---

name: speak-common-errors description: | Diagnose and fix Speak common errors and exceptions. Use when encountering Speak errors, debugging failed sessions, or troubleshooting language learning integration issues. Trigger with phrases like "speak error", "fix speak", "speak not working", "debug speak", "speak lesson failed". allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Bash(curl:*) version: 1.0.0 license: MIT author: Jeremy Longshore jeremy@intentsolutions.io

Speak Common Errors

Overview

Quick reference for the top 10 most common Speak errors and their solutions.

Prerequisites

• Speak SDK installed
• API credentials configured
• Access to error logs

Instructions

Step 1: Identify the Error

Check error message and code in your logs or console.

Step 2: Find Matching Error Below

Match your error to one of the documented cases.

Step 3: Apply Solution

Follow the solution steps for your specific error.

Error Reference

1. Authentication Failed

Error Message:

SpeakAuthError: Invalid API key or App ID
Code: AUTH_001

Cause: API key is missing, expired, or invalid. App ID mismatch.

Solution:

# Verify API key is set
echo $SPEAK_API_KEY
echo $SPEAK_APP_ID

# Test authentication
curl -X POST https://api.speak.com/v1/health \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${SPEAK_API_KEY}" \
  -H "X-App-ID: ${SPEAK_APP_ID}"

---

2. Rate Limit Exceeded

Error Message:

SpeakRateLimitError: Rate limit exceeded. Retry after 60 seconds.
Code: RATE_001
Headers: X-RateLimit-Reset: 1699876543

Cause: Too many API requests in a short period.

Solution: Implement exponential backoff. See speak-rate-limits skill.

// Quick fix: Add delay between requests
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));

---

3. Audio Processing Failed

Error Message:

SpeakAudioError: Invalid audio format or corrupted audio data
Code: AUDIO_001

Cause: Audio file is in wrong format, too short, or corrupted.

Solution:

// Validate audio before sending
function validateAudio(audioData: ArrayBuffer): boolean {
  // Check minimum length (0.5 seconds at 16kHz = 16000 samples)
  if (audioData.byteLength < 16000) {
    console.error('Audio too short');
    return false;
  }

  // Check format (WAV header magic number)
  const view = new DataView(audioData);
  const magic = String.fromCharCode(
    view.getUint8(0), view.getUint8(1),
    view.getUint8(2), view.getUint8(3)
  );
  if (magic !== 'RIFF') {
    console.error('Invalid audio format (expected WAV)');
    return false;
  }

  return true;
}

Supported formats:

• WAV (PCM, 16-bit, mono, 16kHz) - Recommended
• MP3 (128kbps minimum)
• WebM (Opus codec)

---

4. Session Expired

Error Message:

SpeakSessionError: Session expired or not found
Code: SESSION_001
SessionId: sess_abc123

Cause: Lesson session timed out or was ended.

Solution:

// Check session status before operations
async function safeSessionOperation(
  session: LessonSession,
  operation: () => Promise<any>
) {
  const status = await session.getStatus();

  if (status === 'expired' || status === 'ended') {
    // Start new session
    console.log('Session expired, starting new session...');
    return await startNewSession();
  }

  return await operation();
}

---

5. Language Not Supported

Error Message:

SpeakLanguageError: Language 'xyz' is not supported
Code: LANG_001

Cause: Requested language code is invalid or not available.

Solution:

const SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES = [
  'en', 'es', 'fr', 'de', 'pt-BR',
  'ko', 'ja', 'zh-TW', 'zh-CN', 'id'
];

function validateLanguage(lang: string): boolean {
  if (!SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES.includes(lang)) {
    console.error(`Unsupported language: ${lang}`);
    console.log(`Supported: ${SUPPORTED_LANGUAGES.join(', ')}`);
    return false;
  }
  return true;
}

---

6. Speech Recognition Failed

Error Message:

SpeakRecognitionError: Could not recognize speech
Code: RECOGNITION_001
Confidence: 0.12

Cause: Audio quality too poor, background noise, or unclear speech.

Solution:

// Check recognition confidence
async function recognizeWithRetry(
  client: SpeakClient,
  audioData: ArrayBuffer,
  minConfidence: number = 0.5
): Promise<RecognitionResult> {
  const result = await client.speech.recognize(audioData);

  if (result.confidence < minConfidence) {
    console.log('Low confidence. Please try again with clearer speech.');
    throw new Error('Recognition confidence too low');
  }

  return result;
}

Tips for better recognition:

• Use a high-quality microphone
• Reduce background noise
• Speak clearly and at normal pace
• Maintain consistent distance from mic

---

7. Network Timeout

Error Message:

SpeakNetworkError: Request timeout after 30000ms
Code: NETWORK_001

Cause: Network connectivity or server latency issues.

Solution:

// Increase timeout for large audio files
const client = new SpeakClient({
  apiKey: process.env.SPEAK_API_KEY!,
  appId: process.env.SPEAK_APP_ID!,
  timeout: 60000, // 60 seconds
  retries: 3,
});

---

8. Quota Exceeded

Error Message:

SpeakQuotaError: Monthly API quota exceeded
Code: QUOTA_001
Usage: 100000/100000

Cause: Exceeded monthly API call limit for your plan.

Solution:

// Monitor usage before operations
async function checkQuota(client: SpeakClient): Promise<boolean> {
  const usage = await client.account.getUsage();

  console.log(`Usage: ${usage.current}/${usage.limit}`);
  console.log(`Remaining: ${usage.remaining}`);

  if (usage.remaining < 100) {
    console.warn('Low quota warning!');
  }

  return usage.remaining > 0;
}

---

9. Invalid Response Format

Error Message:

SpeakParseError: Invalid response from AI tutor
Code: PARSE_001

Cause: AI tutor returned unexpected response format.

Solution:

// Validate tutor responses
function validateTutorResponse(response: any): TutorResponse {
  const required = ['text', 'type'];

  for (const field of required) {
    if (!(field in response)) {
      throw new Error(`Missing required field: ${field}`);
    }
  }

  return response as TutorResponse;
}

---

10. Concurrent Session Limit

Error Message:

SpeakLimitError: Maximum concurrent sessions reached
Code: LIMIT_001
MaxSessions: 5
CurrentSessions: 5

Cause: Too many active sessions for your account.

Solution:

// Clean up old sessions before starting new ones
async function ensureSessionSlot(
  client: SpeakClient
): Promise<void> {
  const sessions = await client.sessions.list({ status: 'active' });

  if (sessions.length >= 5) {
    // End oldest session
    const oldest = sessions.sort((a, b) =>
      a.createdAt.getTime() - b.createdAt.getTime()
    )[0];

    await oldest.end();
    console.log(`Ended old session: ${oldest.id}`);
  }
}

Quick Diagnostic Commands

# Check Speak service status
curl -s https://status.speak.com/api/status | jq

# Verify API connectivity
curl -X POST https://api.speak.com/v1/health \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${SPEAK_API_KEY}" \
  -H "X-App-ID: ${SPEAK_APP_ID}"

# Check local configuration
env | grep SPEAK

# List active sessions (if CLI available)
speak sessions list --status active

Escalation Path

1. Collect evidence with speak-debug-bundle
2. Check Speak status page: https://status.speak.com
3. Contact support with request ID from error

Resources

• Speak Status Page
• Speak Support
• Speak Error Codes

Next Steps

For comprehensive debugging, see speak-debug-bundle.