diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/windows/winspeech.py b/src/calibre/utils/windows/winspeech.py
index 05c9353539..cb433b500d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/windows/winspeech.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/windows/winspeech.py
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ from threading import Thread
 
 from calibre.utils.ipc.simple_worker import start_pipe_worker
 
+SSML_SAMPLE = '''
+<speak version="1.0" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/synthesis" xml:lang="en-US">
+    <voice name="en-US-AriaNeural">
+        We are selling <bookmark mark='flower_1'/>roses and <bookmark mark='flower_2'/>daisies.
+    </voice>
+</speak>
+'''
 
 def decode_msg(line: bytes) -> dict:
     parts = line.strip().split(b' ', 2)
@@ -23,7 +30,7 @@ def start_worker():
     return start_pipe_worker('from calibre_extensions.winspeech import run_main_loop; raise SystemExit(run_main_loop())')
 
 
-def develop_speech(text='Lucca brazzi sleeps with the fishes'):
+def develop_speech(text=SSML_SAMPLE):
     p = start_worker()
     print('\x1b[32mSpeaking', text, '\x1b[39m]]'[:-2], flush=True)
     q = Queue()
@@ -40,17 +47,25 @@ def develop_speech(text='Lucca brazzi sleeps with the fishes'):
         p.stdin.flush()
 
     Thread(name='Echo', target=echo_output, args=(p,), daemon=True).start()
+    exit_code = 0
     with closing(p.stdin), closing(p.stdout):
+        text = text.replace('\n', ' ')
+        st = 'ssml' if '<speak' in text else 'text'
         try:
             send('1 echo Synthesizer started')
-            send('2 speak text inline', text)
+            send('1 volume 0.1')
+            send(f'2 speak {st} inline', text)
             while True:
                 m = q.get()
                 if m['payload_type'] == 'media_state_changed' and m['state'] == 'ended':
                     break
-            send('3 echo Synthesizer exiting')
-            send('exit')
-            p.wait(1)
+                if m['payload_type'] == 'error' and m['related_to'] == 2:
+                    exit_code = 1
+                    break
+            send(f'3 echo Synthesizer exiting with exit code: {exit_code}')
+            send(f'4 exit {exit_code}')
+            raise SystemExit(p.wait(1))
         finally:
             if p.poll() is None:
                 p.kill()
+                raise SystemExit(1)