# Install speech-tools with Homebrew, apt, dnf, Nix

C++ speech software library from the University of Edinburgh. Version 2.5.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-13. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libestools-dev.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:speech-tools
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install speech-tools
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install speech-tools
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: speech-tools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

- dnf (92%):

```sh
sudo dnf install speech-tools
```

  Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: speech-tools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#speech-tools
```

  Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sp/speech-tools/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:speech-tools
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 2.5.0
- **Source summary:** C++ speech software library from the University of Edinburgh
- **Homepage:** <http://festvox.org/docs/speech_tools-2.4.0/>
- **Repository:** <https://github.com/festvox/speech_tools>
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-13T17:31:47+09:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- align (alias)
- bcat (alias)
- ch_lab (alias)
- ch_track (alias)
- ch_utt (alias)
- ch_wave (alias)
- design_filter (alias)
- dp (alias)
- na_play (alias)
- na_record (alias)
- ngram_build (alias)
- ngram_test (alias)
- ols_test (alias)
- pda (alias)
- pitchmark (alias)
- scfg_make (alias)
- scfg_parse (alias)
- scfg_test (alias)
- scfg_train (alias)
- sig2fv (alias)
- sigfilter (alias)
- siod (alias)
- spectgen (alias)
- tilt_analysis (alias)
- tilt_synthesis (alias)
- viterbi (alias)
- wagon (alias)
- wagon_test (alias)
- wfst_build (alias)
- wfst_run (alias)
- wfst_train (alias)
- xml_parser (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 2.5.0
## Project history and usage

Edinburgh Speech Tools is a long-running C++ speech-processing library and command collection from the University of Edinburgh Centre for Speech Technology Research. In package-manager culture it matters less as an end-user app than as the Unix-style substrate behind Festival-era speech synthesis packages and a grab bag of speech utilities such as waveform, label, n-gram, CART, and signal-processing tools.

### Project history

The official CSTR page describes the library as C++ classes, functions, and programs for manipulating speech-processing objects, including waveforms, parameter files, labels, n-grams, intonation tools, CART training with wagon, and early recognition-oriented classes. The upstream README identifies version 2.5.1 as a July 2020 stable release, credits the University of Edinburgh and principal authors including Alan W Black, Paul Taylor, Richard Caley, Simon King, Rob Clark, and Korin Richmond, and carries copyright dates beginning in 1994.

### Adoption history

The project was designed to support other speech systems rather than stand alone. Festival's own manual says Edinburgh Speech Tools lies at the core of Festival, while the CSTR project page says the tools provide underlying classes for the Festival Speech Synthesis System. That connection explains why Unix package sets tend to carry it as both a library and a cluster of small command-line programs.

### How it is used

Packagers and CLI users encounter Edinburgh Speech Tools through commands such as ch_wave, ch_lab, ch_track, wagon, ngram_build, and sig2fv, or through development packages used to build Festival and related speech software. Its packaging appeal is that it exposes old-school, scriptable speech primitives as normal Unix executables and a linkable static library.

### Why package nerds care

For package nerds, speech-tools is a classic dependency-history package: old academic C++, many installed binaries, a custom permissive license, and practical importance because higher-level TTS software depends on it. It is the kind of formula that keeps historical speech stacks buildable long after the surrounding research ecosystem has moved on.

### Timeline

- 1994: Copyright period for Edinburgh Speech Tools begins, according to the upstream README.
- 2000s: CSTR documents the library as the underlying class and utility layer for Festival.
- 2020: Upstream README identifies Edinburgh Speech Tools 2.5.1 as a July 2020 stable release.

### Related projects

- Festival Speech Synthesis System uses Edinburgh Speech Tools as a core library.
- Festvox hosts current generated documentation for newer speech_tools releases.

### Sources

- <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/festvox/speech_tools/master/README.md>
- <https://www.cstr.ed.ac.uk/projects/festival/manual/festival_3.html>
- <https://www.cstr.ed.ac.uk/projects/speech_tools/>


## Security Notes

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

- **Geiger risk:** blue / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - libestools-dev - 1:2.5.0-13+b4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libestools-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Edinburgh Speech Tools Library - developer's libraries | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- Debian apt - libestools2.5 - 1:2.5.0-13+b4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libestools2.5 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Edinburgh Speech Tools Library | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- Debian apt - speech-tools - 1:2.5.0-13+b4: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: speech-tools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Edinburgh Speech Tools - user binaries | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- Debian apt - speech-tools-doc - 1:2.5.0-13: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: speech-tools-doc from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Documentation for the Edinburgh Speech Tools | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- Nix - speech-tools: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sp/speech-tools/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - libestools-dev - 1:2.5.0-13build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libestools-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Edinburgh Speech Tools Library - developer's libraries | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- Ubuntu apt - libestools2.5 - 1:2.5.0-13build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libestools2.5 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Edinburgh Speech Tools Library | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- Ubuntu apt - speech-tools - 1:2.5.0-13build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: speech-tools from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Edinburgh Speech Tools - user binaries | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- Ubuntu apt - speech-tools-doc - 1:2.5.0-13build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: speech-tools-doc from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Documentation for the Edinburgh Speech Tools | http://festvox.org/packed/festival/
- dnf - speech-tools - 2.5-29.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: speech-tools from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Edinburgh speech tools library | http://festvox.org
- dnf - speech-tools-libs - 2.5-29.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: speech-tools-libs from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Edinburgh speech tools libraries | http://festvox.org
- dnf - speech-tools-libs-devel - 2.5-29.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: speech-tools-libs-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for the speech-tools libraries | http://festvox.org
- dnf - speech-tools-libs-static - 2.5-29.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: speech-tools-libs-static from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Static libraries of speech-tools, so far needed by at least festival | http://festvox.org
- Nix - align: installed executable or alias match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/al/align/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/speech-tools.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/speech-tools.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph