Emotion Control

Add natural emotions and expressions to your AI-generated speech

Try it live in the API playground

Drop text with the markers below into the text field and send a real request to hear the emotion.

Overview

Fish Audio models support 64+ emotional expressions and voice styles that can be controlled through text markers in your input. Add natural pauses, laughter, and other human-like elements to make speech more engaging and realistic.

This page shows S2 usage with [bracket] cues. If you use the legacy S1 model, wrap markers in parentheses instead — see S1 (legacy) syntax below for the full list, or the Models Overview.

How It Works

Add emotional or stylistic cues in square brackets within your text:

[happy] What a beautiful day!
[sad] I'm sorry to hear that.
[excited] This is amazing news!

The S2 TTS models will interpret these markers and adjust the voice accordingly.

Complete Emotion Reference

Basic Emotions (24 expressions)

Emotion	Tag	Description	Example Context
Happy	[happy]	Cheerful, upbeat tone	Good news, greetings
Sad	[sad]	Melancholic, downcast	Sympathy, bad news
Angry	[angry]	Frustrated, aggressive	Complaints, warnings
Excited	[excited]	Energetic, enthusiastic	Announcements, celebrations
Calm	[calm]	Peaceful, relaxed	Instructions, meditation
Nervous	[nervous]	Anxious, uncertain	Disclaimers, apologies
Confident	[confident]	Assertive, self-assured	Presentations, sales
Surprised	[surprised]	Shocked, amazed	Reactions, discoveries
Satisfied	[satisfied]	Content, pleased	Confirmations, reviews
Delighted	[delighted]	Very pleased, joyful	Celebrations, compliments
Scared	[scared]	Frightened, fearful	Warnings, horror stories
Worried	[worried]	Concerned, troubled	Concerns, questions
Upset	[upset]	Disturbed, distressed	Complaints, problems
Frustrated	[frustrated]	Annoyed, exasperated	Technical issues, delays
Depressed	[depressed]	Very sad, hopeless	Serious topics
Empathetic	[empathetic]	Understanding, caring	Support, counseling
Embarrassed	[embarrassed]	Ashamed, awkward	Apologies, mistakes
Disgusted	[disgusted]	Repelled, revolted	Negative reviews
Moved	[moved]	Emotionally touched	Heartfelt moments
Proud	[proud]	Accomplished, satisfied	Achievements, praise
Relaxed	[relaxed]	At ease, casual	Casual conversation
Grateful	[grateful]	Thankful, appreciative	Thanks, appreciation
Curious	[curious]	Inquisitive, interested	Questions, exploration
Sarcastic	[sarcastic]	Ironic, mocking	Humor, criticism

Advanced Emotions (25 expressions)

Emotion	Tag	Description	Example Context
Disdainful	[disdainful]	Contemptuous, scornful	Criticism, rejection
Unhappy	[unhappy]	Discontent, dissatisfied	Complaints, feedback
Anxious	[anxious]	Very worried, uneasy	Urgent matters
Hysterical	[hysterical]	Uncontrollably emotional	Extreme reactions
Indifferent	[indifferent]	Uncaring, neutral	Neutral responses
Uncertain	[uncertain]	Doubtful, unsure	Speculation, questions
Doubtful	[doubtful]	Skeptical, questioning	Disbelief, questioning
Confused	[confused]	Puzzled, perplexed	Clarification requests
Disappointed	[disappointed]	Let down, dissatisfied	Unmet expectations
Regretful	[regretful]	Sorry, remorseful	Apologies, mistakes
Guilty	[guilty]	Culpable, responsible	Confessions, apologies
Ashamed	[ashamed]	Deeply embarrassed	Serious mistakes
Jealous	[jealous]	Envious, resentful	Comparisons
Envious	[envious]	Wanting what others have	Admiration with desire
Hopeful	[hopeful]	Optimistic about future	Future plans
Optimistic	[optimistic]	Positive outlook	Encouragement
Pessimistic	[pessimistic]	Negative outlook	Warnings, doubts
Nostalgic	[nostalgic]	Longing for the past	Memories, stories
Lonely	[lonely]	Isolated, alone	Emotional content
Bored	[bored]	Uninterested, weary	Disinterest
Contemptuous	[contemptuous]	Showing contempt	Strong criticism
Sympathetic	[sympathetic]	Showing sympathy	Condolences
Compassionate	[compassionate]	Showing deep care	Support, help
Determined	[determined]	Resolved, decided	Goals, commitments
Resigned	[resigned]	Accepting defeat	Giving up, acceptance

Sound & Delivery Markers

These markers aren’t emotions — they shape how a line is delivered, add natural human sounds, or layer in ambient effects. Combine them with the emotion cues above.

Tone Markers (6 expressions)

Control volume, intensity, and emphasis. Place [emphasis] right before the word or phrase you want to stress:

This is [emphasis] really important.

Tone	Tag	Description	When to Use
Hurried	[in a hurry tone]	Rushed, urgent	Time-sensitive information
Shouting	[shouting]	Loud, calling out	Getting attention
Screaming	[screaming]	Very loud, panicked	Emergencies, fear
Whispering	[whispering]	Very soft, secretive	Secrets, quiet scenes
Soft	[soft tone]	Gentle, quiet	Comfort, lullabies
Emphasis	[emphasis]	Stress a word/phrase	Highlighting key words

Audio Effects (11 expressions)

Add natural human sounds:

Effect	Tag	Description	Suggested Text
Laughing	[laughing]	Full laughter	Ha, ha, ha
Chuckling	[chuckling]	Light laugh	Heh, heh
Sobbing	[sobbing]	Crying heavily	Optional text
Crying Loudly	[crying loudly]	Intense crying	Optional text
Sighing	[sighing]	Exhale of relief/frustration	sigh
Groaning	[groaning]	Sound of frustration	ugh
Panting	[panting]	Out of breath	huff, puff
Gasping	[gasping]	Sharp intake of breath	gasp
Yawning	[yawning]	Tired sound	yawn
Snoring	[snoring]	Sleep sound	zzz
Clear Throat	[clear throat]	Throat-clearing sound	ahem

Special Effects

Additional markers for atmosphere and context:

Effect	Tag	Description
Audience Laughter	[audience laughing]	Crowd laughing sound
Background Laughter	[background laughter]	Ambient laughter
Crowd Laughter	[crowd laughing]	Large group laughing
Short Pause	[break]	Brief pause in speech
Long Pause	[long-break]	Extended pause in speech

You can also use natural expressions like “Ha,ha,ha” for laughter without tags.

Usage Guidelines

Placement Rules

For S2:

• Sentence-level emotion cues usually work best at the beginning of sentences
• Tone controls can go anywhere in the text
• Sound effects can go anywhere in the text
• Bracket cues can use natural language descriptions and are not limited to a fixed set of tags

Correct:

[happy] What a wonderful day!
What a [warm and happy] wonderful day!

Advanced Techniques

Combining Effects

You can layer multiple emotions for complex expressions:

[sad][whispering] I miss you so much.
[angry][shouting] Get out of here now!
[excited][laughing] We won! Ha ha!

Emotion Transitions

Create natural emotional progressions:

[happy] I got the promotion!
[uncertain] But... it means relocating.
[sad] I'll miss everyone here.
[hopeful] Though it's a great opportunity.
[determined] I'm going to make it work!

Background Effects

Add atmospheric sounds:

The comedy show was amazing [audience laughing]
Everyone was having fun [background laughter]
The crowd loved it [crowd laughing]

Intensity Modifiers

Fine-tune emotional intensity with descriptive modifiers:

[slightly sad] I'm a bit disappointed.
[very excited] This is absolutely amazing!
[extremely angry] This is unacceptable!

Language Support

All 13 supported languages can use emotion markers. For sentence-level control, cues usually work best at the sentence start in these languages:

• English, Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Dutch, Italian, Polish, Portuguese

Best Practices

Do’s

• Use one primary emotion per sentence
• Test different emotion combinations
• Match emotions to context logically
• Add appropriate text after sound effects (e.g., “Ha ha” after laughing)
• Use natural expressions when possible
• Space out emotional changes for realism

Don’ts

• Don’t overuse emotion tags in short text
• Don’t mix conflicting emotions
• Don’t make bracket descriptions so long that they interrupt readability
• Don’t forget brackets
• Don’t place sentence-level emotion cues far from the sentence they control

Common Use Cases

Customer Service

[friendly] Hello! How can I help you today?
[empathetic] I understand your frustration.
[confident] I'll resolve this for you right away.
[grateful] Thank you for your patience!

Storytelling

[narrator] Once upon a time...
[mysterious][whispering] The old house stood silent.
[scared] "Is anyone there?" she called out.
[relieved][sighing] No one answered. Phew.

Educational Content

[enthusiastic] Welcome to today's lesson!
[curious] Have you ever wondered why?
[encouraging] That's a great question!
[proud] Excellent work!

Marketing & Sales

[excited] Introducing our newest product!
[confident] You won't find better quality anywhere.
[urgent] Limited time offer!
[satisfied] Join thousands of happy customers!

Troubleshooting

Emotion Not Working?

1. Check placement - Put the cue where the emotion or effect should begin
2. Keep wording clear - Use concise natural language descriptions
3. Use the right syntax - S2 cues use square brackets; S1 cues must use parentheses

Unnatural Sound?

• Space out emotional changes
• Use appropriate intensity
• Test with different voices
• Add context text after sound effects

Performance Notes

• Emotion markers don’t count toward token limits
• No additional latency for emotion processing
• All emotions available on all pricing tiers
• Maximum of 3 combined emotions per sentence recommended

Quick Reference Tables

Emotion Intensity Scale

Base Emotion	Mild	Moderate	Intense
Happy	satisfied	happy	delighted
Sad	disappointed	sad	depressed
Angry	frustrated	angry	furious
Scared	nervous	scared	terrified
Excited	interested	excited	ecstatic

Common Combinations

Scenario	Emotion Combo	Example
Whispered Secret	[mysterious][whispering]	”I have something to tell you…”
Angry Shout	[angry][shouting]	”Stop right there!”
Sad Sigh	[sad][sighing]	”I wish things were different. Sigh.”
Excited Laugh	[excited][laughing]	”We did it! Ha ha!”
Nervous Question	[nervous][uncertain]	”Are you sure about this?”

S1 (legacy) syntax

The default S2-Pro model uses [bracket] cues with free-form natural language. The previous-generation S1 model uses the same emotion names but requires (parentheses) and a fixed tag set:

(happy) What a beautiful day!
(sad)(whispering) I'll miss you so much.

Basic emotions (S1)

Emotion	Tag	Description	Example Context
Happy	(happy)	Cheerful, upbeat tone	Good news, greetings
Sad	(sad)	Melancholic, downcast	Sympathy, bad news
Angry	(angry)	Frustrated, aggressive	Complaints, warnings
Excited	(excited)	Energetic, enthusiastic	Announcements, celebrations
Calm	(calm)	Peaceful, relaxed	Instructions, meditation
Nervous	(nervous)	Anxious, uncertain	Disclaimers, apologies
Confident	(confident)	Assertive, self-assured	Presentations, sales
Surprised	(surprised)	Shocked, amazed	Reactions, discoveries
Satisfied	(satisfied)	Content, pleased	Confirmations, reviews
Delighted	(delighted)	Very pleased, joyful	Celebrations, compliments
Scared	(scared)	Frightened, fearful	Warnings, horror stories
Worried	(worried)	Concerned, troubled	Concerns, questions
Upset	(upset)	Disturbed, distressed	Complaints, problems
Frustrated	(frustrated)	Annoyed, exasperated	Technical issues, delays
Depressed	(depressed)	Very sad, hopeless	Serious topics
Empathetic	(empathetic)	Understanding, caring	Support, counseling
Embarrassed	(embarrassed)	Ashamed, awkward	Apologies, mistakes
Disgusted	(disgusted)	Repelled, revolted	Negative reviews
Moved	(moved)	Emotionally touched	Heartfelt moments
Proud	(proud)	Accomplished, satisfied	Achievements, praise
Relaxed	(relaxed)	At ease, casual	Casual conversation
Grateful	(grateful)	Thankful, appreciative	Thanks, appreciation
Curious	(curious)	Inquisitive, interested	Questions, exploration
Sarcastic	(sarcastic)	Ironic, mocking	Humor, criticism

Advanced emotions (S1)

Emotion	Tag	Description	Example Context
Disdainful	(disdainful)	Contemptuous, scornful	Criticism, rejection
Unhappy	(unhappy)	Discontent, dissatisfied	Complaints, feedback
Anxious	(anxious)	Very worried, uneasy	Urgent matters
Hysterical	(hysterical)	Uncontrollably emotional	Extreme reactions
Indifferent	(indifferent)	Uncaring, neutral	Neutral responses
Uncertain	(uncertain)	Doubtful, unsure	Speculation, questions
Doubtful	(doubtful)	Skeptical, questioning	Disbelief, questioning
Confused	(confused)	Puzzled, perplexed	Clarification requests
Disappointed	(disappointed)	Let down, dissatisfied	Unmet expectations
Regretful	(regretful)	Sorry, remorseful	Apologies, mistakes
Guilty	(guilty)	Culpable, responsible	Confessions, apologies
Ashamed	(ashamed)	Deeply embarrassed	Serious mistakes
Jealous	(jealous)	Envious, resentful	Comparisons
Envious	(envious)	Wanting what others have	Admiration with desire
Hopeful	(hopeful)	Optimistic about future	Future plans
Optimistic	(optimistic)	Positive outlook	Encouragement
Pessimistic	(pessimistic)	Negative outlook	Warnings, doubts
Nostalgic	(nostalgic)	Longing for the past	Memories, stories
Lonely	(lonely)	Isolated, alone	Emotional content
Bored	(bored)	Uninterested, weary	Disinterest
Contemptuous	(contemptuous)	Showing contempt	Strong criticism
Sympathetic	(sympathetic)	Showing sympathy	Condolences
Compassionate	(compassionate)	Showing deep care	Support, help
Determined	(determined)	Resolved, decided	Goals, commitments
Resigned	(resigned)	Accepting defeat	Giving up, acceptance

Tone markers (S1)

Tone	Tag	Description	When to Use
Hurried	(in a hurry tone)	Rushed, urgent	Time-sensitive information
Shouting	(shouting)	Loud, calling out	Getting attention
Screaming	(screaming)	Very loud, panicked	Emergencies, fear
Whispering	(whispering)	Very soft, secretive	Secrets, quiet scenes
Soft	(soft tone)	Gentle, quiet	Comfort, lullabies

Audio effects (S1)

Effect	Tag	Description	Suggested Text
Laughing	(laughing)	Full laughter	Ha, ha, ha
Chuckling	(chuckling)	Light laugh	Heh, heh
Sobbing	(sobbing)	Crying heavily	(optional)
Crying Loudly	(crying loudly)	Intense crying	(optional)
Sighing	(sighing)	Exhale of relief/frustration	sigh
Groaning	(groaning)	Sound of frustration	ugh
Panting	(panting)	Out of breath	huff, puff
Gasping	(gasping)	Sharp intake of breath	gasp
Yawning	(yawning)	Tired sound	yawn
Snoring	(snoring)	Sleep sound	zzz

Special effects (S1)

Effect	Tag	Description
Audience Laughter	(audience laughing)	Crowd laughing sound
Background Laughter	(background laughter)	Ambient laughter
Crowd Laughter	(crowd laughing)	Large group laughing
Short Pause	(break)	Brief pause in speech
Long Pause	(long-break)	Extended pause in speech

See Also

• API Reference - Implementation details
• Text-to-Speech Guide and Best Practices