How to use the Text to Speech
- Paste or type the text.
- Pick a language and voice, then set speed and pitch.
- Press Speak — pause or stop any time.
What does this tool do?
Text to speech helps with proofreading, language learning, dyslexia and eye strain. It uses the speech synthesis built into your operating system and browser, so the voices available depend on your device; many are free, high-quality and work offline.
Device voices work entirely offline. Voices labelled “online” are provided by your browser maker, which receives the text.
Why use it?
- Word highlighting.
- Adjustable speed and pitch.
- Remembers your voice.
Use cases
- Proofread your own writing by ear — missing words and clumsy sentences stand out when you hear them.
- Listen to an article or notes while you do something else.
- Hear how words sound in a language you're learning, at a slower speed.
- Reduce eye strain, or support reading with dyslexia.
Common mistakes
- Reading text in one language with a voice for another. Pick the language first, then a voice — an English voice reading French sounds wrong.
- Expecting identical voices everywhere. Voices come from each device's operating system, so a phone and a laptop offer different ones.
Accuracy and limits
- Browsers can't save synthesised speech as an audio file.
Privacy
Everything you type is processed in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to our servers or stored by us. There's no account to create and nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
Can I download the speech as an MP3?
No. Browsers play synthesised speech but don't let websites save it as a file. To keep the audio, record your computer's sound output with a screen or audio recorder app.
Why do I see different voices on my phone and my computer?
The voices belong to your operating system and browser, not to this site. Windows, macOS, Android and iOS each ship their own, and you can usually add more in your system's language or accessibility settings.
Is my text sent anywhere?
With voices installed on your device, no — speech is generated locally and works offline. Voices labelled “online” are provided by your browser maker's servers, which receive the text, so choose a device voice for private text.
Will it remember my voice?
Yes. The voice you pick is saved in this browser, so it's selected again next time on the same device.
Last reviewed by the M2Toolkit team.