diff --git a/source/speech/commands.py b/source/speech/commands.py
index 48d561f1a4e..bb7ab2fb179 100644
--- a/source/speech/commands.py
+++ b/source/speech/commands.py
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ class EndUtteranceCommand(SpeechCommand):
 	def __repr__(self):
 		return "EndUtteranceCommand()"
 
+
 class BaseProsodyCommand(SynthParamCommand):
 	"""Base class for commands which change voice prosody; i.e. pitch, rate, etc.
 	The change to the setting is specified using either an offset or a multiplier, but not both.
@@ -184,18 +185,20 @@ class BaseProsodyCommand(SynthParamCommand):
 	To return to the default value, specify neither.
 	This base class should not be instantiated directly.
 	"""
-	#: The name of the setting in the configuration; e.g. pitch, rate, etc.
-	settingName = None
 
-	def __init__(self, offset=0, multiplier=1):
+	settingName: Optional[str] = None
+	"""
+	The name of the setting in the configuration; e.g. pitch, rate, etc.
+	Should have an integer value from 0-100 in the config.
+	"""
+
+	def __init__(self, offset: int = 0, multiplier: float = 1):
 		"""Constructor.
 		Either of C{offset} or C{multiplier} may be specified, but not both.
 		@param offset: The amount by which to increase/decrease the user configured setting;
 			e.g. 30 increases by 30, -10 decreases by 10, 0 returns to the configured setting.
-		@type offset: int
 		@param multiplier: The number by which to multiply the user configured setting;
 			e.g. 0.5 is half, 1 returns to the configured setting.
-		@param multiplier: int/float
 		"""
 		if offset != 0 and multiplier != 1:
 			raise ValueError("offset and multiplier both specified")
@@ -204,15 +207,16 @@ def __init__(self, offset=0, multiplier=1):
 		self.isDefault = offset == 0 and multiplier == 1
 
 	@property
-	def defaultValue(self):
+	def defaultValue(self) -> int:
 		"""The default value for the setting as configured by the user.
+		@returns: a settings value from 0-100 such as pitch, volume or rate.
 		"""
 		synth = getSynth()
 		synthConf = config.conf["speech"][synth.name]
 		return synthConf[self.settingName]
 
 	@property
-	def multiplier(self):
+	def multiplier(self) -> float:
 		"""The number by which to multiply the default value.
 		"""
 		if self._multiplier != 1:
@@ -221,13 +225,16 @@ def multiplier(self):
 		if self._offset == 0:
 			# Returning to default.
 			return 1
-		# Calculate multiplier from default value and offset.
 		defaultVal = self.defaultValue
+		if self.defaultValue == 0:
+			# If value is 0, division by 0 error occurs
+			defaultVal = 1
+		# Calculate multiplier from default value and offset.
 		newVal = defaultVal + self._offset
 		return float(newVal) / defaultVal
 
 	@property
-	def offset(self):
+	def offset(self) -> int:
 		"""The amount by which to increase/decrease the default value.
 		"""
 		if self._offset != 0:
@@ -242,7 +249,7 @@ def offset(self):
 		return int(newVal - defaultVal)
 
 	@property
-	def newValue(self):
+	def newValue(self) -> int:
 		"""The new absolute value after the offset or multiplier is applied to the default value.
 		"""
 		if self._offset != 0:
@@ -254,7 +261,7 @@ def newValue(self):
 		# Returning to default.
 		return self.defaultValue
 
-	def __repr__(self):
+	def __repr__(self) -> str:
 		if self._offset != 0:
 			param = "offset=%d" % self._offset
 		elif self._multiplier != 1:
diff --git a/source/synthDrivers/espeak.py b/source/synthDrivers/espeak.py
index eb73a6bcba9..8e01445ce01 100644
--- a/source/synthDrivers/espeak.py
+++ b/source/synthDrivers/espeak.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 from speech.types import SpeechSequence
 from speech.commands import (
+	BaseProsodyCommand,
 	IndexCommand,
 	CharacterModeCommand,
 	LangChangeCommand,
@@ -312,10 +313,40 @@ def _handleLangChangeCommand(
 			voiceChangeXML += "<voice>"
 		return voiceChangeXML
 
-	# C901 'speak' is too complex
-	# Note: when working on speak, look for opportunities to simplify
-	# and move logic out into smaller helper functions.
-	def speak(self, speechSequence: SpeechSequence):  # noqa: C901
+	def _handleProsodyCommands(
+			self,
+			prosody: Dict[str, int],
+			item: BaseProsodyCommand
+	) -> str:
+		textList = []
+		if prosody:
+			# Close previous prosody tag.
+			textList.append("</prosody>")
+
+		attr = self.PROSODY_ATTRS[type(item)]
+
+		if item.multiplier == 1 and item.offset == 0:
+			# Default values, returning to normal.
+			try:
+				del prosody[attr]
+			except KeyError:
+				pass
+		elif item.offset != 0:
+			prosody[attr] = int(item.offset)
+		else:
+			prosody[attr] = int(item.multiplier * 100)
+
+		if not prosody:
+			return ""
+
+		textList.append("<prosody")
+		for attr, val in prosody.items():
+			textList.append(f' {attr}="{val}%"')
+		textList.append(">")
+
+		return "".join(textList)
+
+	def speak(self, speechSequence: SpeechSequence):
 		textList: List[str] = []
 		langChanged = False
 		prosody: Dict[str, int] = {}
@@ -336,24 +367,7 @@ def speak(self, speechSequence: SpeechSequence):  # noqa: C901
 			elif isinstance(item, BreakCommand):
 				textList.append(f'<break time="{item.time}ms" />')
 			elif type(item) in self.PROSODY_ATTRS:
-				if prosody:
-					# Close previous prosody tag.
-					textList.append("</prosody>")
-				attr=self.PROSODY_ATTRS[type(item)]
-				if item.multiplier==1:
-					# Returning to normal.
-					try:
-						del prosody[attr]
-					except KeyError:
-						pass
-				else:
-					prosody[attr]=int(item.multiplier* 100)
-				if not prosody:
-					continue
-				textList.append("<prosody")
-				for attr,val in prosody.items():
-					textList.append(' %s="%d%%"'%(attr,val))
-				textList.append(">")
+				textList.append(self._handleProsodyCommands(prosody, item))
 			elif isinstance(item, PhonemeCommand):
 				# We can't use str.translate because we want to reject unknown characters.
 				try: