Can word read text aloud

Сейчас вы узнаете о малоизвестной функции «текст в речь», используемой в текстовом редакторе Word, о существовании которой мало кто знает. Использование этого средства поможет пользователю справиться с некоторыми возникшими проблемами.

У многих пользователей, работающих с текстовым редактором Microsoft Word, от чтения больших объемов текста повышается нагрузка на зрение, и в результате, устают глаза. Многостраничные руководства или инструкции, созданные или открытые в программе MS Word, содержат большое количество текста, читать который очень утомительно.

Но, пользователю необходимо ознакомиться с содержанием документа, невзирая на эти обстоятельства. Нужно что-то сделать, чтобы решить нашу задачу: не нанести ущерб своему здоровью и одновременно узнать содержимое документа Word.

В результате перебора возможных вариантов решения проблемы, на ум приходит использование функции чтения вслух. Нам нужно запустить в программе Word озвучивание текста документа при помощи технологии синтезатора речи TTS (Text to Speech, текст в речь).

При использовании этого метода, у пользователя снимается напряжение с органов зрения, потому что нам озвучат вслух текстовое содержимое документа. Теперь нет необходимости в чтении многостраничного файла, за нас это сделает робот-диктор.

Подождите, а разве это так просто: прочесть вслух содержимое текстового документа в Ворде, не прилагая к этому никаких дополнительных усилий. Имеется в виду установка на компьютер необходимого программного обеспечения, способного воспроизвести текст в речь четко проговаривая слова.

В последних версиях операционной системы Windows ничего устанавливать не потребуется, в популярном приложении для работы с документами уже существует подобная возможность. В систему встроены голосовые движки — синтезаторы речи, которые выполняют функцию — чтение текста открытого документа в Ворде вслух.

Функция преобразования текста в речь, встроенная в Microsoft Word, имеет два метода использования:

• Прочитать вслух — чтение всего документа или выделенной части.
• Проговорить — прослушивание выделенных отдельных слов или выделенной части текста.

Инструмент «Прочесть вслух» доступен в версии Word 2019. Функция «Проговорить» или «Текст в речь» работает в следующих версиях программы: Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010.

Чтобы на компьютере работало озвучивание текста на русском языке в Ворде, необходимо наличие в операционной системе Windows соответствующего голосового движка, предназначенного для воспроизведения текста в речь. В операционных системах Windows 11, Windows 10 и Windows 8.1 имеется встроенный женский голос — «Ирина» (Microsoft Irina).

По умолчанию не получиться запустить озвучивание текста в Ворде Виндовс 7 и 8, из-за отсутствия в системе встроенного голоса на русском языке. Для решения этой проблемы, потребуется установка на ПК дополнительного программного обеспечения. Об этом мы также расскажем в этой статье.

Как озвучить текст документа в Ворде — функция «Прочитать вслух»

Сначала мы разберемся, как использовать в Ворд чтение вслух в версии программы Microsoft Word 2019. Этой функцией в редакторе можно управлять из окна документа или с помощью «горячих» клавиш.

Выполните следующие действия:

1. В окне открытого документа Word откройте вкладку «Рецензирование».
2. В группе «Речь» находится кнопка «Прочесть вслух».

1. Нажмите на кнопку «Прочесть вслух» для запуска процесса чтения вслух текста документа Word.
2. После этого робот голосом диктора начинает читать текст.
3. В правом верхнем углу, под лентой меню откроется небольшая панель управления с настройками чтения. С помощью кнопок можно отключить или поставить на паузу речь диктора, перейти назад или вперед по тексту документа, настроить скорость чтения, выбрать голосовой движок.

1. Нажмите на кнопку «Настройки», чтобы отрегулировать скорость чтения или выбрать подходящий голос. В программе доступны два голоса:

• Женский — Microsoft Irina («Ирина»).
• Мужской — Microsoft Pavel («Павел»).

По умолчанию робот прочтет весь текст документа, находящийся после курсора мыши. Чтобы прочитать только кусок текста, выделите нужный фрагмент документа.

Если вам неудобно для запуска процесса чтения все время открывать вкладку «Рецензирование», вы можете закрепить кнопку «Прочесть вслух» на панели быстрого доступа.

Пройдите шаги:

1. Откройте «Параметры».
2. В окне «Параметры Word» войдите во вкладку «Панель быстрого доступа».
3. В поле «Выбрать команды из:» укажите «Все команды».
4. В левой области найдите и выделите инструмент «Прочесть вслух».
5. Нажмите на кнопку «Добавить».
6. После того, как эта команда появилась в правой колонке, нажмите на кнопку «ОК».

На панели быстрого доступа появится значок, с помощью которого можно запускать функцию «Прочесть вслух».

Горячие клавиш функции «Прочесть вслух»

Работой синтезатора речи можно управлять не только из интерфейса программы Word, но и при помощи горячих клавиш. Это более быстрый вариант управления функцией с использованием клавиш клавиатуры вместо кликов мышью.

Команда	Сочетания клавиш
Запуск и отключение функции чтения вслух	Ctrl + Alt + Space (пробел)
Остановка и запуск чтения	Ctrl + Space (пробел)
Ускорение чтения	Alt + ➜ (вправо)
Замедление чтения	Alt + ← (влево)
Чтение предыдущего абзаца	Ctrl + ← (влево)
Чтение следующего абзаца	Ctrl + ➜ (вправо)

Как включить озвучку текста в Ворде — функция «Проговорить»

Функция «Проговорить» доступна в программах: MS Word 2019, MS Word 2016, MS Word 2013, MS Word 2010. Чтобы использовать этот инструмент, его нужно добавить на панель быстрого доступа.

Выполните следующее:

1. Войдите в «Параметры»
2. В окне «Параметры Word» откройте вкладку «Панель быстрого доступа».
3. В разделе «Настроить панель быстрого доступа», в опции «Выбрать команды из:» задайте «Все команды».
4. В списке команд найдите функцию «Проговорить».
5. Выделите эту команду, а затем нажмите на кнопку «Добавить».
6. Команда «Проговорить» появилась в списке команд быстрого доступа, нажмите на кнопку «ОК».

1. На панели быстрого доступа появилась кнопка «Проговаривать выделенный текст».

1. Щелкните по значку, чтобы запустить процесс чтения вслух выделенного фрагмента документа.
2. Снова нажмите указателем мыши на значок, чтобы остановить проговаривание выделенного текста.

В работе этой функции используется женский голос «Ирина» (Microsoft Irina).

Установка бесплатного голосового движка для пользователей Windows 7 или Windows 8

Нам нужно, чтобы работала озвучка текста в Ворде у пользователей операционных систем Windows 7 или Windows 8. Для этого необходимо установить на компьютер Microsoft Speech Platform — набор голосовых инструментов Майкрософт.

В операционной системе должна быть установлена программная платформа .NET Framework 4.0 или выше. Убедитесь, что этот компонент установлен в Windows. Если его нет, скачайте программную среду с официального сайта Майкрософт, а затем установите ее на ПК.

Проделайте последовательные шаги:

1. Скачайте на компьютер «Microsoft Speech Platform — Server Runtime» с официального сайта Майкрософт по ссылке: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=16789.
2. Установите голосовую платформу на свой компьютер.
3. Скачайте «Microsoft Speech Platform — Server Runtime Languages» по ссылке: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24139.
4. Всю платформу скачивать не нужно. Из состава платформы выберите файлы — русские голоса: «MSSpeech_TTS_ru-RU_Elena.msi» и «MSSpeech_SR_ru-RU_TELE.msi» для загрузки на ПК.
5. Установите эти файлы на компьютер.
6. Перезагрузите ПК.
7. В программе Word добавьте на панель быстрого запуска команду «Проговорить».

Теперь вы сможете преобразовывать текст в речь в окне открытого документа. При проговаривании текста используется женский голос «Елена» (Microsoft Elena).

Обновление: Microsoft удалила страницы с языковыми инструментами со своего сайта, потому что поддержка устаревших операционных систем прекращена. Но вы можете скачать языковую платформу по этой ссылке.

Выводы статьи

В текстовом редакторе Microsoft Word имеется функция озвучивания текста документа. В зависимости от версии программы, пользователь может воспользоваться инструментами «Прочитать вслух» или «Проговорить». В зависимости от используемой функции, диктор — синтезатор речи прочитает выделенное слово, фрагмент текста или весь документ. Чтобы функция чтения вслух работала на русском языке в Windows 7 или Windows 8, необходимо установить на ПК языковую программную платформу Microsoft.

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Candida Bayer

Score: 4.7/5
(3 votes)

Read Aloud is only available for Office 2019 and Microsoft 365. On the Review tab, select Read Aloud. To play Read Aloud, select Play in in the controls. To pause Read Aloud, select Pause.

Can word read things to you?

Speak is a built-in feature of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. You can use Speak to have text read aloud in the language of your version of Office. Text-to-speech (TTS) is the ability of your computer to play back written text as spoken words.

How do you make Word read to you on computer?

How to get Word to read a document aloud

How do I do text to speech in Word?

Using «Text to Speech» in Word:

Does MS Word have speech to text?

You can use speech-to-text on Microsoft Word through the «Dictate» feature. With Microsoft Word’s «Dictate» feature, you can write using a microphone and your own voice. When you use Dictate, you can say «new line» to create a new paragraph and add punctuation simply by saying the punctuation aloud.

22 related questions found

Read Aloud is only available for Office 2019, Office 2021, and Microsoft 365. On the Review tab, select Read Aloud. To play Read Aloud, select Play in in the controls. To pause Read Aloud, select Pause.

How do you get a Word document to read to you?

Another way to have your text read aloud in Word is to select the Review tab > Read Aloud button. The greatest benefit of Read Aloud as opposed to the Speak command is… (a) You don’t have to highlight the text. Just position your cursor where you want the reading aloud to begin and click the Read Aloud button.

How do I turn on text to Speech in Word?

Using “Text to Speech” in Word:

1. Highlight the text you wish to be read out loud (select Ctrl-A for the whole document)
2. Select the “Speak” icon and it will begin reading the highlighted text.
3. To stop the reading, select the “Speak” icon again.

How do you speak in Word?

Dictate on Your Mobile Device
Your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices offer built-in dictation features accessible from the keyboard. These tools support Microsoft Office apps and other text-based programs. To dictate text in an Office document, tap in any area to display the keyboard and select the microphone icon.

Can Word 2016 read out loud?

Speak is a built-in feature of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. You can use Speak to have text read aloud in the language of your version of Office.

Why is my read aloud not working on word?

Select the ‘Ease Of Access‘ category from the left. There, under the ‘Ease Of Access’ category, locate ‘Applications Display Options’ and under its heading, activate ‘Show Read Aloud’ feature by checking the box marked against it. When done, press the OK button to return to Outlook.

Can you make word read out loud on Mac?

You can use the Text to Speech feature to hear selected text read aloud in a Microsoft Office for Mac file.Click Accessibility > Speech. Select the voice that you want to use. Tip: You can change the speed at which words are read by moving the Speaking Rate slider.

How do I change the read aloud voice in Word?

Step 2: Select the Review tab at the top of the window. Step 3: Click the Read Aloud button. Step 4: Click the Settings button at the right side of the window. Step 5: Click the dropdown menu under Voice selection, then choose the desired voice.

How do you get word to read out loud on Mac?

To activate Mac Text to Speech:
Open System Preferences, click Accessibility, then Speech. (If you are not running the latest Mac operating system then you will click System Preferences > Dictation & Speech > Speech). Select the “Speak selected text when the key is pressed” checkbox.

Does Microsoft Word have voice typing?

With Microsoft Word’s “Dictate” feature, you can write using a microphone and your own voice. When you use Dictate, you can say “new line” to create a new paragraph and add punctuation simply by saying the punctuation aloud.

Does Word 2010 have speech to text?

Yes, MS Office 2010 includes a text-to-speech feature.(You do this via the Control Panels rather in Word itself [Control Panels > Speech Recognition > Text-to-Speech, selecting the preferred voice from the drop down list.]

Can Cortana type for me?

Well, now you can, with a new app called Dictate. Microsoft has released the add-in for not only Word, but also Outlook and Powerpoint. It uses Cortana’s speech-recognition technology to offer speech-to-text functionality. In other words, you simply speak what you want to type.

How do I make Word 2013 read aloud?

