ElevenLabs Prompts & Voice Direction
ElevenLabs quality depends on two things: how you write the script and how you set stability/similarity. These patterns cover both — punctuation is your directing tool.
Narration & Voiceover Scripts
Welcome to [CHANNEL/BRAND]. Today, we're exploring [TOPIC] — and by the end of this video, you'll know exactly how to [OUTCOME]. Let's dive in.Have you ever wondered why [QUESTION]? The answer is more surprising than you'd think... [PAUSE] It all starts with [TOPIC].Chapter [N]. [CHAPTER TITLE]. ... [FIRST PARAGRAPH OF CHAPTER — keep sentences under 20 words for natural pacing.]In this tutorial, we'll cover three things: first, [POINT 1]. Second, [POINT 2]. And finally, [POINT 3]. Let's start with the basics.
Ads & Promos
Tired of [PAIN POINT]? Meet [PRODUCT] — the easiest way to [BENEFIT]. Try it free at [WEBSITE]. [PRODUCT]. [TAGLINE].This week only: [OFFER]. Don't miss it — visit [WEBSITE] today.[PRODUCT] helped over [NUMBER] people [ACHIEVE RESULT]. You could be next. Start free at [WEBSITE].
Character & Emotion Direction
Write dialogue with emotional cues in the text itself: "I can't believe it... we actually did it! We really, truly did it!" — repetition and ellipses create excitement better than settings.For a calm, trustworthy tone: short declarative sentences. Periods, not exclamation marks. "This is how it works. Step by step. No surprises."For suspense: trailing ellipses and em-dashes. "Something was wrong... the door — the one I'd locked — stood open."
Settings That Matter
Stability 40-50% + Similarity 75% = expressive narration (YouTube, stories). Stability 70%+ = consistent corporate/e-learning reads.Long audiobook? Generate chapter by chapter, same seed voice, and keep paragraphs under 800 characters per generation for consistency.Use speaker boost for quiet source voices; turn it off if the voice sounds compressed or artifacts appear.
Tips for Better Results
- Punctuation is direction: ellipses add pauses, dashes add drama, ALL CAPS adds emphasis (sparingly).
- Keep sentences under ~20 words — long clauses cause robotic pacing.
- Generate 2-3 takes; picking the best beats fiddling with settings endlessly.
- Spell out numbers, acronyms, and URLs the way you want them spoken ("eleven labs dot io").
New to ElevenLabs? Start with the step-by-step guide.
◆ HOW TO USE ELEVENLABS