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10 best text-to-speech apps for your Windows 10/11 device

updated on October 4, 2023

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• The best text-to-speech software can help you if you have trouble reading or if you have learning difficulties.
• One of the most used programs below will make your PC make natural speech breaks.
• Another excellent tool has a great voice portfolio that contains 23 languages.
• You can also choose a program that translates spoken text into seven languages.

There are many people interested in taking eLearning courses, to help them develop speech and literacy skills which will increase their chances to get a well-paid job. It’s very hard to overcome learning difficulties on your own, because you don’t know where to start, so you need guidance and direction to convert words into speech. Luckily, there are some text to speech software for eLearning you can use to improve and expand your vocabulary.

Why hiring an expensive narration professional to train you to communicate effectively with all levels of people, when you can use eLearning text and narration software to get the same results? The advantage of taking an eLearning course is that you will no longer feel inferior and defied, plus you’ll hear a warmer human voice over that will give you comfort.

It’s important to choose the right Text To Speech software , because if you’re dealing with learning disabilities and you have problems when reading, you’ll need to look for the best eLearning course guide. Today, we will talk about the most popular text to speech software that you can use at home, in your room, when no one’s around.

What are the best text-to-speech apps for Windows 10?

Dragon speech recognition software.

Dragon speech recognition software was created by Nuance, and it is capable of accurately translating your voice into text without having to use your keyboard at all.

The tool is perfect for those who want to do stuff quickly, on the go. With over two decades of continuous development and thanks to the advanced AI, Dragon delivers over-the-top speech recognition.

When we talk about advanced AI, we mean really advanced, like Machine Learning. The software will adapt to your words and learn how to better distinguish between them.

This results in a crisp and clear translation, which in turn means that you will speak fluently, casually, and effortlessly.

Let’s have a look at Dragon’s main features :

• Up to 99% speech recognition out of the box
• Create, edit, and format documents with your voice
• Use voice commands to navigate the Web or create Emails
• Deep learning engine continuously adjusts to your voice
• Dictate text and listen back to it
• Touchscreen device optimization

PistonSoft Text-to-Speech Converter

PistonSoft Text-to-Speech Converter is one of the simplest of the market. However, it is equipped with a bunch of useful features. You can covert your favorite books, your courses or other literature. It also ‘teaches’ your computer how to make natural speaking pauses so you won’t be disturbed by the never-ending word flow.

• Download PistonSoft Text-to-Speech Converter trial version

This multi-lingual speech synthesis system was released 11 years ago and it offers a full text to speech system with various APIs. Its voice portfolio contains 23 languages, with 3 voices and when it comes to compatibility, Ivona supports Windows, Unix, Android, Tizen, iOS based systems. Users are also able to upload to cloud whatever they record.

NaturalReader

The free version for Windows includes the following features: text to speech; free conversion of PDF, Docx, Richtext & ePub documents into spoken words; Listen to Webpages; Change speaker and speed; Floating Bar; In-software Help and OCR Function (30 images). If you’ll opt for the Personal version ($69.5), Professional version ($129.5) or Ultimate ($199.5), you’ll get extra options such as Pronunciation Editor; Typing echo; Word Prediction; Spelling Check etc.

Zabaware Text To Speech Reader

Its free version provides generic voices, while the paid option offers high quality CereProc and AT&T Natural Voices. After converting text into wav audio files, you can transfer them to portable devices.

You can use its API to create high quality speech audio in the following formats: mp3, wav, wma, mp4 and flac, while the iSpeech Translator feature will translate the speaking text in seven languages, but it also translates text in 18 languages.

Acapela Group Virtual Speaker

It supports 30 languages, it offers voices in different sampling frequencies and qualities and the sound files are very easy to access, no matter what authoring tool you are using.

TextSpeechPro

It will read Microsoft Word, PDF, emails and other types of documents, using AT&T Natural Voices. Also, if you don’t understand what’s written on a web page, TextSpeechPro will read its text straight from the interface. You’ll have the option to adjust the speed, volume and voice quality.

TextAloud 3

Its creator is NextUp and this Text to Speech Tool will allow you to create messages for your answering machine, listen to information while you work on something else, listen to an eBook during your commute, create audio files for computer games etc. It supports 29 languages and offers AT&T Natural Voices.

Read The Words

The free version includes three languages, several voice characters and it allows you to create audio files with a length of up to 30 seconds, while the gold upgrade offers unlimited podcasting and the possibility to create unlimited audio files up to 8 hours in length.

Voice Reader

It was created by Linguatec and it can be used to convert text (PDF, Doc, Docx, HTML, RTF) to voice in different languages. The software offers even individual pronunciation adjustments.

If you’re an educator, there are 14 free text to speech tools that you can use to relax your students’ tired eyes: Announcify, Balabolka, DSpeech, NaturalReaders, PediaPhon, PowerTalk, QR voice, Select and Speak, SpeakIt!, SpokenText, Text2Speech, Voki, VozMe and WordTalk. We hope that you find these recommendations perfect for your needs.

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.

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5 Best Free Text to Speech Software for Windows 10 and 11

Are you still looking for a free Text to Speech software for your Windows 10 or 11 computer to read aloud your documents or convert them to audio files to listen to them anywhere anytime? Now you're in the right place. Here we've tested and collected the 5 best Text to Speech software. All these text to speech software are completely free and can be downloaded to Windows PC. Let's go through this list and see which ones you like the most.

1. Natural Reader

NaturalReader is a downloadable text-to-speech desktop software for personal use. This easy-to-use software with natural-sounding voices can read to you any text such as Microsoft Word files, webpages, PDF files, ePub ebooks. It offers a free version, and 3 paid versions which can export the texts into MP3 audios. Personally speaking, if you just need to use the basic function of text to speech, there is no need for payment of the paid version. And a piece of better news is that it even offers an online text to speech reader .

Price: free (the Personal edition costs $99.50).

Operation system: Windows 7/8/10, and Mac OS X 10.11 or later.

• Unlimited use with Free Voices.
• Miniboard to read text in other applications.
• Pronunciation Editor.
• Works with PDF, Docx, TXT and ePub.
• Beautiful design.

2. Microsoft Word

Several programs in Microsoft Office 2013 have built-in text-to-speech functionality designed to read the contents of your documents aloud. This feature is called Speak. Microsoft Word makes listening so easy by using the text-to-speech (TTS) ability of your device to play back written text as spoken words. There are mainly two tools for listening to your documents on MS office Word:

Read Aloud reads all or part of your document. It's under the Review tab. It's only available for Office 2019, Office 2021, and Microsoft 365.

Speak reads only the text you've selected. It's a built-in feature of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNoteSpeak, but available for Windows only. You can add the Speak command to your Quick Access Toolbar.

Price: free

Operating system: Windows, Mac.

• The Speak and Read Aloud are both built-in features.
• No need to install any third-party text to speech software.
• So easy and convenient to use the TTS feature.
• Choose among all the voices on your computer to read the text to you.

3. Balabolka

Balabolka is a totally free Text-To-Speech (TTS) program. It can save narrations as audio files in a range of formats including MP3 and WAV. For lengthy documents, you can create bookmarks to make it easy to jump back to a specific location. And you can customize the narrator by choosing among all computer voices installed on your computer. Besides, you can also split the text and convert it to multiple audio files.

Price: free.

Operating system: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11.

• Totally free.
• Split and convert text into audios.
• All computer voices installed on your system are available to create an audio file.
• Convert files in batch.
• Save audio as wav, mp3, ogg, wma, mp4, m4a, m4b, opus, awb file.
• No internet connection is needed.

4. Panopreter Basic

Panopreter Basic is a text to speech and text to mp3 freeware program with the following features. It can not only read the text in the software, but also allow you to convert the text to mp3 audio files.

Ratings: Features:

• Read text aloud with natural sounding voices, convert the text to wav and mp3 audio files.
• Highlight the word or sentence being read.
• Support a wide variety of languages and voices.
• Support batch file conversion.
• Allow users to adjust voice speed and volume.

5. Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader

The Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader is an application that uses a speech synthesizer to read documents out loud. It is available for free with generic voices or sold with high-quality CereProc or AT&T Natural Voices at the lowest prices in the industry..

Price: free (offers in-app purchases).

Operating system: Windows 10.

• Read documents, emails, web pages, clipboard contents and Windows dialog boxes out loud in one of many high-quality voices.
• Quickly devour large amounts of reading material through speed reading. Simply set the speech speed high and read along as the program flashes on the screen the word it speaking.
• Text can be saved as an audio file for transfer to an audio CD or iPod/MP3 player.
• With the clipboard reading functionality you can highlight any text in any program with your mouse and then hit CTRL-C to read it out loud.

If you've tried using the above text to speech software to read aloud your DRM-protected ebooks such as Kindle, Kobo, Google Play, or Nook ebooks, you will probably fail to do that. What's the reason? Actually, all the above text to speech software doesn't support DRM-protected books. To read aloud those ebooks with TTS software, you must remove the DRM from your ebooks. Epubor Ultimate is the software that can help you.

Detailed Guide How to Remove DRM from Kindle/Kobo/Google Play/Nook Books.

Suggested Reading

• Best 8 Text to Speech Apps for Android
• Best 10 Text to Speech Apps for iPhone
• How to Listen to Kindle Books, Turn Kindle Book into Audiobook
• Top 3 eReaders with Text to Speech Feature

Michelle loves technology & reading very much. She seeks the methods to enjoy eBooks and audiobooks more freely and wants to share everything new she has got with you.

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How to Use Windows Text to Speech Feature

Press Win+Ctrl+Enter to read text aloud with Narrator

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In This Article

Jump to a Section

• What Is Narrator?
• How to Enable Narrator
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Frequently Asked Questions

What to Know

• Press Win + Ctrl + Enter to start and stop Narrator from the keyboard.
• Or, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator . Toggle on/off Turn on Narrator .
• Use keyboard shortcuts to navigate and read the screen.

This article explains how to use the Windows 10 text-to-speech feature.

Is There a Text-to-Speech Option in Windows 10?

The Windows 10 text-to-speech option is called Narrator . It's accessible through Ease of Access settings and a keyboard shortcut.

Narrator is a screen reader designed for the visually impaired, but anyone can use it to give their eyes a rest. With the text-to-speech features, you can navigate apps and web pages. For instance, it can read entire web pages, spreadsheet tables, and describe formatting attributes like font types and font colors to help you work with any content. 

Here are some of the key features of Narrator:

• Change the voice and install other text-to-speech voices.
• Personalize the speaking rate, pitch, and volume of the voice.
• Use Narrator's scan mode to navigate apps and web pages faster with keyboard shortcuts and arrow keys.

How Do I Turn on Text-to-Speech on My Computer?

Narrator is switched off by default. The easiest way to trigger it is to press Win + Ctrl + Enter , but it's also accessible through Settings:

Select the Start button and choose Settings .

Go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator . 

Enable Narrator by toggling the button to the On position. 

You can quickly jump to the Narrator settings by pressing Win + Ctrl + N .

A Narrator dialog box will appear on the screen explaining keyboard layout changes. The blue border around the text highlights the parts read by Narrator. 

Select OK to stop the message narration and exit the dialog. Also, check the box next to Don’t show again if you don’t want the box to appear every time Narrator starts.

A welcome screen will appear when you start using Narrator for the first time. From here, you can learn how to use the screen reader and find related learning resources like the comprehensive Narrator guide available online. 

How Do I Use Text-to-Speech in Windows?

Different keyboard shortcuts are associated with navigating everything on the screen with Narrator.

The keyboard shortcuts use the Narrator modifier key, which, by default, is the Caps lock key or the Insert key. You can choose another modifier key in Narrator Settings, but no matter what you choose, you want to press-and-hold the modifier key while also pressing the other keys mentioned below.

Control Voice Playback

Here are some important Narrator shortcut keys that involve voice playback:

• Narrator + Ctrl + + to increase text-to-speech volume.
• Narrator + Ctrl + - to decrease text-to-speech volume.
• Narrator + + or Narrator + - to speed up or slow down voice playback.

Narrator can read any text on the screen. Navigate across the content with the arrow keys or use Scan Mode for more precise control over what you want to read. 

Use the Narrator modifier key with the correct shortcut to read text by page, paragraph, line, sentence, word, or character.

• Read the current page: Narrator + Ctrl + I
• Read from the current location: Narrator + Tab
• Read the current paragraph: Narrator + Ctrl + K
• Read the current line: Narrator + I
• Read the current sentence: Narrator + Ctrl + Comma
• Read the current word: Narrator + K
• Read the current character: Narrator + Comma
• Stop reading: Ctrl
• Navigate out of the content: Tab

Basic Navigation

With Tab and the arrow keys, you can jump between interactive controls like buttons, checkboxes, and links.

• To open a hyperlink on a web page, go to it with the tab and arrow keys. Then, press Enter to open the page.
• To find out more about a link, press Narrator + Ctrl + D and Narrator can tell you the page title behind the link.
• To find out more about an image, press Narrator + Ctrl + D and Narrator will read a description of the image.

Advanced Navigation With Scan Mode

Scan Mode in Narrator will help you work through page content like paragraphs using just the Up and Down Arrow keys. Turn it on or off with Caps Lock + Space and then use keyboard commands like H to jump forward through headings, B for buttons, or D for landmarks.

There are many Scan Mode commands. Refer to the Microsoft Support's Narrator Guide to learn more about them.

Narrator has an exhaustive list of commands to help navigate a screen with the help of sound and shortcuts. Remember these two keyboard shortcuts

• Narrator + F1 : Display the entire commands list.
• Narrator + F2 : Display commands for the current item.

Microsoft Support's Chapter 2: Narrator basics online guide explains the fundamentals of navigating a screen or a web page with Narrator. The complete online guide is a vital resource to learn how to use text-to-speech in Windows.

Select Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > and move the toggle to the left (off position) under Turn on Narrator . Alternatively, use the Win+Ctrl+Enter keyboard combination.

If you want to dictate text instead of typing,  turn on Windows Speech Recognition ; go to  Settings  >  Time & Language  >  Speech  >  Microphone  >  Get Started . Say, "Start listening," or press Win+H to bring up the dictation toolbar. For help using voice recognition for dictation, browse this list of  standard Windows Speech Recognition commands .

Try online text-to-audio file converters such as  VirtualSpeech  to create an MP3 file from a block of text. The Microsoft Store offers similar apps such as Any Text to Voice and Convert Text to Audio.

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How to set up and use text-to-speech on Windows 10 and 11

Published on June 30, 2023

The Windows text-to-speech feature is an essential accessibility tool for the visually impaired. It’s also helpful if you have reading disabilities like dyslexia or are an auditory learner. The feature reads out all the text on the screen, tells you what apps and app windows you’re opening, and other important information you’ll need to know. Windows has a built-in text-to-speech feature called Windows Narrator, so you don’t have to worry about downloading or installing anything. Here’s what you need to know about Windows Narrator and how to set up and use text-to-speech on Windows 10 and 11.

QUICK ANSWER

To use text-to-speech on Windows 10 and 11, go to  Settings > Ease of access > Narrator  (on Windows 10) or  Settings > Accessibility > Narrator (on Windows 11)   and toggle on  Narrator . You can enable or disable different settings to customize the experience to your liking.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

What is Windows Narrator?

How to enable text-to-speech on windows 10 and 11.

• How to manage text-to-speech settings in Windows 10 and 11

How to change the text-to-speech voice

How to use text-to-speech on windows.

Narrator is Microsoft’s text-to-speech and screen reader feature that comes built-in on Windows 10 and 11. It reads everything on your screen, including websites, emails , documents, and more. It also tells you every action you perform, like opening and closing apps and browser tabs and enabling or disabling features in the settings menu.

Windows Narrator is designed for the visually impaired, but anyone can use it. There are plenty of ways to customize the experience as well. You can set what kind of content is read to you and change the voice, language, reading speed, and other settings.

Windows Narrator is available on Windows 10 and 11 and works the same way on both platforms. The Narrator settings menu is slightly different on Windows 11 and has a few more features, especially regarding voice and language selection. However, the shortcuts and general features are the same.

To enable text-to-speech on Windows, go to  Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator  (on Windows 10) or  Settings > Accessibility > Narrator  (on Windows 11) and enable  Narrator .

As soon as you do, you should hear the default voice telling you that you have enabled the feature. If you want visual confirmation, there will be a blue box to show what page , paragraph, line, or word the Narrator is reading.

The  Narrator Home app will also launch automatically. It has useful features for a first-time user, including a quick start guide, a complete guide, and one-click access to the Narrator settings. You can also use the Feedback button if you come across app issues.

You can minimize the Narrator Home page and uncheck the box next to  Show Narrator Home when Narrator starts if you want to disable it. It’s best to do so only after you’ve set up the text-to-speech feature the way you like it.

Manage text-to-speech settings in Windows 10 and 11

Just enabling the text-to-speech feature might not be enough to get the desired experience. With the default settings, Narrator might be unable to find or read what you need, and navigating a web page or document can be a little tricky.

Windows Narrator start-up options

The first thing to do is to ensure that Narrator launches when you want it to. On Windows 10, check or uncheck the boxes under the Start-up options for Start Narrator after sign-in for me or  Start Narrator before sign-in for everyone if you have multiple user accounts on the same computer or want to use Narrator in the login screen. You’ll find the options on Windows 11 by expanding the menu under  Narrator .

You can also use a keyboard shortcut to turn the Narrator on or off. Toggle the setting in the Start-up options (Windows 10) or Use Narrator section (Windows 11) to use the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter shortcut.

Verbosity settings

Verbosity settings let you adjust what details the Narrator reads aloud. The default setting of  3 – All control details  will include information about all buttons, windows, browser tabs, and apps you open and use. If you want the feature only to read text, you can change it to All text . You’ll find these settings under  Verbosity  on Windows 11 and  Change what you hear when reading or typing on Windows 10.

You can further customize verbosity by enabling or disabling the options to emphasize formatted text, pause when reading punctuation, and read advanced details like the help text on buttons and controls. There’s also a setting to change how Narrator reads capitalized text — with no change (Don’t announce), increased pitch, or the app saying “Cap.”

If you have control details enabled, you can set how much information the Narrator will provide about buttons and controls. It’s set to Immediate context by default, but you can change it to  Full context for new and old controls to hear every detail. You can also enable  Read hints on how to interact with buttons and controls and  Tell me why actions can’t be performed if you want information on how to use buttons on an app or web page.

Finally, you can set what happens when you type on the keyboard. You’ll find these settings under  Have Narrator announce when I type  on Windows 11 and the  Change what you hear when typing section on Windows 10. You can have the text-to-speech feature read out letters, numbers, punctuation, words, toggle keys (like Caps Lock and Num Lock), function keys, arrow keys, and modifier keys (like Shift and Alt).

Mouse and keyboard settings

Narrator lets you set a Narrator Key to make it easier to use shortcuts for verbosity and navigation. You’ll find these settings under  Change keyboard settings on Windows 10 and  Mouse and keyboard on Windows 11.

You can use Caps Lock or the Insert button as the Narrator Key. It’s set to both options by default, but you can pick a specific button. To make it more convenient, you can also lock the Narrator Key in place so you don’t have to press it every time for a command.

You can also customize your keyboard if you want to use it only for commands and navigation. Windows 11 adds the option to use the mouse to read and interact with your screen. Enable the option to have the Narrator Cursor follow your mouse.

Narrator Cursor

The Narrator Cursor is the blue box that moves across the text as it reads it, tells you about buttons and controls, or an overview of webpages and apps. You can choose to show or hide the cursor on your screen. If you’re typing text, you can enable the  Move my text cursor with the Narrator cursor, so you can continue typing without resetting the text cursor position.

Other Windows Narrator settings

Click on  Use a Braille display with Narrator to download the Braille keyboard and other software you need.

You might also want to enable  Sync my Narrator settings on this device if you’re going to keep the same settings for every user. You can also hear image alt text, page titles, and link information by enabling the Get picture information setting in the Manage data and other services  section.

Change the text-to-speech voice

You’ll find voice settings under  Personalize Narrator voice on Windows 10 and  Narrator voice on Windows 11. Use the dropdown to choose from the available list of male or female voices for different languages and regional dialects. You can also set the reading speed, volume, and pitch to customize the default voice options. Select  Lower the volume of other apps when Narrator is speaking to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

Windows 11 lets you add natural voices that are less robotic and flow better. Click on Add in the  Natural voices section to preview and download the available options.

Add new text-to-speech voices and languages

You’ll only find a few voice options available by default, but you can add more. Go to  Settings > Time and language > Language (or Language and region on Windows 11) and click  Add language .

Type in the language you want, or scroll through the list. Look for the text-to-speech icon to see if you can use it with Windows Narrator. You’ll find the complete list of supported languages and voices here .

If you want to use text-to-speech all the time, go to go to  Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator  (on Windows 10), or Settings > Accessibility > Narrator  (on Windows 11) and enable  Narrator .

To use text-to-speech after opening specific web pages, emails, or documents, use the Windows key + Ctrl + Enter  shortcut to enable Narrator. It will start reading the text from the beginning, or you can move your mouse to start listening from where you want to.

Check out the complete list of keyboard commands and shortcuts to make it easier to use text-to-speech on Windows. Here are a few useful ones to remember to help you get started. The Narrator Key is Caps Lock or Insert, depending on what you have set. If you’ve selected the Lock Narrator Key option in the settings, leave it out in the shortcuts below.

• Windows key + Ctrl + Enter: To enable or disable Narrator.
• Narrator + right/left arrow: Move to the following item (right arrow), and move to the previous item (left arrow).
• Narrator + F1: To show the entire commands list.
• Narrator + Enter: Do the primary action for buttons and controls.
• Narrator + Ctrl + Enter: This toggles Search mode.
• Narrator + F12: Read the current time and date.
• Narrator + S: Listen to a webpage summary.
• Ctrl + Narrator + plus sign/minus sign:  To increase or decrease the Narrator volume.
• Narrator + C : Read the document.
• Ctrl + Narrator + U/I/O: Read the previous page (U), read the current page (I), or read the next page (O).

Windows Narrator FAQs

Yes, a version of it it has been included in all versions of Windows since Windows 2000.

Absolutely. It can read out any text that you see on your screen, including web pages.

Windows narrator is avaialble in a wide range of languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and many others. Find out how to change the language in the guide above.

You might like

How to add text-to-speech voices to Windows 10 so that text can be read in the tone or language of your choice

• You can add text-to-speech voices to Windows 10 through your PC's Settings app.
• Once you've added a text-to-speech voice to Windows, you can use it in programs like Microsoft Word, OneNote, and Edge.
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories .

Microsoft has a text-to-speech feature built into a number of Windows programs, including Microsoft Office, the Edge web browser, and OneNote. 

By default, the voices for your computer's current language are already installed. But if you need to install a second language, or if additional voices are released for your primary language, you can install them as well. 

The text-to-speech voices for all Microsoft apps are installed in the Settings app. Here's how to find and add them to Windows .

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Windows 10 (from $139.99 at best buy), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to add text-to-speech voices in windows 10.

1. Click the Start button in the bottom-left, and then click the Settings icon, which looks like a gear. 

2. In Settings, click "Time & Language."

3. In the navigation pane on the left, click "Language."

4. Click "Add a preferred language" and then scroll through the list until you see the language you want to add. Click it, and then click "Next." It'll be installed.

5. After it's installed, select it in the list of languages and click "Options."

6. On the language's details page, click "Download." This will install the language pack, which includes the voices for this language. 

How to choose a voice for text-to-speech in Windows 10

After you've downloaded voices, you can choose which one Windows uses for text-to-speech.

1. While still in the "Time & Language" section of Settings, click "Speech" in the left sidebar.

2. Underneath "Speech language," make sure it's set to the language you want text-to-speech to use.

3. Underneath "Voices," click the "Choose a voice" drop-down menu and select the voice you want to use by default. You can vary its speed and preview the voice here as well. 

Some programs let you pick a text-to-speech voice that's different from the one the rest of Windows uses.

In Word, for example, click "Review" and then click "Read Aloud." A playback control menu will appear in the top-right of the screen. Click the gear icon to open the Read Aloud settings. Here, you can choose the voice you want to use in Word. 

Likewise, the Edge browser has a similar option. When you choose "Read aloud" from the three-dot menu, "Voice options" appears at the top of the page. Click it to change voices.

Related coverage from  Tech Reference :

How to use speech-to-text on a windows computer to quickly dictate text without typing, you can use text-to-speech in the kindle app on an ipad using an accessibility feature— here's how to turn it on, how to use text-to-speech on discord, and have the desktop app read your messages aloud, how to use google text-to-speech on your android phone to hear text instead of reading it, 2 ways to lock a windows computer from your keyboard and quickly secure your data.

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Watch: We compared the $1,200 MacBook Air with the $500 Surface Go, and the results were a mess

• Main content

NaturalReader Software

Read many formats,, all in one place.

NaturalReader is a downloadable text-to-speech desktop software for personal use. This easy-to-use software with natural-sounding voices can read to you any text such as Microsoft Word files, webpages, PDF files, and E-mails. Available with a one-time payment for a perpetual license.

*All prices are in USD

(Free to use)

• Unlimited use with Free Voices
• Miniboard to read text in other applications
• Pronunciation Editor
• Works with PDF, Docx, TXT and ePub

(One-time payment)

• 2 natural voices included
• All features of Free Version included
• Text to downloadable audio files
• Convert to MP3

Professional

• 4 natural voices included
• All features of Personal Version included
• 6 natural voices included
• All features of Professional Version included
• 5000 images/year for OCR to read from images & scanned PDFs

Convert any text or document into natural-sounding voices.

Supports PDF, Docx, and text documents.

OCR function can convert printed characters into digital text. This allows you to listen to your printed files or edit it in a word-processing program.

OCR can be used to convert screenshots of text from eBook desktop apps, such as Kindle, into speech and audio files.

Converts text into mp3 files for Windows or Mac.

Preserves the original formatting of PDF files

Adjust reading margins to skip reading from headers and footnotes on the page.

Offers a simple way of reading text directly on the page

You can manually modify the pronunciation of a certain word.

*Additional voices and other languages below are available for separate purchase; However the voices cannot stand alone, they only work with paid versions.

$39.50 USD per voice

If you purchased our software BEFORE Sep 9, 2019, Please Login from here

If you purchased our software AFTER Sep 9, 2019, Please Login from here

I couldn't log in my account, please help.

Please go to https://www.naturalreaders.com/login-service/login?redir=software&dest=software&goog=no to log in.

If you couldn't, please click "Forget password" to reset the password.

How many devices can I install NaturalReader Software on?

How to read selected text, what are the minimum system requirements for mac and pc.

a) NaturalReader for Windows:

Operation system: windows7, Win8, Win8.1 and Win10

Processor: 500Mhz 

Memory: 64 MB (128 recommended)

Free Disk Space: 500MB (Natural Voices may require 600MB free space)

b) NaturalReader for Mac supports Mac OS X 10.11 or later.

What files are supported in NaturalReader Software?

Pdf, txt, doc(x), pages, odt, ppt(x), ods, non-DRM epub, jpeg, and png.

The OCR feature is required to read from image files (jpeg or png), scanned documents, inaccessible PDFs, or screenshots. OCR is included with a paid version only.

Software is downloading now

If you see a "Windows protected your PC" notification, please do not be concerned. This is a new version of the software so the Windows network might not recognize the program automatically so they send you this message just as a precaution.

To proceed with the download, click on "More info", then "Run anyway".

Complete guide to Narrator

Narrator is a screen-reading application that's built into Windows 11 , so there's nothing you need to download or install. This guide describes how to use the Narrator with Windows so that you can start using apps, browsing the web, and more.

Below the table of contents, there’s a section about what's new in Narrator.

Note : This guide is available as a Word doc and a PDF (in English only). To obtain additional languages or formats, contact the Disability Answer Desk .

You want to learn how to use Narrator to do things in Office apps, like Outlook and Word? Check out the articles on this page: Use a screen reader with Office apps .

Follow these links to learn how to use a screen reader to do things in Windows 11:

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate the Start menu in Windows

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Settings in Windows

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate File Explorer in Windows

Keyboarding in Microsoft Teams 2.0 for Windows 11

Use a screen reader with the flyout window in Microsoft Teams 2.0 for Windows 11

Table of contents

What's new in Narrator

Version released in Feb 2024.

This release is about enhancing the reading experience for images with Narrator, early steps in supporting dictation with voice access and Narrator, ability to preview all natural voices and a bunch of bug fixes across Narrator. To give feedback, press Narrator + Alt + F while Narrator is running.

Tip:  The Narrator key is a modifier key in the Narrator commands. Both the Caps lock key and the Insert key serve as your Narrator key by default. For more info on the Narrator key, go to  Chapter 2: Narrator basics  or  Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures .

Enhance image consumption experience in Narrator

With Narrator, we have enhanced image consumption experience. There are two significant modifications:

A new keyboard command has been added to allow you to switch between the graphics/images on a page or screen. Now, in Scan mode ( Narrator key+spacebar ), you can move forward or backward between graphics/images by pressing the keys " G " or " Shift+G ."

Text recognition in images is enhanced, including handwriting recognition, and overall image descriptions are better. To experience the improved experience, navigate to any image and, while the image is in focus, execute the keyboard combination " Narrator key+CTRL+d “. An active internet connection is necessary for this feature, and Narrator settings must have the option to obtain Image Descriptions activated. For more information, refer to image descriptions in  Chapter 2: Narrator basics.

Dictate text with voice access

Voice access in Windows 11 enables everyone, including people with mobility disabilities, to control their PC and author text using their voice. For example, you can open and switch between apps, browse the web, and read and author emails using your voice. Voice access uses modern, on-device speech recognition to accurately recognize speech and works even without the internet. For more information, refer to  Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice.

Narrator users can start using voice access to dictate text with voice and hear what is dictated.  In addition, you can also use voice access to give Narrator commands. For example, “Turn on Narrator,” “speak faster,” “read selection,” “read next line,” etc.

To know the entire list of Narrator commands supported with voice access click help icon (?) on voice access bar, select “View all commands” and choose “Narrator commands.”

Note that, all voice access features do not work with Narrator. Please refer to the section below for more details. You can start voice access by searching in the Windows Search bar or pinning it to the task bar once it is open.

What will work:

Start and setup voice access which includes downloading a speech model.

Read a list of voice access commands and Narrator commands from voice access help menu.

Changing voice access microphone state.

Dictating text with voice and hearing back what was dictated.

What will not work:

Using voice access guide with a screen reader.

Core voice access features: Using different voice access commands to get different tasks done:

Using “Click” commands or number overlays to interact with specific items on the screen.

Using grid overlays to control the mouse pointer.

Using text editing features such as corrections and spellings in voice access.

You can press Alt+Tab to cycle through all open applications to move the focus to the voice access UI.

If you don’t use headphones for listening to the screen reader, the audio output from the screen reader may get picked up by voice access microphone, leading to unwanted behavior.

Preview natural voices in Narrator

We launched natural voices in 10 new locales as part of Windows September 2023 update. Those natural voices include Chinese, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), Japanese, English (UK), French, Portuguese, English (India), German and Korean. With this Windows update, users will be able to preview and listen to the natural voice before downloading a voice model.

Once downloaded, Natural Narrator voices support text-to-speech on-device and do not require an internet connection. For more information, refer to natural voices section in  Appendix A: Supported languages and voices.

There are more improvements and bugs fixed in this release. For more information, refer to Appendix H: List of Issues and Bugs fixed .

To see the history of narrator updates, refer to Appendix I: History of Narrator Updates .

Narrator is a screen-reading app that's built into Windows 10, so there's nothing you need to download or install. This guide describes how to use Narrator with Windows so that you can start using apps, browsing the web, and more.

Note : This guide is available as a Word doc and a PDF (in English only). You can download a version of this guide in braille (US English non-UEB grade 2 braille). To obtain additional languages or formats, contact the Disability Answer Desk .

Want to learn how to use Narrator to do things in Office apps, like Outlook and Word? Check out the articles on this page: Use a screen reader with Office apps .

Version released in 2020

This release is all about helping you get things done faster. To give Microsoft feedback, press Narrator + Alt + F while Narrator is running.

Tip:  The Narrator key is a modifier key in the Narrator commands. Both the Caps lock key and the Insert key serve as your Narrator key by default. For more info on the Narrator key, go to  Chapter 2: Narrator basics or  Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures .

Email improvements in Outlook and Windows Mail

Use scan mode to read emails.

Scan Mode turns on automatically when you open an email. Use the arrow keys and other Scan Mode commands—just like you would on the web—to navigate around.

Emails are read automatically

When you open an email, Narrator will start reading—no commands required.

Get the important info, skip the noise

In Outlook, Narrator will read an email’s status (unread, forwarded, etc.), who sent it, the subject line, and any other characteristics of the email that are important or unique (for example, Narrator will read if an email is flagged, but it won’t read if an email is unflagged).

Narrator won’t read any unnecessary table info, like if there are 5 empty columns, and column headers won’t be read by default. Turn column header reading in Outlook on or off by pressing Narrator + H .

Web improvements

No more unhelpful hyperlinks.

Narrator will give you the title of the webpage for a link. Press Narrator + Ctrl + D , and Narrator will take the URL of the hyperlink you are on and send it to an online service that will provide the page title to Narrator. And when focus is on an image, the Narrator + Ctrl + D command provides a description of the image. If you would like to disable all online services used by Narrator, you can turn this feature off in Narrator settings.

Get a quick summary of a webpage

Hear a webpage summary that includes the number of links, landmarks, and headings by pressing Narrator + S .

Popular links and full webpage summary

Press Narrator + S twice quickly to pull up a dialog box on the screen with the following info: the number of links, landmarks, and headings on a page, and a list of popular links for a page (popular links are the links on the page that get the most engagement).

Webpages are read automatically

Narrator automatically reads webpages starting at the top of the page.

Sound improvements

New sounds for common actions.

Narrator sounds are now more functional and responsive. For example, sounds now play for common actions, such as when you land on a link or when you turn on or off Scan Mode. To manage sounds for common actions, go to Narrator settings. To hear the Narrator sounds, refer to Appendix E: Narrator Sounds.

Hear capital letters and words

By default, Narrator reads capital letters the same as lowercase ones. This means “Word,” “WORD,” and “word” all sound the same (even though different letters are capitalized in each).

If you’d like to hear when a letter is capitalized, Narrator can say “cap” before it, or read the word or letter in a higher pitch. To change how Narrator handles capitalization, go to the section “Change what you hear when reading and interacting” in Narrator settings.

Read with Magnifier

Magnifier, the screen-magnifying feature that comes with Windows 10, will now read text aloud. This might be useful if you are a low vision user who would like text read aloud on-demand.  For more information, refer to Use Magnifier to make things on the screen easier to see .

New or notable commands

Narrator + Ctrl + D : Get the webpage source of a link

Narrator + S : Get a webpage summary

Narrator + S twice quickly : Get the webpage summary and popular links dialog box

Narrator + H : Turn on or off Outlook column header reading

Narrator + Alt + F : Give feedback on Narrator

Windows  logo key+ Plus sign (+) : Open Magnifier

Other capabilities that are new to Narrator over the last few releases

Narrator home.

Every time you turn on Narrator, you’ll go to Narrator Home, which gives you one place where you can find everything you need, from changing your Narrator settings to learning the basics of Narrator with QuickStart. Also, when minimized Narrator Home goes into your system tray, so you won’t need to navigate around it when using Alt + Tab to switch between things.

Read by sentence

Narrator can now read next, current, and previous sentences. Read by sentence is available whenever you use a keyboard, touch, or braille.

“Sentence” is also its own Narrator view. Press Narrator + Page up or Narrator + Page down to get to the sentence view, then press Narrator + Left arrow to move to the previous sentence and Narrator + Right arrow to move to the next sentence.

You can use these new commands on Braille displays by pressing dots 2-3-4 or 2-3-4-7 in command input mode.

New verbosity levels

Narrator provides five verbosity levels that impact the amount of information you hear when Narrator reads text, such as web sites, and when you interact with controls. Each level is documented in Chapter 4 with a brief description of how you might want to use it.

Use scan mode in your favorite browser

Scan mode turns on automatically in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Standard keyboard layout

We wanted to make it easier for you to learn and use Narrator, so we’ve introduced a new Standard keyboard layout. The updated layout is more like the keyboard layout you may have experienced in other screen readers.

When keyboard commands are mentioned in this guide, they’re for the new standard keyboard layout. Some of the new commands include updates to Narrator’s page, paragraph, line, word, and character commands. You’ll also notice new commands like Narrator Find, list of links, list of headings, and list of landmarks. For some commands, you can now use the numeric keypad.

You can explore all the new and updated commands in Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures . Find scan mode commands in Chapter 3: Using scan mode .

Note : Your keyboard will default to the Standard layout. If you want to change this, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator , and choose the Legacy layout. You can also get to your Narrator settings by pressing Windows logo key + Ctrl + N . New Narrator commands will not be available in the Legacy keyboard layout if keystrokes for legacy commands conflict with those used in new Narrator features. Open Narrator settings

Narrator key

You can now choose what modifier key you want to use in Narrator commands. Both the Caps Lock and Insert keys serve as your Narrator key by default. You can use either of these keys in any command that uses the Narrator key. The Narrator key is referred to as simply “Narrator” in commands. You can change your Narrator key in Narrator settings.

Updated Change View commands

Change View commands are now mapped to the Narrator + Page up and Page down keys. You can also use Change View by pressing Narrator + Ctrl + Up arrow and Down arrow .

Improvements to scan mode

Scan mode’s Primary and Secondary Action commands have changed. A Primary Action can be executed by pressing Enter or Spacebar . You can complete a Secondary Action by adding a Shift key to each of those keys ( Shift + Enter or Shift + Spacebar ). You’ll notice this change regardless of the keyboard layout you select.

Additionally, several new scan mode keyboard commands have been added that allow you to select text. You can learn more about them in Chapter 3: Using scan mode .

Give feedback

Your feedback helps make Narrator better. When Narrator is turned on, press Narrator + Alt + F to open the Feedback Hub to provide feedback about Narrator. Additionally, for technical support for Narrator or other Microsoft assistive technology, contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk .

If you want to provide Microsoft with additional diagnostic and performance data, press Windows logo key + Ctrl + N to open Narrator settings, turn on the toggle under Help make Narrator better , and then restart Narrator. Open Narrator settings

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Best text-to-speech software of 2024

Boosting accessibility and productivity

• Best overall
• Best realism
• Best for developers
• Best for podcasting
• How we test

The best text-to-speech software makes it simple and easy to convert text to voice for accessibility or for productivity applications.

1. Best overall 2. Best realism 3. Best for developers 4. Best for podcasting 5. Best for developers 6. FAQs 7. How we test

Finding the best text-to-speech software is key for anyone looking to transform written text into spoken words, whether for accessibility purposes, productivity enhancement, or creative applications like voice-overs in videos. 

Text-to-speech (TTS) technology relies on sophisticated algorithms to model natural language to bring written words to life, making it easier to catch typos or nuances in written content when it's read aloud. So, unlike the best speech-to-text apps and best dictation software , which focus on converting spoken words into text, TTS software specializes in the reverse process: turning text documents into audio. This technology is not only efficient but also comes with a variety of tools and features. For those creating content for platforms like YouTube , the ability to download audio files is a particularly valuable feature of the best text-to-speech software.

While some standard office programs like Microsoft Word and Google Docs offer basic TTS tools, they often lack the comprehensive functionalities found in dedicated TTS software. These basic tools may provide decent accuracy and basic options like different accents and languages, but they fall short in delivering the full spectrum of capabilities available in specialized TTS software.

To help you find the best text-to-speech software for your specific needs, TechRadar Pro has rigorously tested various software options, evaluating them based on user experience, performance, output quality, and pricing. This includes examining the best free text-to-speech software as well, since many free options are perfect for most users. We've brought together our picks below to help you choose the most suitable tool for your specific needs, whether for personal use, professional projects, or accessibility requirements.

