How to use it
- Type or paste the text in Text.
- Choose a Voice, then set the Speed and the Pitch.
- Press Play. The word being read is marked; press Pause or Stop at any time.
How the reading works
The page uses the speech synthesis part of the Web Speech API, which browsers offer to web pages (speechSynthesis). The browser turns the text into speech with the voices it has, and the page chooses the voice, speed and pitch.
A long text is read in pieces of a few sentences, because a very long reading can be cut short in some browsers. Where the browser reports each word it reads, that word is marked; some voices do not report words, and then no word is marked.
- Voices in the language of this page are listed first. If the browser has none in that language, its other voices are listed and the reading may sound unusual.
- The reading follows the text as it was when you pressed Play. A change made later is read after the next Play.
Privacy and online voices
This page does not send your text anywhere. Some browsers, however, send the text to an online voice service of the browser's maker when they use one of their cloud voices. The page cannot make the browser choose a device voice, so check the browser's voice settings before reading private text.
What the page does not do
- It does not record, save or download audio. The speech API gives no audio file, so there is nothing to download.
- It does not store your text or your settings.
- Pronunciation belongs to the voice: names, numbers and abbreviations may be read differently by each voice.
Worked example: a sentence at normal speed and pitch
Type Hello, world. and press Play with the speed and pitch at 1. The browser reads the two words in turn, and each word is marked as it is spoken. Move the speed to 1.5 to hear the same text faster.
| Setting | Range | Normal |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 0.5 to 2 | 1 |
| Pitch | 0 to 2 | 1 |
| Length of each piece read at once | up to 200 characters | a few sentences |
Frequently asked questions
Why does the reading use a different voice from the one I chose?
The voice may no longer be installed, or the browser may fall back to its default voice for a language the chosen voice does not speak. