36. Apparatus for providing speech output via a speech-enabled application, the apparatus comprising: a memory storing a plurality of processor-executable instructions; and at least one processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the instructions to: generate a text input comprising a text transcription of a desired speech output, the text input comprising a plurality of tokens of a same text normalization type for which a contrastive stress pattern is to be applied, at least one token of the plurality of tokens comprising at least one first portion that differs from at least one corresponding first portion of at least one other token of the plurality of tokens, and at least one second portion that does not differ from at least one corresponding second portion of the at least one other token; input the text input to at least one speech synthesis engine configured to assign contrastive stress to be carried by at least one first portion of an audio speech output corresponding to the at least one first portion of the at least one token, but not to at least one second portion of the audio speech output corresponding to the at least one second portion of the at least one token; receive the audio speech output from the at least one speech synthesis engine; and provide the audio speech output to at least one user of the speech-enabled application.
36. Apparatus for providing speech output via a speech-enabled application, the apparatus comprising: a memory storing a plurality of processor-executable instructions; and at least one processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the instructions to: generate a text input comprising a text transcription of a desired speech output, the text input comprising a plurality of tokens of a same text normalization type for which a contrastive stress pattern is to be applied, at least one token of the plurality of tokens comprising at least one first portion that differs from at least one corresponding first portion of at least one other token of the plurality of tokens, and at least one second portion that does not differ from at least one corresponding second portion of the at least one other token; input the text input to at least one speech synthesis engine configured to assign contrastive stress to be carried by at least one first portion of an audio speech output corresponding to the at least one first portion of the at least one token, but not to at least one second portion of the audio speech output corresponding to the at least one second portion of the at least one token; receive the audio speech output from the at least one speech synthesis engine; and provide the audio speech output to at least one user of the speech-enabled application. 37. The apparatus of claim 36 , wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to generate the text input at least in part by including in the text input at least one indication that a contrastive stress pattern is desired in association with at least one portion of the text input.