diff --git a/TTS/tts/utils/text/phonemizers/espeak_wrapper.py b/TTS/tts/utils/text/phonemizers/espeak_wrapper.py
index 8982a89377..328e52f369 100644
--- a/TTS/tts/utils/text/phonemizers/espeak_wrapper.py
+++ b/TTS/tts/utils/text/phonemizers/espeak_wrapper.py
@@ -185,20 +185,16 @@ def phonemize_espeak(self, text: str, separator: str = "|", tie=False) -> str:
         if tie:
             args.append("--tie=%s" % tie)
 
-        args.append('"' + text + '"')
+        args.append(text)
         # compute phonemes
         phonemes = ""
         for line in _espeak_exe(self._ESPEAK_LIB, args, sync=True):
             logging.debug("line: %s", repr(line))
             ph_decoded = line.decode("utf8").strip()
-            # espeak need to skip first two characters of the retuned text:
-            #   version 1.48.03: "_ p_ɹ_ˈaɪ_ɚ t_ə n_oʊ_v_ˈɛ_m_b_ɚ t_w_ˈɛ_n_t_i t_ˈuː\n"
+            # espeak:
             #   version 1.48.15: " p_ɹ_ˈaɪ_ɚ t_ə n_oʊ_v_ˈɛ_m_b_ɚ t_w_ˈɛ_n_t_i t_ˈuː\n"
-            # espeak-ng need to skip the first character of the retuned text:
-            #   "_p_ɹ_ˈaɪ_ɚ t_ə n_oʊ_v_ˈɛ_m_b_ɚ t_w_ˈɛ_n_t_i t_ˈuː\n"
-
-            # dealing with the conditions descrived above
-            ph_decoded = ph_decoded[:1].replace("_", "") + ph_decoded[1:]
+            # espeak-ng:
+            #   "p_ɹ_ˈaɪ_ɚ t_ə n_oʊ_v_ˈɛ_m_b_ɚ t_w_ˈɛ_n_t_i t_ˈuː\n"
 
             # espeak-ng backend can add language flags that need to be removed:
             #   "sɛʁtˈɛ̃ mˈo kɔm (en)fˈʊtbɔːl(fr) ʒenˈɛʁ de- flˈaɡ də- lˈɑ̃ɡ."