Text to Speech
Have your text read aloud by the voices already installed on your computer or phone. The page marks which of them work entirely on your device and which send your words away.
Where the voice comes from
Not from this website. Your browser already has a speaking engine built in, and the voices it offers are the ones installed on your computer or phone. That is why the list is different on Windows, on a Mac, on Android and on an iPhone, and why a voice you have on one device is missing on another.
It also means the quality is not ours to improve. If every voice sounds mechanical, the fix is to install a better one through your operating system's language or accessibility settings, and it will appear here next time.
The part other pages do not tell you
Some voices run entirely on your device. Others send your text to the browser maker's servers, get audio back, and play it — the higher-quality ones very often work this way.
Your browser knows which is which, so this page asks it and marks every voice in the list: on this device or uses the internet. A local voice is chosen by default where one exists, and if you pick a network voice you are told plainly, because on a site that promises your text stays with you, that is not a detail to leave out.
If what you are reading aloud is private, choose a voice marked on this device.
Why there is no download button
Because the browser will not give the audio back. It plays the speech; it does not hand over a file, and there is no way to capture it from a page.
Sites that do offer an MP3 are doing something different: sending your text to a server, generating audio there, and sending a file back. That is a reasonable service and a completely different bargain — your text leaves your machine and lands on somebody's computer. This page cannot offer the file, and says so rather than pretending the limitation is a choice.
Reading aloud is a proofreading tool
The most useful thing here is not accessibility, it is editing. Your eye skips over a missing word, a repeated “the”, a sentence that runs out of breath. Your ear does not. Paste a draft, press play, and follow along: the places where the voice stumbles are almost always the places a reader will.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there so few voices, or none at all?
Because the voices come from your device, not from this page. Some systems ship with very few. Adding a language or a voice in your operating system's settings makes it appear here after a reload.
Does my text leave my computer?
It depends on the voice, and the page tells you which. A voice marked 'on this device' does everything locally. A voice marked 'uses the internet' sends your text to the browser maker to be turned into audio.
Can I download the audio as an MP3?
No. The browser plays speech but will not hand the audio back to a page, so there is no file to give you. Anywhere that does offer a download is generating it on a server, which means your text is sent there.
Why does it stop partway through a long text?
Some browsers cut off speech after a while, particularly if the tab loses focus. Breaking a long piece into paragraphs and playing them one at a time is the reliable way round it.
It says speaking but I hear nothing.
Check the system volume and whether the tab is muted, then try a different voice - a voice can be listed and still be broken on some systems. On a phone, the silent switch also silences this.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Everything happens in JavaScript inside your own browser. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is saved - close the tab and it is gone.