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Text-to-Speech

Overview

  1. Introduction
  2. Why use a text reader?
  3. What are the requirements?
  4. How does a text reader work?
  1. What can I read with a text reader?
  2. Can I have paper documents and pages read back to me?
  3. Where can I get a text reader?

Introduction

A 'text-to-speech' program or 'text reader' on your computer or tablet reads text from a document or web page to you using a computer voice.

A text reader can read:

Why use a text reader?

Text-to-speech may help if you:

A text reader can also help you with your writing. You can:

What are the requirements?

You need a computer or other device such as a: 

Windows laptop or PC;

Mac laptop or computer;

iPad or iPhone;

Android tablet or phone.

Your device will need both the text-to-speech software (or an app) and a computer voice. All these devices have text readers and voices already built-in to them. However, you can also download and buy better software and voices from various suppliers.

There are high quality Scottish computer voices available free to schools, pupils, students and public sector organisations in Scotland.

How does a text reader work?

  1. The text reader sends text from the document or web page to the computer voice;
  2. The text is converted to speech by the computer voice;
  3. The audio is read aloud.

What can I read with a text reader?

Can I have paper documents and pages read back to me?

Yes, text recognition software (OCR programs), recognise text from scanned documents or photographs and then you can read back to you on your computer device.

To do this:

  1. Scan a paper document or page from a book with a computer scanner, or take a photo of it.
  2. Convert the image into text using an OCR program on your computer or tablet.
  3. Then, have it read it out aloud using a text reader.

 

For more detailed information and instructions, see our 'scan and OCR' page on the Books for All website.

Where can I get a text reader?

There are many text readers on the market. The free readers such as Ivona MiniReader, NaturalReader, WordTalk or Orato are simple and easy to use, and if you just want to read text, are often all that you need. The commercial packages such as ClaroRead, Read&Write and Penfriend have extra features to support reading and writing. In most cases you can download a demo to try them out.

Windows

ATbar for Windows (free)

Can be run from a USB stick/drive, providing a portable text reader.

Balabolka (free)

Highlights the text as it's read back to you.

ClaroRead

Can read out text from almost any program.

Immersive Reader

A reading support tool built into many Microsoft 365 programs.

Ivona MiniReader (free)

A simple text reader which adds a floating toolbar on the screen.

Microsoft Office Speak (free)

A free text reader tool for Word, Powerpoint, Excel and OneNote.

NaturalReader (free)

Operates in its own program Window or as a floating Miniboard.

MyStudyBar (free)

Suite of portable freeware applications assembled into one package.

Orato (free)

Can be installed on your PC or run from a USB Pen Drive for portable use.

Penfriend

It can read out text from almost any program.

Read&Write

Flexible floating toolbar containing features to make reading and writing easier.

Adobe Read Out Loud (free)

Adobe Reader has a free built-in text-to-speech called Read Out Loud, but it has limitations.

WordQ+SpeakQ

A floating toolbar containing features to make reading and writing easier.

WordTalk (free)

A free 'text-to-speech' plugin for Microsoft Word created by Rod Macaulay.

Mac OSX, iPhone, iPad and Android

Text to Speech in Mac OSX (free)

The built-in Text to Speech is accessed through the Dictation and Speech.

Text to Speech on iPads and iPhones (free)

iPads and iPhones have very useful 'Speak Selection' and 'Speak Screen' facilities.

Text-to-Speech on Android Phones & Tablets (free)

A range of text-to-speech facilities are built-in.

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