diff --git a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
index be604cf0..c3598ac3 100644
--- a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
+++ b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 #ifndef ESPEAK_NG_H
 #define ESPEAK_NG_H
 
+#include <wchar.h>
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
 {
@@ -60,6 +62,9 @@ espeak_ng_InitializeOutput(espeak_ng_OUTPUT_MODE output_mode,
 ESPEAK_NG_API int
 espeak_ng_GetSampleRate(void);
 
+ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
+espeak_ng_SpeakCharacter(wchar_t character);
+
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(const char *dsource,
                             const char *dict_name,
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
index d3933a76..b2bda02a 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "speak_lib.h"
 #include "espeak_ng.h"
 
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #if HAVE_STDINT_H
 #include <stdint.h>
@@ -31,6 +32,17 @@
 #include "synthesize.h"
 #include "translate.h"
 
+static espeak_ERROR status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_STATUS status)
+{
+	switch (status)
+	{
+	case ENS_OK:               return EE_OK;
+	case ENOENT:               return EE_NOT_FOUND;
+	case ENS_FIFO_BUFFER_FULL: return EE_BUFFER_FULL;
+	default:                   return EE_INTERNAL_ERROR;
+	}
+}
+
 #pragma GCC visibility push(default)
 
 ESPEAK_API int espeak_Initialize(espeak_AUDIO_OUTPUT output_type, int buf_length, const char *path, int options)
@@ -68,6 +80,11 @@ ESPEAK_API int espeak_Initialize(espeak_AUDIO_OUTPUT output_type, int buf_length
 	return espeak_ng_GetSampleRate();
 }
 
+ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Char(wchar_t character)
+{
+	return status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_SpeakCharacter(character));
+}
+
 ESPEAK_API void espeak_CompileDictionary(const char *path, FILE *log, int flags)
 {
 	espeak_ng_CompileDictionary(path, dictionary_name, log, flags);
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
index 7ad25c44..8f95492a 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
@@ -756,29 +756,24 @@ ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Key(const char *key)
 	return a_error;
 }
 
-ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Char(wchar_t character)
+ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_SpeakCharacter(wchar_t character)
 {
 	// is there a system resource of character names per language?
 
-	if (f_logespeak)
-		fprintf(f_logespeak, "\nCHAR U+%x\n", character);
-
 #ifdef USE_ASYNC
-	espeak_ERROR a_error;
-
 	if (my_mode & ENOUTPUT_MODE_SYNCHRONOUS) {
 		sync_espeak_Char(character);
-		return EE_OK;
+		return ENS_OK;
 	}
 
 	t_espeak_command *c = create_espeak_char(character, NULL);
-	a_error = status_to_espeak_error(fifo_add_command(c));
-	if (a_error != EE_OK)
+	espeak_ng_STATUS status = fifo_add_command(c);
+	if (status != ENS_OK)
 		delete_espeak_command(c);
-	return a_error;
+	return status;
 #else
 	sync_espeak_Char(character);
-	return EE_OK;
+	return ENS_OK;
 #endif
 }