Abstract: A call answering system or device for a telephone network provides a mechanism for an outbound message (typically a greeting in a call answering scenario) to be identified as semi-interruptible. An attempt to skip over a semi-interruptible message activates a warning message to alert the caller of the special status of the message. The caller may then choose to resume listening to the original message, or confirm their decision to skip it.

Abstract: A method and system for producing speech signals is disclosed. The speech signals are produced by sequentially reproducing a series of stored speech signal segments. The speech signals may be used to generate a voice message. The signals are formed by reproducing signal segments for system announcement messages and beginning, end and word-pair fragments for "key" words. The system announcement messages and "key" words define a dictionary for the system. The signal segments for word pair fragments correspond to the end portion of one word, a transition to another word and a beginning portion of that other word. The transition between sequentially produced "key" words in a voice message generated from a signal produced from word pair fragments is audibly smooth. The resulting speech signal may correspond to any sequences of words from the dictionary. The method and system are suited for telephony applications, such as voice mail or directory assistance applications.