How to use the Text to Speech
- Type or paste the text you want to hear.
- Choose a voice. Voices are grouped by language, and those marked “online” are generated by your browser maker’s servers.
- Adjust the speed, pitch and volume to suit you.
- Press Play. Use Pause, Resume and Stop as needed, and follow the highlighted word as it is read.
Features
- Uses every voice your browser and operating system provide
- Voice list grouped by language, with online voices clearly marked
- Speed from 0.5× to 2×, plus pitch and volume controls
- Highlights each word as it is spoken, where the voice supports it
- Reads long texts reliably in sentence-sized parts
- Remembers your voice and settings on this device
How browser text to speech works
This reader uses the Web Speech API built into modern browsers. Your browser hands the text to a speech engine, which turns it into audio and plays it through your speakers. The voices you see come from your operating system and your browser, which is why the list on a Windows laptop differs from the one on an iPhone or an Android phone. Nothing needs to be installed and there is no account or usage limit.
Local and online voices
Most voices are local: the speech is generated on your device and the text never leaves it. Some browsers add online voices that sound more natural, such as the Google voices in Chrome and the “Online (Natural)” voices in Microsoft Edge. With those, the text you play is sent to the browser maker’s servers to be turned into speech. The voice list marks them “(online)”. If your text is private, choose a voice without that label. ToolsWorld itself never receives your text either way.
Why the audio cannot be downloaded
The speech API plays sound directly and does not give web pages access to the audio it produces, so no browser-based reader built on it can honestly offer an MP3 download. If you need an audio file, you would have to use a dedicated speech service or record your device’s sound output. This tool is designed for listening.
Choosing a speed
| Purpose | Suggested speed |
|---|---|
| Learning a language or pronunciation | 0.7–0.8× |
| Proofreading your own writing | 0.9–1.0× |
| Studying or listening to articles | 1.0–1.3× |
| Skimming familiar material | 1.5–2.0× |
Pitch changes how high or low the voice sounds without changing its speed. Some voices ignore pitch or only accept a narrow range.
Following along
When a voice reports its position, the word being spoken is highlighted so you can read and listen at the same time, which many people with dyslexia or low vision find helpful. Most local voices support this. Many online voices do not, so the text is read without highlighting; the status line tells you when that happens.
Proofreading by ear
Hearing your writing read back is one of the most effective ways to catch errors. Your eyes skip over missing words, doubled words and clumsy sentences because your brain knows what you meant to write, but a voice reads exactly what is there. Listen to an important email or essay once before sending it, and use the Readability Checker to find sentences that are hard to follow.
Getting more voices
Desktop systems and phones let you install additional voices and languages in their speech, language or accessibility settings. After installing, reload this page and the new voices appear in the list. To go the other way and turn your voice into text, try Speech to Text.
Frequently asked questions
Can I download the speech as an MP3?
No. Browsers play built-in voices directly and do not let web pages capture the audio, so the speech can be listened to here but not saved.
Is my text sent anywhere?
With local voices, no: speech is generated on your device. Voices marked “online” send the text to your browser maker’s speech service. ToolsWorld never receives it.
Why are the voices different on my phone and my computer?
The voices come from your operating system and browser, so each device offers its own set. Installing extra voices in your system settings adds them to the list.
Why is the current word not highlighted?
Highlighting needs the voice to report which word it is speaking. Most local voices do, but many online voices do not. Pick a different voice to get highlighting.
Is there a limit on how much text it can read?
No fixed limit. Long texts are read in sentence-sized parts, which keeps playback reliable in browsers that stop long utterances early.