The best text-to-speech software of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the entries on our best text-to-speech software list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

The best text-to-speech software overall

1. NaturalReader

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

If you’re looking for a cloud-based speech synthesis application, you should definitely check out NaturalReader. Aimed more at personal use, the solution allows you to convert written text such as Word and PDF documents, ebooks and web pages into human-like speech.  

Because the software is underpinned by cloud technology, you’re able to access it from wherever you go via a smartphone, tablet or computer. And just like Capti Voice, you can upload documents from cloud storage lockers such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.  

Currently, you can access 56 natural-sounding voices in nine different languages, including American English, British English, French, Spanish, German, Swedish, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch. The software supports PDF, TXT, DOC(X), ODT, PNG, JPG, plus non-DRM EPUB files and much more, along with MP3 audio streams. 

There are three different products: online, software, and commercial. Both the online and software products have a free tier.

Read our full NaturalReader review .

• ^ Back to the top

The best text-to-speech software for realistic voices

Specializing in voice synthesis technology, Murf uses AI to generate realistic voiceovers for a range of uses, from e-learning to corporate presentations. 

Murf comes with a comprehensive suite of AI tools that are easy to use and straightforward to locate and access. There's even a Voice Changer feature that allows you to record something before it is transformed into an AI-generated voice- perfect if you don't think you have the right tone or accent for a piece of audio content but would rather not enlist the help of a voice actor. Other features include Voice Editing, Time Syncing, and a Grammar Assistant.

The solution comes with three pricing plans to choose from: Basic, Pro and Enterprise. The latter of these options may be pricey but some with added collaboration and account management features that larger companies may need access to. The Basic plan starts at around $19 / £17 / AU$28 per month but if you set up a yearly plan that will drop to around $13 / £12 / AU$20 per month. You can also try the service out for free for up to 10 minutes, without downloads.

The best text-to-speech software for developers

3. Amazon Polly

Alexa isn’t the only artificial intelligence tool created by tech giant Amazon as it also offers an intelligent text-to-speech system called Amazon Polly. Employing advanced deep learning techniques, the software turns text into lifelike speech. Developers can use the software to create speech-enabled products and apps. 

It sports an API that lets you easily integrate speech synthesis capabilities into ebooks, articles and other media. What’s great is that Polly is so easy to use. To get text converted into speech, you just have to send it through the API, and it’ll send an audio stream straight back to your application. 

You can also store audio streams as MP3, Vorbis and PCM file formats, and there’s support for a range of international languages and dialects. These include British English, American English, Australian English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish and Russian. 

Polly is available as an API on its own, as well as a feature of the AWS Management Console and command-line interface. In terms of pricing, you’re charged based on the number of text characters you convert into speech. This is charged at approximately $16 per1 million characters , but there is a free tier for the first year.

The best text-to-speech software for podcasting

In terms of its library of voice options, it's hard to beat Play.ht as one of the best text-to-speech software tools. With almost 600 AI-generated voices available in over 60 languages, it's likely you'll be able to find a voice to suit your needs. 

Although the platform isn't the easiest to use, there is a detailed video tutorial to help users if they encounter any difficulties. All the usual features are available, including Voice Generation and Audio Analytics. 

In terms of pricing, Play.ht comes with four plans: Personal, Professional, Growth, and Business. These range widely in price, but it depends if you need things like commercial rights and affects the number of words you can generate each month. 

The best text-to-speech software for Mac and iOS

5. Voice Dream Reader

There are also plenty of great text-to-speech applications available for mobile devices, and Voice Dream Reader is an excellent example. It can convert documents, web articles and ebooks into natural-sounding speech. 

The app comes with 186 built-in voices across 30 languages, including English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese and Korean. 

You can get the software to read a list of articles while you drive, work or exercise, and there are auto-scrolling, full-screen and distraction-free modes to help you focus. Voice Dream Reader can be used with cloud solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Pocket, Instapaper and Evernote. 

The best text-to-speech software: FAQs

What is the best text-to-speech software for youtube.

If you're looking for the best text-to-speech software for YouTube videos or other social media platforms, you need a tool that lets you extract the audio file once your text document has been processed. Thankfully, that's most of them. So, the real trick is to select a TTS app that features a bountiful choice of natural-sounding voices that match the personality of your channel. 

What’s the difference between web TTS services and TTS software?

Web TTS services are hosted on a company or developer website. You’ll only be able to access the service if the service remains available at the whim of a provider or isn’t facing an outage.

TTS software refers to downloadable desktop applications that typically won’t rely on connection to a server, meaning that so long as you preserve the installer, you should be able to use the software long after it stops being provided. 

Do I need a text-to-speech subscription?

Subscriptions are by far the most common pricing model for top text-to-speech software. By offering subscription models for, companies and developers benefit from a more sustainable revenue stream than they do from simply offering a one-time purchase model. Subscription models are also attractive to text-to-speech software providers as they tend to be more effective at defeating piracy.

Free software options are very rarely absolutely free. In some cases, individual voices may be priced and sold individually once the application has been installed or an account has been created on the web service.

How can I incorporate text-to-speech as part of my business tech stack?

Some of the text-to-speech software that we’ve chosen come with business plans, offering features such as additional usage allowances and the ability to have a shared workspace for documents. Other than that, services such as Amazon Polly are available as an API for more direct integration with business workflows.

Small businesses may find consumer-level subscription plans for text-to-speech software to be adequate, but it’s worth mentioning that only business plans usually come with the universal right to use any files or audio created for commercial use.

How to choose the best text-to-speech software

When deciding which text-to-speech software is best for you, it depends on a number of factors and preferences. For example, whether you’re happy to join the ecosystem of big companies like Amazon in exchange for quality assurance, if you prefer realistic voices, and how much budget you’re playing with. It’s worth noting that the paid services we recommend, while reliable, are often subscription services, with software hosted via websites, rather than one-time purchase desktop apps. 

Also, remember that the latest versions of Microsoft Word and Google Docs feature basic text-to-speech as standard, as well as most popular browsers. So, if you have access to that software and all you’re looking for is a quick fix, that may suit your needs well enough. 

How we test the best text-to-speech software

We test for various use cases, including suitability for use with accessibility issues, such as visual impairment, and for multi-tasking. Both of these require easy access and near instantaneous processing. Where possible, we look for integration across the entirety of an operating system , and for fair usage allowances across free and paid subscription models.

At a minimum, we expect an intuitive interface and intuitive software. We like bells and whistles such as realistic voices, but we also appreciate that there is a place for products that simply get the job done. Here, the question that we ask can be as simple as “does this piece of software do what it's expected to do when asked?”

Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .

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John (He/Him) is the Components Editor here at TechRadar and he is also a programmer, gamer, activist, and Brooklyn College alum currently living in Brooklyn, NY. 

Named by the CTA as a CES 2020 Media Trailblazer for his science and technology reporting, John specializes in all areas of computer science, including industry news, hardware reviews, PC gaming, as well as general science writing and the social impact of the tech industry.

You can find him online on Threads @johnloeffler.

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16 Open-source and Free TTS (Text-To-Speech) Programs for Windows

Hazem Abbas

TTS apps, or Text-to-Speech apps, are software applications that use speech synthesis to convert written text into spoken words. This technology is particularly useful for people with visual impairments or reading difficulties, as well as for those who want to multitask while still consuming written content.

TTS technology has been around for a while, and it has undergone significant improvements over the years. The first TTS systems were developed in the 1950s, but they were highly limited in terms of their capabilities and quality of speech.

However, with the advent of more advanced computing power and natural language processing algorithms, TTS technology has become much more sophisticated and capable of producing more natural-sounding speech. In addition to mobile apps and web browsers, TTS technology is also being integrated into other devices, such as smart speakers and virtual assistants. As a result, TTS technology is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and is likely to continue to grow in popularity and usefulness in the coming years.

Benefits and Advantages of TTSS

Text-to-speech (TTS) apps have a plethora of benefits and advantages. Not only do they allow users to consume written content without having to read it, but they also offer a range of additional features that can enhance the overall experience. For instance, TTS apps can be used to read out articles, books, and other written materials while driving, exercising, or engaging in other activities that require visual attention.

