diff --git a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
index c3598ac3..6cde0305 100644
--- a/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
+++ b/src/include/espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h
@@ -62,6 +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_SpeakKeyName(const char *key_name);
+
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS
 espeak_ng_SpeakCharacter(wchar_t character);
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
index b2bda02a..72fc0f74 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/espeak_api.c
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ ESPEAK_API int espeak_Initialize(espeak_AUDIO_OUTPUT output_type, int buf_length
 	return espeak_ng_GetSampleRate();
 }
 
+ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Key(const char *key_name)
+{
+	return status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_SpeakKeyName(key_name));
+}
+
 ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Char(wchar_t character)
 {
 	return status_to_espeak_error(espeak_ng_SpeakCharacter(character));
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
index 8f95492a..5e57da87 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
@@ -733,27 +733,25 @@ ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Synth_Mark(const void *text, size_t size,
 	return a_error;
 }
 
-ESPEAK_API espeak_ERROR espeak_Key(const char *key)
+ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_SpeakKeyName(const char *key_name)
 {
 	// symbolic name, symbolicname_character  - is there a system resource of symbolicnames per language
 
-	if (f_logespeak)
-		fprintf(f_logespeak, "\nKEY %s\n", key);
-
-	espeak_ERROR a_error = EE_OK;
-
 	if (my_mode & ENOUTPUT_MODE_SYNCHRONOUS) {
-		sync_espeak_Key(key);
-		return EE_OK;
+		sync_espeak_Key(key_name);
+		return ENS_OK;
 	}
 
 #ifdef USE_ASYNC
-	t_espeak_command *c = create_espeak_key(key, NULL);
-	a_error = status_to_espeak_error(fifo_add_command(c));
-	if (a_error != EE_OK)
+	t_espeak_command *c = create_espeak_key(key_name, NULL);
+	espeak_ng_STATUS status = fifo_add_command(c);
+	if (status != ENS_OK)
 		delete_espeak_command(c);
+	return status;
+#else
+	sync_espeak_Key(key_name);
+	return ENS_OK;
 #endif
-	return a_error;
 }
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_SpeakCharacter(wchar_t character)