The tiger moved silently through the tall grass. Each step showed the perfect balance of “POWER AND GRACE”, a reminder of why it rules the wild.
Why does this work?
Text-to-speech systems are designed to mimic how humans read text. When we see ALL CAPS or quotes, we naturally adjust our voice: caps often imply intensity, while quotes suggest a phrase deserves special attention. ElevenLabs models seem to interpret these cues in a similar way.
When you regenerate the speech with this modification, you’ll hear the AI slightly lift, stretch, or stress the phrase “power and grace.”
This trick is simple, universal, and reliable. You can apply it anywhere—whether you’re narrating a story, recording training material, or even generating dialogue for a game.
Step 2: Going Further with Version 3’s Audio Tags
Now let’s take it up a notch. If you’re using Version 3, you gain access to a hidden gem: audio tags.
This feature lets you embed special instructions inside your text, giving the AI more direct control over how to interpret certain phrases.
How to Use Audio Tags
To emphasize a section, wrap it in a tag like this:
[emphasize] power and grace
The brackets tell the AI: “Hey, treat this phrase differently.”
ElevenLabs supports different types of tags, such as:
[emphasize]– stresses the phrase.[highlight]– makes it stand out with stronger delivery.[press]– adds a forceful, pressing tone.
Example in Context
The tiger moved silently through the tall grass. Each step showed the perfect balance of [emphasize] power and grace, a reminder of why it rules the wild.
When generated, the phrase “power and grace” gets special vocal treatment. Sometimes the AI emphasizes just the phrase, and sometimes the whole sentence sounds richer. Either way, the results are more dynamic than the simple caps-and-quotes method.
Step 3: Combining Both Approaches
Here’s the fun part: you can mix methods.
If [emphasize] doesn’t give you enough intensity, try combining it with uppercase or quotation marks:
[emphasize] “POWER AND GRACE”
This layering tells the model, in multiple ways, that you really want those words to pop.
In practice, you may need to experiment a little. Sometimes tags overshoot and make the whole sentence sound dramatic. Other times, simple caps are enough. The beauty of ElevenLabs is that it’s fast—you can test multiple variations quickly until it sounds right.
Beyond Emphasis: Creative Uses of Tags
Before we move on, let’s talk about the bigger picture. These techniques aren’t just for storytelling. They can improve all kinds of generated audio:
- Training material → Highlight safety warnings or key steps.
- Audiobooks → Make climactic lines hit harder.
- Marketing → Stress product names or slogans.
- Roleplay/dialogue → Differentiate characters by how they emphasize words.
Pro tip: try experimenting with different tags (highlight, press, etc.) to see which one feels most natural for your use case.
Let’s Recap Before Moving On
So far, we’ve covered:
- Why emphasis matters for making AI voices sound human.
- A universal trick: uppercase + quotes.
- A Version 3-only trick: audio tags.
- Creative applications beyond simple narration.
We’re doing a good job so far. Now let’s push further and tackle some common questions and challenges people have when using these techniques.
FAQ: Common Questions About Emphasis in ElevenLabs
Q1: Can I overuse emphasis?
Yes. Just like in human speech, if everything is emphasized, nothing stands out. Use sparingly for maximum impact.
Q2: Do settings (like stability, clarity, or style) affect emphasis?
Not significantly. The emphasis trick works across settings, though adjusting “stability” in ElevenLabs can sometimes make emphasized words sound stronger or more subtle.
Q3: Can I use tags other than [emphasize]?
Yes. Experiment with [highlight], [press], or even stacking tags. Each produces a slightly different flavor of stress.
Q4: Does this work in other languages?
It generally does, but effectiveness may vary depending on the language and training data. English tends to respond the most reliably.
Q5: What if I want a softer, emotional emphasis (not dramatic)?
Try lowercase with quotes, like “power and grace”. This often results in a gentler kind of stress, more like a storyteller’s pause.
Extra Tips for Getting Natural-Sounding Emphasis
Now that we’ve nailed the basics, let’s explore some bonus ideas:
- Punctuation matters.
A well-placed comma or ellipsis (…) can make the AI pause slightly, which naturally emphasizes what comes after. - Break long sentences.
Instead of one long block of text, split it into shorter sentences. AI voices often emphasize the final words of a sentence naturally. - Test multiple generations.
Sometimes the first attempt won’t sound perfect. Generate again—slight variations often emerge on the second or third try. - Think like a scriptwriter.
Write your text as if an actor were reading it. Imagine where they’d lean in, pause, or stress a word. The AI often mirrors that style.
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only. The techniques shared are based on practical experimentation with ElevenLabs. Features, tags, or behaviors may change as the platform evolves. Always test before relying on these methods for professional work.
Conclusion: Bringing Life to AI Voices
Adding emphasis isn’t just a neat trick—it’s the difference between a robotic-sounding narration and something that feels alive, memorable, and emotional.
With just a few tweaks—uppercase letters, quotation marks, or audio tags—you can guide ElevenLabs to deliver speech that captures attention. Whether you’re making audiobooks, marketing clips, training guides, or just experimenting, these techniques give you creative control over tone and delivery.
So next time you’re writing text for AI voice generation, remember: the words matter, but how they’re spoken matters even more.
Tags: ElevenLabs, AI voice generation, text-to-speech, emphasis in speech, audio tags, storytelling with AI, voiceover tips
Hashtags: #AI #VoiceGeneration #TextToSpeech #ElevenLabs #AIVoice #Storytelling