Furthermore, TTS apps can be incredibly useful for those who are learning a new language or trying to improve their pronunciation. They can be customized to read out text in multiple languages, making it easier for language learners to practice their speaking skills. Additionally, users can adjust the speed, tone, and pronunciation of the TTS app to suit their individual needs.

Overall, TTS apps offer a convenient and versatile way to consume written content. They have revolutionized the way we interact with text and have made it possible for people to learn, work, and play in new and exciting ways.

Text-to-Speech Use-Cases

There are numerous use cases for TTS (Text-To-Speech) applications. One of the most apparent is for people with visual impairments or reading difficulties. TTS applications can significantly aid these individuals in reading and comprehending written content, leading to an improvement in their quality of life and increased independence.

Another use case is for language learners, who can use TTS applications to enhance their pronunciation and listening skills. Lastly, TTS applications can be used by anyone who wishes to consume written content while engaged in other activities, such as driving or exercising.

TTS Apps for Windows

There are a variety of TTS (Text-to-speech) apps available for Windows users. These apps utilize computer-generated speech to read aloud text from a computer screen. Some of the most popular TTS apps for Windows include NaturalReader, Balabolka, and ReadAloud. Additionally, there are many other TTS apps available, each with its own unique features and functions. When choosing a TTS app, it's important to consider factors such as voice quality, compatibility with different file types, and ease of use. By using a TTS app, users can improve their reading comprehension and productivity by listening to text rather than reading it on a screen.

In this list, we offer you many free and open-source text-to-speech (TTS) options. If you're looking for a TTS solution that won't break the bank, you're in the right place.

First on our list is XYZ TTS. This software offers a range of voices in multiple languages, making it a versatile option for users worldwide. Additionally, XYZ TTS includes a range of customization options, allowing you to tailor your TTS experience to your needs.

Another great option is ABC TTS. This software is particularly suited for users who need high-quality TTS for reading long documents or books. With its natural-sounding voices and intuitive interface, ABC TTS is a great choice for anyone looking to improve their TTS experience.

Finally, we have DEF TTS. This software is a reliable and straightforward option for users who need a basic TTS solution. While it may not offer the same range of features as other options on our list, DEF TTS is a solid choice for anyone looking for a no-frills TTS experience.

So there you have it - our top picks for free and open-source TTS software. Whether you're a student, a professional, or just someone who enjoys using TTS, these options are sure to meet your needs.

1- Balabolka

Balabolka is a free text-to-speech program that can read the clipboard content, view text from documents, customize font and background color, control reading from the system tray, and more.

2- TTS Voice Wizard/ (STTS)

Speech-to-Text-to-Speech (STTTS) sends text as OSC messages to VRChat for your avatar. You can use TTS Voice Wizard's accessibility features, and translate your speech to over 20 languages. Customize your voice with over 100 options. Display the current song, tracker and controller battery life with XSOverlay. Use HRtoVRChat_OSC to show your heart rate in VRChat's Chatbox.

STTS/ TTS Voice Wizard features:

• 🎙️ You can convert your Speech-to-Text and back to Speech through various Speech Recognition and Text-to-Speech methods
• 💬 You can send what you say as OSC messages to VRChat to be displayed on your avatar using KillFrenzyAvatarText or VRChats Chatbox
• 🌐 The app can translate your speech from one language to over 20 other support languages
• 🔊 There are 100+ different voices with various customization options so you can pick a voice that best suits you
• 🎵 Display the current song you are listening to on Spotify or via your browser
• 🔋 Display tracker and controller battery life in conjunction with XSOverlay
• ❤️ Use in conjuntion with HRtoVRChat_OSC to enable you to display your heartrate in VRChat's Chatbox
• 🗣️ Control VRChat avatar parameters with voice commands
• 🫵 Display customizable and interactive counters for amount of times a VRChat contact receiver has been touched

4- Capture2Text

Capture2Text enables users to perform OCR quickly on a portion of the screen using a keyboard shortcut. The resulting text is saved to the clipboard by default. It supports over 90 languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. It is portable and does not require installation.

Capture2Text is highly customizable, offering options for keyboard shortcuts, output, and more. Additionally, it features Google Translate and text-to-speech support, and offers both GUI and CLI support. No installation is re

5- SimpleTTSReader

Simple TTS Reader is a small clipboard reader that reads aloud any copied text. It supports any installed speech engine, such as Microsoft Anna. This text-to-speech utility can also be minimized to the system tray. It requires .NET Framework 2.0 and supports WinXP's Sam and Vista's Anna engines. The utility is small and simple, and includes an installer.

Epos is a language independent rule-driven Text-to-Speech (TTS) system primarily designed to serve as a research tool. Epos is (or tries to be) independent of the language processed, linguistic description method, and computing environment.

wSpeech is a Windows application that lets you convert English text into voice output offline. You can use this app to improve your English pronunciation by listening to the voice output. It allows users to turn any text file into an audio file format. This software is built on Microsoft's Speech API.

FreeTTS is a highly sophisticated and versatile speech synthesis engine that is completely written in the Java programming language. This cutting-edge engine was created by the Sun Microsystems Laboratories Speech Team, which is known for its innovative and groundbreaking work in the field of speech technology. One of the key features of FreeTTS is that it is based on CMU's Flite engine, which is widely considered to be one of the most powerful and reliable speech synthesis engines on the market.

Another great advantage of FreeTTS is that it includes a partial JSAPI 1.0 implementation, which makes it even more versatile and useful for developers who are looking to build advanced speech applications. Overall, FreeTTS is a powerful and reliable tool that is ideal for anyone who needs to create high-quality speech synthesis applications quickly and easily.

eSpeak is a reliable speech synthesizer software that is open-source and available for both Linux and Windows. It uses "formant synthesis," which allows for many languages to be provided in a small size. Although the speech is clear and can be used at high speeds, the pronunciation is artificial and not as natural or smooth as larger synthesizers based on human speech recordings. eSpeak is available as a command-line program or shared library for Linux and a Windows SAPI5 version.

10- MaryTTS

MaryTTS is a powerful and versatile tool for developers who need to create high-quality speech synthesis applications quickly and easily. It is an open-source platform, which means that developers can modify and customize it to suit their individual needs. Additionally, it supports many different languages and can be used in a variety of different contexts, making it a flexible and adaptable tool for a wide range of applications.

One of the key advantages of MaryTTS is its support for multiple languages. It supports over 30 different languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese, among others. This makes it an ideal choice for developers who are building applications that need to support multiple languages.

11- TortoiseTTS

TortoiseTTS is a powerful and versatile text-to-speech program that stands out for its exceptional multi-voice capabilities and its ability to deliver highly realistic prosody and intonation. With Tortoise, users can customize the voice, speed, tone, and pronunciation of the spoken text to suit their individual needs, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of applications. Whether you're a student, a professional, or just someone who enjoys consuming written content without having to read it, Tortoise is a reliable and feature-rich tool that can greatly enhance your experience.

12- eSpeak NG

eSpeak NG is an impressive open-source software text-to-speech synthesizer that is available for Linux, Windows, Android, and other operating systems. It is capable of supporting more than 100 languages and accents, making it an incredibly versatile option. The eSpeak engine created by Jonathan Duddington is the foundation for this synthesizer.

What sets eSpeak NG apart is the "formant synthesis" method that it employs. This approach allows for many languages to be included in a small size, making it an efficient and effective option. Although the speech may not be as natural or smooth as larger synthesizers based on human speech recordings, it is still incredibly clear and can be used at high speeds. Additionally, eSpeak NG is equipped with Klatt formant synthesis and the option to use MBROLA as a backend speech synthesizer, providing even more flexibility and customization options.

13- Text To Speech App

This project offers a free, offline text-to-speech application built on top of Windows Form. It provides an incredible user experience by utilizing the Windows installed Synthesis engine. The application enables you to choose from a variety of available voices, including male and female voices with different accents and pitches. Once you have selected your desired voice, you can make it read any text of your preference. The application also allows you to customize the speed and volume of the voice.

After your audio file has been generated, you can easily download it as a .wav file to your desktop. The audio file will be saved under the Audio Files folder, which is automatically created by the application for your convenience. With its user-friendly interface and straightforward functionality, this application is an essential tool for anyone who needs to listen to text in an offline setting.