To use this feature, simply open Word, click Review tab > Read Aloud, or press Alt+Ctrl+Space on your keyboard. Click Play/Pause to start and stop the narration. Select Settings to change the reading speed. If you are using MS Office 2013, there is another option for accessing the text-to-speech conversion feature.

How do I make my computer read to me Windows 10?

How to turn Narrator on or off on Windows 10 using Settings

1. Click the Start button and then click the Settings icon, which resembles a gear.
2. Click “Ease of Access.”
3. In the pane on the left, click “Narrator.”
4. In the “Use Narrator” section, turn the feature on or off by clicking the button labeled “Turn on Narrator.”

What is Read Mode in Word?

If you’re reading a document, not writing or major editing, click or tap View > Read Mode to hide the writing tools and menus and to leave more room for the pages themselves. Read Mode automatically fits the page layout to your device, using columns and larger font sizes, both of which you can adjust.

Why is my Microsoft edge not reading aloud?

Enabling the Read Aloud feature is easy but you must update your Microsoft Edge to its latest version.On the address bar, type the following: edge://flags/#edge-read-aloud-pdf. Look for Read Aloud in PDF and click to open a drop-down menu. Click Enabled.

Why does my Mac say every letter I type?

A Mac has the ability to use speech synthesis to read onscreen text aloud. Apple calls this feature “VoiceOver,” and it helps to make the Mac more accessible for users who have difficulty seeing the screen.Disable this feature in a few easy steps and make your Mac stop talking.

How can I make my computer read text?

How to get Word to read a document aloud

1. In Word, open the document you want to be read aloud.
2. Click “Review.”
3. Select “Read Aloud” in the ribbon.
4. Click where you want to start reading.
5. Hit the Play button in the Read Aloud controls.
6. When you’re done, click “X” to close the Read Aloud controls.

How do I turn on text to speech on a Mac?

TTS

1. To start, open the System Preferences panel under the Apple icon and click on Dictation and Speech.
2. Select the Text to Speech tab.
3. Check the option “Speak selected text when the key is pressed.
4. Click the Set Key option.
5. Choose one modifier key — Command, Control, Option, or Shift — plus one other key of your choice.

Does Mac Have speech text?

Macs have voice dictation built-in, allowing you to talk instead of type. This feature functions more like voice dictation on a mobile operating system, and less like the more complicated Speech Recognition feature found in Windows.

How do I dictate to a Word document in Windows 10?

To use the Windows 10 speech recognition, open a document, email, or other file into which you want to dictate. Hold down the Windows key and press H to trigger the dictation toolbar. You can now dictate your text. When you’re done, press Win key + H to turn off the dictation toolbar (Figure G).

Using Microsoft Word’s read aloud feature, you can listen to your document in real-time, highlighting text as it is read. Here’s how to use it.

Do you enjoy having your favorite passage of scripture, novel, recipe, or the latest news read aloud to you while you are doing other things? With the help of text-to-speech technology, this can easily be done.

In fact, you can have Microsoft Edge read aloud to you in male, female, American, or British accents, among others.

In this article, you’ll learn how to use the Microsoft Word read aloud feature to read Word Documents, PDFs, and even website content.

How to Use Microsoft Word’s Read Aloud Feature on Desktop

1. Launch the Microsoft Word desktop application and open the document you want to read aloud.
2. Click on the Review tab in the ribbon area.
3. Click on Read Aloud, otherwise, press Alt + Ctrl + Space.
   
4. Microsoft Word will begin reading aloud from the active page.
5. You can also select the entire content (Ctrl + A) and click the play button to begin from the very top.
6. You can use the playback controls to manage how the text is read aloud. Tap the cogwheel button in the top-right corner of the page to access the settings.
   
7. From here, you can adjust the reading speed by dragging the Reading speed scroll bar. You can also tap the Voice Selection dropdown to choose either a male or female reading voice.
   

   You don’t need to worry about keeping pace because the text is highlighted as it is read, and auto scroll automatically moves the reader from word to word, line to line, and paragraph to paragraph.

How to Use Read Aloud Feature With Microsoft Office Online

What if you don’t have an active Microsoft Office license key or Microsoft 365 subscription? You can still use Microsoft Word’s read aloud feature online for free. Here’s how.

