Text Read Aloud
Hear text read aloud with your device's built-in voices
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About Text Read Aloud
Converts written text into spoken audio using your browser's built-in speech synthesis, useful for proofreading by ear, accessibility, or just having text read aloud to you.
Paste your text, check the voice (it starts with one that matches your language), and click Speak. Pause or stop any time, or click a sentence to start from there.
Hearing your own writing read aloud is a genuinely effective way to catch awkward phrasing that's easy to miss when just reading silently. The voices come from your own device and browser, not from this site; install more language/voice packs in your operating system's settings to get more here. Long text is read sentence by sentence so voices don't cut off. Text in another script (Hindi, Chinese, Arabic...) switches to a matching voice if your device has one. This tool speaks aloud only and can't save an audio file, because browsers don't expose the audio from this speech API. For a downloadable MP3 or WAV, use our Text to Speech tool.
- Can I download the spoken audio as a file?
- No — browsers deliberately don't expose the underlying audio stream from this speech API for privacy and security reasons, so there's no file to capture. This tool reads text aloud in the browser. To get an MP3 or WAV file, use our Text to Speech tool instead.
- Why do I only see one or two voice options?
- The voices and languages available come entirely from your own device and browser, not from this site. Install additional language or voice packs in your operating system's accessibility or language settings to get more options here.
- The Speak button is disabled. What is wrong?
- Either the text box is empty, or the browser has not reported any voices. Voices often load a moment after the page opens, and a browser or system without speech synthesis shows none. Wait briefly, then try another browser or install a system voice.
- Why did a different voice read my Hindi or Chinese passage?
- The tool checks the writing system of each sentence. If it differs from your selected voice's language, it looks for an installed voice for that script and uses it. If your device has none, the selected voice is used and may read it poorly.
- Can I start from the middle of the text?
- Yes, once speech has started and the text has more than one sentence. A panel shows every sentence; click the one you want and speech restarts from it. Speed, pitch and volume settings are applied from that sentence on.
- Why did the speech stop when I edited the text?
- Changing the text while it is being spoken stops playback on purpose, because the sentence list changes under it. Make your edit, then press Speak again to start from the beginning.
How to use Text Read Aloud
Type or paste text into the box. A line under it shows the character count and an estimated listening time. Pick a Voice from the list, which is filled from the voices installed on your device and labelled with a language code; the tool starts on one that matches your browser language, or the voice you chose last time. Adjust Speed (0.5x to 2x), Pitch (0.5 to 2) and Volume (0 to 100%), then press Speak.
While it talks, Pause and Resume hold the voice in place and Stop ends it. When your text has more than one sentence, a reader panel lists the sentences with the current one highlighted; click any of them to continue from that point. Editing the text while it speaks stops playback.
When to use it
Use it to proofread an email or essay by ear, to hear how a speech or script sounds at a steady pace, to listen to a long article you pasted in while your eyes are busy elsewhere, or to check how a particular voice pronounces a name. It also helps readers who find listening easier than scanning a screen.
When not to use it
It cannot save audio. Browsers do not hand over the sound produced by speech synthesis, so there is nothing to download; for a narration file for a video or podcast, use the Text to Speech tool, which makes a downloadable MP3 or WAV. Voices differ from device to device, so it is not suited to final narration that must sound identical for every listener.
Tips for best results
Listen at a slightly slower Speed when proofreading, since awkward rhythm and doubled words stand out. Add punctuation where you want a pause: the text is split at sentence ends, and long sentences are cut at commas, semicolons or spaces. Choose a voice whose language matches your text. If you write in another script such as Hindi or Arabic, the tool tries to switch to a voice for that script when your device has one.
Limitations
The voices, their quality and the languages on offer all come from your operating system and browser, so another device may sound different or have no voice for your language. Audio cannot be exported. Text is spoken in pieces of about 200 characters or fewer, and pausing behaviour depends on the browser. The listening time shown is an estimate, not a measurement.
Privacy
Your text goes to the Web Speech API in your browser, which speaks it through a voice on your device. This page sends the text nowhere, and only your chosen voice is remembered, in local storage. If you select a voice your browser runs online, such as some Chrome voices, the browser may send the text to its provider; pick a locally installed voice to avoid that.
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