14- Verbify-TTS

Verbify-TTS is a simple Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine that reads for you any text on your screen with high-quality voices powered by AI models. It is free and you can use it for unlimited time.  It enables developers to build desktop and web apps.

The main features of Verbify-TTS are:

• Compatible with any desktop Application : Verbify-TTS is compatible with any desktop application where you can select text with your mouse.
• High-quality voices powered by AI : The voices of Verbify-TTS are powered by AI and they learned on thousands of audio and text data.
• Free and unlimited usage : You can use the voices of Verbify-TTS for free and for unlimited time, all you need is to install Verbify-TTS on your system.
• Registration-free : You don't need to register to use Verbify-TTS, no subscription needed.
• Private data : the data the application reads stay only on your device. There is no tracking or monitoring whatsoever. Everything is under your full control.
• Customizable : convert each special or domain-specific word into another word combination. We have some example such as "e.g." pronounced as "for example". Modify the simple idioms.csv file and add yours.

15-  RHVoice

RHVoice uses statistical parametric synthesis . It relies on existing open-source speech technologies (mainly HTS and related software).

Voices are built from recordings of natural speech. They have small footprints, because only statistical models are stored on users' computers. And though the voices lack the naturalness of the synthesizers which generate speech by combining segments of the recordings themselves, they are still very intelligible and resemble the speakers who recorded the source material.

RHVoice supported languages:

Initially, RHVoice could speak only Russian. Now it also supports:

• American and Scottish English
• Brazilian Portuguese

16- Thorsten-Voice (German)

Thorsten-Voice is a free to use, offline working, high quality german TTS voice should be available for every project without any license struggling.

In conclusion, TTS apps offer numerous benefits and advantages, including the ability to consume written content without having to read it, the ability to read text in multiple languages, and the ability to customize the speed, tone, and pronunciation of the spoken text.

TTS apps are useful for people with visual impairments or reading difficulties, language learners, and anyone who wants to multitask while consuming written content.

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How to set up and use Windows 10 Speech Recognition

Windows 10 has a hands-free using Speech Recognition feature, and in this guide, we show you how to set up the experience and perform common tasks.

On Windows 10 , Speech Recognition is an easy-to-use experience that allows you to control your computer entirely with voice commands.

Anyone can set up and use this feature to navigate, launch applications, dictate text, and perform a slew of other tasks. However, Speech Recognition was primarily designed to help people with disabilities who can't use a mouse or keyboard.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to configure and start using Speech Recognition to control your computer only with voice.

How to configure Speech Recognition on Windows 10

How to train speech recognition to improve accuracy, how to change speech recognition settings, how to use speech recognition on windows 10.

To set up Speech Recognition on your device, use these steps:

• Open Control Panel .
• Click on Ease of Access .
• Click on Speech Recognition .

• Click the Start Speech Recognition link.

• In the "Set up Speech Recognition" page, click Next .
• Select the type of microphone you'll be using. Note: Desktop microphones are not ideal, and Microsoft recommends headset microphones or microphone arrays.

• Click Next .
• Click Next again.

• Read the text aloud to ensure the feature can hear you.

• Speech Recognition can access your documents and emails to improve its accuracy based on the words you use. Select the Enable document review option, or select Disable document review if you have privacy concerns.

• Use manual activation mode — Speech Recognition turns off the "Stop Listening" command. To turn it back on, you'll need to click the microphone button or use the Ctrl + Windows key shortcut.
• Use voice activation mode — Speech Recognition goes into sleep mode when not in use, and you'll need to invoke the "Start Listening" voice command to turn it back on.

• If you're not familiar with the commands, click the View Reference Sheet button to learn more about the voice commands you can use.

• Select whether you want this feature to start automatically at startup.

• Click the Start tutorial button to access the Microsoft video tutorial about this feature, or click the Skip tutorial button to complete the setup.

Once you complete these steps, you can start using the feature with voice commands, and the controls will appear at the top of the screen.

Quick Tip: You can drag and dock the Speech Recognition interface anywhere on the screen.

After the initial setup, we recommend training Speech Recognition to improve its accuracy and to prevent the "What was that?" message as much as possible.

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• Click the Train your computer to better understand you link.

• Click Next to continue with the training as directed by the application.

After completing the training, Speech Recognition should have a better understanding of your voice to provide an improved experience.

If you need to change the Speech Recognition settings, use these steps:

• Click the Advanced speech options link in the left pane.

Inside "Speech Properties," in the Speech Recognition tab, you can customize various aspects of the experience, including:

• Recognition profiles.
• User settings.
• Microphone.

In the Text to Speech tab, you can control voice settings, including:

• Voice selection.
• Voice speed.

Additionally, you can always right-click the experience interface to open a context menu to access all the different features and settings you can use with Speech Recognition.

While there is a small learning curve, Speech Recognition uses clear and easy-to-remember commands. For example, using the "Start" command opens the Start menu, while saying "Show Desktop" will minimize everything on the screen.

If Speech Recognition is having difficulties understanding your voice, you can always use the Show numbers command as everything on the screen has a number. Then say the number and speak OK to execute the command.

Here are some common tasks that will get you started with Speech Recognition:

Starting Speech Recognition

To launch the experience, just open the Start menu , search for Windows Speech Recognition , and select the top result.

Turning on and off

To start using the feature, click the microphone button or say Start listening depending on your configuration.

In the same way, you can turn it off by saying Stop listening or clicking the microphone button.

Using commands

Some of the most frequent commands you'll use include:

• Open — Launches an app when saying "Open" followed by the name of the app. For example, "Open Mail," or "Open Firefox."
• Switch to — Jumps to another running app when saying "Switch to" followed by the name of the app. For example, "Switch to Microsoft Edge."
• Control window in focus — You can use the commands "Minimize," "Maximize," and "Restore" to control an active window.
• Scroll — Allows you to scroll in a page. Simply use the command "Scroll down" or "Scroll up," "Scroll left" or "Scroll right." It's also possible to specify long scrolls. For example, you can try: "Scroll down two pages."
• Close app — Terminates an application by saying "Close" followed by the name of the running application. For example, "Close Word."
• Clicks — Inside an application, you can use the "Click" command followed by the name of the element to perform a click. For example, in Word, you can say "Click Layout," and Speech Recognition will open the Layout tab. In the same way, you can use "Double-click" or "Right-click" commands to perform those actions.
• Press — This command lets you execute shortcuts. For example, you can say "Press Windows A" to open Action Center.

Using dictation

Speech Recognition also includes the ability to convert voice into text using the dictation functionality, and it works automatically.

If you need to dictate text, open the application (making sure the feature is in listening mode) and start dictating. However, remember that you'll have to say each punctuation mark and special character.

For example, if you want to insert the "Good morning, where do you like to go today?" sentence, you'll need to speak, "Open quote good morning comma where do you like to go today question mark close quote."

In the case that you need to correct some text that wasn't recognized accurately, use the "Correct" command followed by the text you want to change. For example, if you meant to write "suite" and the feature recognized it as "suit," you can say "Correct suit," select the suggestion using the correction panel or say "Spell it" to speak the correct text, and then say "OK".

Wrapping things up

Although Speech Recognition doesn't offer a conversational experience like a personal assistant, it's still a powerful tool for anyone who needs to control their device entirely using only voice.

Cortana also provides the ability to control a device with voice, but it's limited to a specific set of input commands, and it's not possible to control everything that appears on the screen.

However, that doesn't mean that you can't get the best of both worlds. Speech Recognition runs independently of Cortana, which means that you can use the Microsoft's digital assistant for certain tasks and Speech Recognition to navigate and execute other commands.

It's worth noting that this speech recognition isn't available in every language. Supported languages include English (U.S. and UK), French, German, Japanese, Mandarin (Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional), and Spanish.

While this guide is focused on Windows 10, Speech Recognition has been around for a long time, so you can refer to it even if you're using Windows 8.1 or Windows 7.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.

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Text-to-Voice

The text-to-voice converts text to speech. you can enter your own text, and convert. text you can store and play button again. the voices are dependent on windows 10 extra votes can be added to the windows settings., 1/16/2017 8:50:20 am.