1. You’ll need to have the Microsoft Office extension installed on your browser.
2. Click on the Microsoft Office logo in the extensions tab and click on Word. Word will open in your OneDrive account if you’re already signed in.
3. Click on New blank document or open a recent document.
   
4. Click on the View tab in the ribbon area and click on Immersive Reader.
   

   Immersive Reader mode strips content of formatting and other clutter that may hamper a smooth read aloud experience.

5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the green play button.
   
6. You can also pause the reader by clicking on the pause button.
7. Click on Voice Settings (speaker icon with a cogwheel) to manage the playback controls.
   
8. The default reading speed is 1. Reading speed ranges from 0.5 (the slowest) to 2.5 (the fastest). Use the scroll bar under Voice Speed to adjust as needed.
9. You can also select between male and female voices.
10. If you click on a word like “install”, a clipart is generated showing someone trying to install something, plus a speaker icon that you can click to listen to its pronunciation.
    

    This is great for comprehension, as it allows you to visualize certain words or objects that you aren’t yet familiar with while reading a passage.

11. Simply click the back arrow in the top-left corner of your screen to Exit the “Immersive Reader” mode.

How to Use the Read Aloud Feature in Microsoft Word Mobile App

You can also enjoy the read aloud feature while using Microsoft Word on your mobile device. Here’s how.

1. Launch the Microsoft Word app on your mobile phone and open a recent document.
2. Alternatively, tap on Open in the bottom right of your screen and select the document you want to open from the other available file locations.
3. Once the document is open, tap on the three dots button in the top right-corner of your screen.
4. From the menu options below your screen, tap on Read Aloud.
5. The playback controls will appear at the bottom of the screen, with which you can manage playback.
6. Tap the speaker icon with a cogwheel to access the Reading Speed and Voice Pack settings.
7. Tap x to exit the reader.

The reader pauses when your phone’s backlight goes off. To enjoy longer screen time during a read aloud session, consider extending your phone’s backlight or display duration.

Download: Microsoft Office for Android | iOS (Free, with in-app purchases available)

How to Read a PDF Aloud Using Microsoft Word

Here’s how to read a PDF aloud using Microsoft Word on a desktop.

1. Open Microsoft Word on your desktop, click on File > Open. Alternatively, press Ctrl + O.
2. Select and click on the PDF file you want to read aloud.
3. Review the warning message displayed on the screen and click OK when done. Word will convert the PDF file into an editable Microsoft Word document. Note that this process may take a while depending on the size of the PDF file.
   
4. Click on the Review tab in the ribbon area, then click on Read Aloud.
5. Manage your playback settings via the playback controls on the screen, just as you would do when reading a Microsoft Word document aloud.

You can also have a PDF file read aloud to you on your smartphone following this exact same process using the Microsoft Word mobile app.

How to Read Aloud a Webpage in Microsoft Word

Most browsers like Microsoft Edge have a built-in read aloud feature that allows you to vocalize a webpage. If yours doesn’t, you can still read a webpage aloud using Microsoft Word by converting the webpage to a PDF, then reading it aloud in Microsoft Word. Here’s how.

1. Go to the webpage you want to read aloud and press Ctrl + P.
2. Make sure that Destination is set as Save as PDF, then click Save.
   
3. Open Microsoft Word on your desktop, click on File > Open. Alternatively, press Ctrl + O.
4. Select and click on the “Webpage file” you want to read aloud.
5. Review the warning message displayed on the screen and click OK when done.
6. Click on the Review tab in the ribbon area, then click on Read Aloud.

Do More With Microsoft Word Read Aloud Feature

The read aloud feature can be especially useful as a hands-off way of keeping tabs on your favorite content. The dyslexic, visually impaired, and visual and auditory learners will love this nifty little trick in Microsoft Word.

Since the read aloud feature doesn’t require you to sit and stare at a screen, it can also help to prevent eye strain. So, if you love reading but hate the eye strain that follows it, here’s your remedy.

If you use Microsoft Edge as your preferred browser, we’ve also covered how to use the read aloud feature in Edge, so you can enjoy being read aloud to when working in Microsoft Word or on the web.

