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How can I generate a half second pause in TwiML?

I'm trying to use Twilio's <Say> verb to pronounce a sequence of digits clearly. I'm finding it is hard to generate a natural (half-second) pause between each digit. How do I do this correctly?

The <Pause> xml command only takes integer values for seconds, so it's too long to use.

Solution

  • From here: Link

    • When saying numbers, '12345' will be spoken as "twelve thousand three hundred forty five." Whereas '1 2 3 4 5' will be spoken as "one two three four five."

    • Punctuation such as commas and periods will be interpreted as natural pauses by the speech engine.

    • If you want to insert a long pause try using the <Pause> verb. <Pause> should be placed outside <Say> tags, not nested inside them.