Synthetic speech is generated by production of a digital waveform from a text in phonemes. A linked database is used which comprises an extended text in phonemes and its equivalent in the form of a digital waveform. The two portions of the database are linked by a parameter which establishes equivalent points in both the phoneme text and the digital waveform. The input text (in phonemes) is analyzed to locate a matching portion in the phoneme portion of the database. This matching utilizes exact equivalence of phonemes where this is possible; otherwise relation between phonemes is utilized. The selection process identifies input phonemes in context whereby improved conversions are obtained. Having analyzed the input exit into matching strings in the input form of the database beginning and ending parameters for the sections are established. The output text is produced by abutting sections of the digital waveform and defined by the beginning and ending parameters.