How to read text aloud
- Type or paste any text into the box: an article, an essay you are proofreading, a story or a set of instructions.
- Choose a voice. The list shows the voices installed on your device and browser, in many languages and accents.
- Adjust the speed and pitch, then press Read aloud. The word being spoken is highlighted so you can follow along.
- Pause, resume or stop at any time. Your text and voice choice are remembered for next time.
Uses for text to speech
Listening to your own writing is one of the best ways to catch mistakes: missing words and clumsy sentences that your eyes skip over stand out when you hear them. Text to speech also helps people with dyslexia, visual impairments or reading fatigue, language learners who want to hear pronunciation, and anyone who prefers to listen to long articles while doing something else. Teachers use it to read instructions aloud to a class.
The quality and choice of voices depend on your device. Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and ChromeOS include natural-sounding voices; Microsoft Edge and Chrome add online voices, marked "online", which send the text to the browser vendor's speech service to be spoken. Choose a voice without "online" if you want the text to stay entirely on your device. This page itself never uploads or stores your text anywhere else.
Browsers do not allow recording synthetic speech to an audio file directly. To save audio, use your operating system's screen or audio recorder while it plays.
Why is the voice list empty?
Some browsers load voices a moment after the page opens, and a few Linux browsers have no voices installed. Reload the page, or try Chrome, Edge or Safari.
How do I get more voices?
Install extra voices or languages in your operating system's speech or accessibility settings; they appear here automatically.
Can it read other languages?
Yes, if a voice for that language is installed. Pick it from the list and paste text in that language.