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• How To Make The Microsoft Word Read Aloud To You

By Sarah | Follow |
Last Updated August 16, 2022

Microsoft Word is a world-famous word processor contained in the Microsoft Office suite. You can create a document in Microsoft Word easily to save important information. Sometimes, you may want to change Word text to speech for different reasons like multitasking and time saving. How to get Word to read to you? 3 different ways will be introduced.

Can Microsoft Word Read out Loud

Microsoft Word, included in the Microsoft Office suite, is a great tool for word process and information storage. It’s pretty easy and safe to create a Word document and share it with others. However, people sometimes need to hear the information directly instead of reading it; they are asking can Word read to me. Sure, some features are built in it to make Microsoft Word read aloud possible. What are they? How to get Word to read to you? These questions will be answered later.

Tip: To protect the valuable information saved in a Word document, you need to enable the auto-save feature and start a regular backup plan. If a Word document is lost unexpectedly, you should get the following MiniTool software to help you recover it.

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Possible Reasons for Getting Word Read Aloud

• You need to proofread some content.
• You want to improve your understanding and your ability to learn.
• You have a lot of things to do, so you don’t have time to read a Word document.
• You want to share the content of a document with people who can’t see.
• Etc.

How to make Word read to you? You should just use the following tools built in Microsoft Word to read information out loud. Let’s take Windows 10 read text as an example.

#1. Read Aloud

The Read Aloud feature is able to read all or part of your document. But you should know that it’s only available for Office 2019 and Microsoft 365 users.

Read Microsoft Word with Read Aloud

How to make Microsoft Word read to you by using Read Aloud:

1. Locate the Word document you want to read on your computer.
2. Open it as you usually do.
3. Put your cursor to the place where you want the reading aloud to begin.
4. Shift to the Review tab in the opening Word.
5. Click Read Aloud. The content will be read out loud.

Microsoft Word Won’t Open On Windows & Mac: How To Fix It.

A small control panel will appear in the top right corner to help you control the reading. The buttons from left to right are:

• Previous: go back to the start of the current/previous paragraph.
• Pause/Play: pause or continue the reading.
• Next: go forward a paragraph.
• Settings: modify the Reading speed and Voice Selection directly.
• Stop: exit Read Aloud.

#2. Speak

You can find the Speak feature in not only Word, but also Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It will only read the selected text for you. In contrast, the Read Aloud feature helps to read the entire document starting from your cursor location.

Read Word Using the Speak Button

How to have Microsoft Word read to you:

1. Open the target Word document.
2. Select the words or paragraphs you want the system to read.
3. Click on the Speak selected text icon in the Quick Access Toolbar.
4. Click on this icon again if you want to stop reading.

How to lock & protect a Word document?

Add the Speak Icon to Quick Access Toolbar

What if you can’t find the Speak selected text icon? You should add it to the Quick Access Toolbar manually.

1. Click on the Customize down arrow on the right side of the Quick Access Toolbar.
2. Select More Commands from the drop-down menu.
3. Choose Quick Access Toolbar in the left pane of the Word Options window.
4. Look for the Choose commands from box.
5. Scroll down to find and select Speak.
6. Click Add and then click OK to confirm the action.

You can open Control Panel -> Ease of Access -> Speech Recognition -> Text to Speech to change the Speak preferences.

#3. Narrator

This is a Windows Screen reader app that can read everything on your screen (text and user interfaces). It is not restricted to Microsoft Word.

Use Narrator in Windows 10 to Read

1. Press Windows + Ctrl + Enter.
2. Put your cursor onto the text you want the computer to read.
3. Press Narrator key + Down arrow to start reading.
4. Press Narrator to stop.
5. Press Narrator key + Down arrow again to continue reading.

How to modify your Narrator:

Press Windows + I -> select Ease of Access -> choose Narrator from the left sidebar.

That’s all about how to make your computer read to you.

Please read this page if you’d like to recover lost Word files on Mac.

About The Author

Position: Columnist

Sarah has been working as an editor at MiniTool since she graduated from university. Sarah aims at helping users with their computer problems such as disk errors and data loss. She feels a sense of accomplishment to see that users get their issues fixed relying on her articles. Besides, she likes to make friends and listen to music after work.

