1. A text-to-speech system comprising: an arrangement for accepting text input; an arrangement for providing synthetic speech output corresponding to the text input; an arrangement for imparting emotion-based features to synthetic speech output; said arrangement for imparting emotion-based features comprising: an arrangement for accepting instruction for imparting at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output, wherein said arrangement for accepting instruction is adapted to accept emoticon-based commands from a user interface; and an arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm to synthetic speech output, said arrangement for applying at least one emotion-based paradigm comprising: an arrangement for altering at least one segment to be used in synthetic speech output, whereby emotion in speech is reflected in how individual words or syllables are stressed; an arrangement for altering at least one prosodic pattern to be used in synthetic speech output, whereby emotion in speech is reflected in prosodic patterns; and an arrangement adapted to selectably apply a single emotion-based paradigm over a single utterance of synthetic speech output and/or to apply a variable emotion-based paradigm over individual segments of an utterance of synthetic speech output.