title: Add pause to Alexa without using SSML
body: <p>Is there a way to add a pause (preferably 1 second) in Amazon Alexa <strong>without using SSML?</strong> Perhaps there is a trick I can do with the Outputspeech.Text and I just don't know it.  </p>
  
  <p>Below, I am saying "Here are works of art by {artist name}" but the name and the start of the works of art become mixed together - in spite of the period - so I end up with things like "Here are the works of art by Pablo Picasso Harlequin..."  </p>
  
  <p>I am using C# and my own https endpoint, not AWS Lambda.</p>
  
  <p>Any suggestions? Otherwise I will add it as SSML. Thanks.</p>
  
  <pre><code>        var output = new StringBuilder();
          var outputCard = new StringBuilder();
  
          string m_location;
          string m_current_location;
  
          string m_artist = dt_artist.Rows[0]["DisplayName"].ToString();
  
          output.Append("here are works of art for " + m_artist + ". ");
          outputCard.Append("Here are works of art for " + m_artist + ".\n\n");
  
          foreach (DataRow dr in dt_artist_objs.Rows)
          {
              m_current_location = dr["CurrentLocation"].ToString();
  
              if (m_current_location == " ")
              {
                  m_location = "The location is not available.";
              }
              else
              {
                  m_location = "It is located on the " + m_current_location;
              }
  
              output.Append(dr["Title"].ToString() + " is a " + dr["Classification"].ToString() + ". The medium is " + dr["Medium"].ToString() + ". " + m_location); 
              outputCard.Append(dr["Title"].ToString() + ", " + dr["Dated"].ToString() + " is a " + dr["Classification"].ToString() + ". The medium is " + dr["Medium"].ToString() + ". " + dr["Creditline"].ToString() + ". " + m_location + ".\n");  // It is located on the " + dr["CurrentLocation"].ToString());
  
          }
  
          sql_conn_data.Close();
  
          response.Response.OutputSpeech.Text = output.ToString();
          response.Response.Card.Title = "Art";
          response.Response.Card.Type = "Standard";
          response.Response.Card.Text = outputCard.ToString();
          response.Response.ShouldEndSession = true;
  
          return response;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>UPDATE</strong></p>
  
  <p>OK.  Ended up going the SSML route which looks like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>        var output = new StringBuilder();
          var outputCard = new StringBuilder();
  
          string m_location;
          string m_current_location;
          string m_location_card;
  
          string m_artist = dt_artist.Rows[0]["DisplayName"].ToString();
  
          output.Append("&lt;speak&gt;");
          output.Append("here are works of art for " + m_artist + ". &lt;break time='1s'/&gt; ");
          outputCard.Append("Here are works of art for " + m_artist + ".\n\n");
  
          foreach (DataRow dr in dt_artist_objs.Rows)
          {
              m_current_location = dr["CurrentLocation"].ToString();
  
              if (m_current_location == " ")
              {
                  m_location = "The location is not available. &lt;break time='1s' /&gt;";
                  m_location_card = "The location is not available. ";
              }
              else
              {
                  m_location = "It is located on the " + m_current_location + "&lt;break time = '1s' /&gt;";
                  m_location_card = "It is located on the " + m_current_location;
              }
  
              output.Append(dr["Title"].ToString() + " is a " + dr["Classification"].ToString() + ". The medium is " + dr["Medium"].ToString() + ". " + m_location); 
              outputCard.Append(dr["Title"].ToString() + ", " + dr["Dated"].ToString() + " is a " + dr["Classification"].ToString() + ". The medium is " + dr["Medium"].ToString() + ". " + dr["Creditline"].ToString() + ". " + m_location_card + ". \n"); 
  
          }
  
          output.Append("&lt;/speak&gt;");
  
          sql_conn_data.Close();
  
          response.Response.OutputSpeech.Ssml = output.ToString();
          response.Response.OutputSpeech.Type = "SSML";
          response.Response.Card.Title = "Art";
          response.Response.Card.Type = "Standard";
          response.Response.Card.Text = outputCard.ToString();
          response.Response.ShouldEndSession = true;
  
          return response;
      }
  </code></pre>