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Use the Speak and Read Aloud commands

Updated on February 10, 2022

What to Know

• Select the Read Aloud icon in the ribbon under the Review menu to hear the entire document narrated.
• Add the Speak command to the Quick Look Toolbar and select the Speak icon to narrate the text you’ve highlighted in your document.
• Read Aloud sounds better but is only available in versions of Office after 2019. The Speak feature is available in Office 2003 and later.

There are several options available to have Word read the text aloud to you so you’ll know what’s on the page even if you can’t fully see the text or you want to hear how it flows. Here’s how to make Word read to you.

How to Make Word Read to You

From within Microsoft Word, there are two main features to make Word read to you. The first is Read Aloud, which will read the entire page. The second is Speak, which will read aloud only the text you’ve selected.

How to Use Read Aloud in Word

You can only use the Read Aloud feature in Word if you have Office 2019, Office 2021, or Microsoft 365. Otherwise, you’ll need to upgrade Office to enjoy this feature.

1. Select the Review menu and select Read Aloud from the ribbon.

   You’ll want to first open the document you’d like Microsoft Word to read aloud to you. Without a document open, the Read Aloud controls won’t do anything.

2. This option will open the Read Aloud controls at the upper right corner of your open document. There are five buttons to control the Read Aloud feature. To hear the text read aloud to you, press the Play icon in these controls (the right arrow icon).

3. You’ll hear a voice reading the text aloud. You’ll also notice that the play icon has now changed to a Pause icon (two vertical lines). Press the Pause button if you want to pause the audio voice wherever it’s currently reading. When you’re ready to start listening again, press the Play button.

4. You will also notice two other buttons to the right and left of the Play/Pause button. These are two left arrows (Previous) and two right arrows (Next). These buttons will let you navigate forward or backward one paragraph, which is helpful if you aren’t interested in hearing the current paragraph anymore and want the narration to skip back or ahead.

5. When you finish listening to the document being read aloud, you can stop the Read Aloud feature by selecting the Stop icon (an X icon).

Remember, you don’t need to use your mouse to control Microsoft Word Read Aloud. You can use the following keyboard shortcuts instead.

• CTRL + Alt + Space: Launch the Read Aloud feature
• CTRL + Space: Play or pause voice narration
• CTRL + Left Arrow: Move voice narration to the previous paragraph
• CTRL + Right Arrow: Skip narration to the next paragraph
• Alt + Left Arrow: Slow down voice narration speed
• Alt + Right Arrow: Speed up voice narration speed

Enable and Use Speak in Word

Microsoft incorporated the Speak feature into Microsoft Office 2003. That means even if you don’t have a newer version of Microsoft Word with Read Aloud available, you can still use the Speak feature. The only difference is you’ll need to highlight the text you want to hear narrated first.

1. Before you can use the Speak feature, you’ll need to enable it in the Quick Access Toolbar. To do this, select File, Options, and Quick Access Toolbar from the left menu. Select All Commands from the Choose commands from drop-down menu.

2. Scroll down to and select Speak, and select the Add button in the middle to add the Speak feature to the Quick Access Toolbar. Select OK to finish.

   Make sure the Show Quick Access Toolbar checkbox is selected, or you won’t be able to see the toolbar even if Speak is enabled.

3. To use the Speak feature, highlight the text you want to hear narrated. You can select the entire document if you wish. Once you’ve highlighted the text, select the Speak icon from the Quick Access Toolbar.

4. You will hear the text narrated in a digitized voice. At any time, if you want to stop the narration, you can select the Speak icon again, and the narration will stop.

FAQ

• How do I make a Word document read-only?

  To make a document read-only, go to Review > Restrict Editing. Under Editing restrictions, check Allow only this type of editing in the document and choose No changes (Read only). You’ll have the option to set a password if you don’t want anyone else to alter the file.

• How do I record read aloud in Word?

  Word doesn’t have a built-in recorder, so you must run a separate audio recording program while Word reads your text. You can use built-in tools to record sound on Windows or record audio on Mac.

• How do I use voice dictation in Word?

  To dictate or transcribe in Word, select the down-arrow next to Dictate > Transcribe > Start recording > Save and transcribe now. To transcribe existing audio, select Upload audio and choose the file.

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