SSML (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) is XML-style markup that controls how text is spoken. Use it for fine control over emphasis, pauses, pitch, and pronunciation. Pro and Agency plans.
Enable SSML
- Go to Text to Speech → Content.
- Turn on Allow SSML in post content.
- Save.
Once enabled, any SSML tags inside your post content are passed through to ElevenLabs instead of being read as text.
Basic SSML tags
Pauses
Insert a silence of any length.
<break time="500ms" />
Values: 100ms to 10s. Use for dramatic pauses or natural rhythm.
Emphasis
Make a word or phrase stand out.
<emphasis level="moderate">important word</emphasis>
Levels: none, reduced, moderate, strong.
Spoken form of numbers and dates
Force a specific reading.
<say-as interpret-as="date">2026-04-18</say-as>
<say-as interpret-as="telephone">555-1234</say-as>
<say-as interpret-as="characters">NASA</say-as>
Common interpret-as values: date, time, telephone, characters, cardinal, ordinal.
Phonetic pronunciation
Specify IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) pronunciation.
<phoneme alphabet="ipa" ph="təˈmeɪtoʊ">tomato</phoneme>
Useful for technical terms, foreign words, or brand names that the default pronunciation misses.
SSML in the block editor
Add SSML inside a Custom HTML block. Regular text blocks escape < and >, so SSML tags would be shown as text.
<!-- Custom HTML block -->
Welcome to my article.
<break time="500ms" />
Today we are discussing <emphasis level="strong">text to speech</emphasis> in WordPress.
SSML in shortcodes
Shortcodes accept SSML inside the content:
[mementor-tts]
Here is a <break time="700ms" /> dramatic pause.
[/mementor-tts]
What is not supported
ElevenLabs does not support every SSML feature. These tags are ignored (or cause errors):
<audio>for inline audio files<mark>for event marks<voice>for switching voices mid-sentence<w>with POS attributes
Use word replacement or a different voice instead of these.
When to use SSML vs. simpler alternatives
| Goal | Use |
|---|---|
| Fix one word's pronunciation | Word replacement (easier) |
| Add short pauses | Custom pauses (no SSML needed) |
| Emphasize a phrase | SSML <emphasis> |
| Specific date/number format | SSML <say-as> |
| Phonetic pronunciation | SSML <phoneme> |