diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index c235b7b2..b0ec3a11 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ src_libespeak_ng_la_SOURCES = \
 	src/ucd-tools/src/proplist.c \
 	src/ucd-tools/src/scripts.c \
 	src/ucd-tools/src/tostring.c \
+	src/libespeak-ng/common.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/compiledict.c \
 	src/libespeak-ng/compilembrola.c \
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ src_libespeak_ng_la_SOURCES = \
 	src/libespeak-ng/wavegen.c
 
 noinst_HEADERS = \
+	src/libespeak-ng/common.h \
 	src/libespeak-ng/compiledict.h \
 	src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.h \
 	src/libespeak-ng/error.h \
diff --git a/android/jni/Android.mk b/android/jni/Android.mk
index 9c9f3dba..c88f52f7 100644
--- a/android/jni/Android.mk
+++ b/android/jni/Android.mk
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ SPEECHPLAYER_SRC_FILES := \
 LOCAL_SRC_FILES += $(SPEECHPLAYER_SRC_FILES)
 
 ESPEAK_SOURCES := \
+  src/libespeak-ng/common.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/compiledict.c \
   src/libespeak-ng/compilembrola.c \
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/common.c b/src/libespeak-ng/common.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d8776d78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/common.c
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 to 2013 by Jonathan Duddington
+ * email: jonsd@users.sourceforge.net
+ * Copyright (C) 2013-2017 Reece H. Dunn
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see: <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <locale.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+
+#include <espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h>
+#include <espeak-ng/speak_lib.h>
+#include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
+
+
+#include "common.h"
+
+#pragma GCC visibility push(default)
+
+int GetFileLength(const char *filename)
+{
+	struct stat statbuf;
+
+	if (stat(filename, &statbuf) != 0)
+		return -errno;
+
+	if (S_ISDIR(statbuf.st_mode))
+		return -EISDIR;
+
+	return statbuf.st_size;
+}
+
+#pragma GCC visibility pop
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/common.h b/src/libespeak-ng/common.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b011dd27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/common.h
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 to 2007 by Jonathan Duddington
+ * email: jonsd@users.sourceforge.net
+ * Copyright (C) 2013-2015 Reece H. Dunn
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program; if not, see: <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#ifndef ESPEAK_NG_COMMON_H
+#define ESPEAK_NG_COMMON_H
+
+#include "espeak-ng/espeak_ng.h"
+
+extern ESPEAK_NG_API int GetFileLength(const char *filename);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif // SPEECH_H
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
index 772f10e1..da1063ca 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/compiledata.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <espeak-ng/speak_lib.h>
 #include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
 
+#include "common.h"                    // for GetFileLength
 #include "dictionary.h"               // for strncpy0
 #include "error.h"                    // for create_file_error_context
 #include "mnemonics.h"               // for LookupMnemName, MNEM_TAB
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
index 858fafbb..2dbcd451 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/dictionary.c
@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@
 #include <espeak-ng/speak_lib.h>
 #include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
 
+#include "common.h"                // for GetFileLength
 #include "dictionary.h"
 #include "numbers.h"                       // for LookupAccentedLetter, Look...
 #include "phoneme.h"                       // for PHONEME_TAB, phVOWEL, phon...
 #include "readclause.h"                    // for WordToString2, is_str_tota...
-#include "speech.h"                        // for GetFileLength, path_home
+#include "speech.h"                        // for path_home
 #include "compiledict.h"                   // for DecodeRule
 #include "synthdata.h"                     // for PhonemeCode, InterpretPhoneme
 #include "synthesize.h"                    // for STRESS_IS_PRIMARY, phoneme...
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c b/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c
index 07b2547d..28db89f8 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/readclause.c
@@ -37,12 +37,13 @@
 #include <ucd/ucd.h>
 
 #include "readclause.h"
+#include "common.h"               // for GetFileLength
 #include "config.h"               // for HAVE_MKSTEMP
 #include "dictionary.h"           // for LookupDictList, DecodePhonemes, Set...
 #include "error.h"                // for create_file_error_context
 #include "phoneme.h"              // for phonSWITCH
 #include "soundicon.h"               // for LookupSoundIcon
-#include "speech.h"               // for GetFileLength, LookupMnem, PATHSEP
+#include "speech.h"               // for LookupMnem, PATHSEP
 #include "ssml.h"                 // for SSML_STACK, ProcessSsmlTag, N_PARAM...
 #include "synthdata.h"            // for SelectPhonemeTable
 #include "translate.h"            // for Translator, utf8_out, CLAUSE_OPTION...
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/soundicon.c b/src/libespeak-ng/soundicon.c
index 8b350045..abab72f7 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/soundicon.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/soundicon.c
@@ -36,9 +36,10 @@
 #include <ucd/ucd.h>
 
 #include "soundicon.h" 
+#include "common.h"                // for GetFileLength
 #include "error.h"                // for create_file_error_context
 #include "readclause.h"               // for Read4Bytes
-#include "speech.h"                   // for path_home, GetFileLength, PATHSEP
+#include "speech.h"                   // for path_home, PATHSEP
 #include "synthesize.h"                   // for samplerate
 
 int n_soundicon_tab = 0;
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
index 4258191f..8534bac0 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
 
 #include "speech.h"
+#include "common.h"               // for GetFileLength
 #include "dictionary.h"           // for GetTranslatedPhonemeString, strncpy0
 #include "espeak_command.h"       // for delete_espeak_command, SetParameter
 #include "event.h"                // for event_declare, event_clear_all, eve...
@@ -302,18 +303,6 @@ ESPEAK_NG_API espeak_ng_STATUS espeak_ng_InitializeOutput(espeak_ng_OUTPUT_MODE
 	return ENS_OK;
 }
 
-int GetFileLength(const char *filename)
-{
-	struct stat statbuf;
-
-	if (stat(filename, &statbuf) != 0)
-		return -errno;
-
-	if (S_ISDIR(statbuf.st_mode))
-		return -EISDIR;
-
-	return statbuf.st_size;
-}
 
 ESPEAK_NG_API void espeak_ng_InitializePath(const char *path)
 {
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.h b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.h
index bf37aa96..01f8ae94 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/speech.h
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/speech.h
@@ -78,8 +78,6 @@ void cancel_audio(void);
 
 extern char path_home[N_PATH_HOME];    // this is the espeak-ng-data directory
 
-extern ESPEAK_NG_API int GetFileLength(const char *filename);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/synth_mbrola.c b/src/libespeak-ng/synth_mbrola.c
index 68e1f5e2..fab55884 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/synth_mbrola.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/synth_mbrola.c
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@
 #include "wavegen.h"
 
 
-#include "speech.h"
+#include "common.h"
 #include "phoneme.h"
 #include "voice.h"
+#include "speech.h"
 #include "synthesize.h"
 #include "translate.h"
 
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c b/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
index 272fec74..a2d7ae10 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/synthdata.c
@@ -32,9 +32,10 @@
 #include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
 
 #include "synthdata.h"
+#include "common.h"                    // for GetFileLength
 #include "error.h"                    // for create_file_error_context, crea...
 #include "phoneme.h"                  // for PHONEME_TAB, PHONEME_TAB_LIST
-#include "speech.h"                   // for path_home, GetFileLength, PATHSEP
+#include "speech.h"                   // for path_home, PATHSEP
 #include "mbrola.h"                   // for mbrola_name
 #include "soundicon.h"               // for soundicon_tab
 #include "synthesize.h"               // for PHONEME_LIST, frameref_t, PHONE...
diff --git a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
index c96e326c..151ad585 100644
--- a/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
+++ b/src/libespeak-ng/voices.c
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@
 #include <espeak-ng/encoding.h>
 
 #include "voice.h"                    // for voice_t, DoVoiceChange, N_PEAKS
+#include "common.h"                    // for GetFileLength
 #include "dictionary.h"               // for strncpy0, LoadDictionary
 #include "mnemonics.h"               // for LookupMnemName, MNEM_TAB
 #include "phoneme.h"                  // for REPLACE_PHONEMES, n_replace_pho...
-#include "speech.h"                   // for GetFileLength, PATHSEP
+#include "speech.h"                   // for PATHSEP
 #include "mbrola.h"                   // for LoadMbrolaTable
 #include "synthdata.h"                // for SelectPhonemeTableName, LookupP...
 #include "synthesize.h"               // for SetSpeed, SPEED_FACTORS, speed
diff --git a/tests/fuzzrunner.c b/tests/fuzzrunner.c
index 41d411dd..288b326c 100644
--- a/tests/fuzzrunner.c
+++ b/tests/fuzzrunner.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "config.h"
-#include "speech.h"
+#include "common.h"
 
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdint.h>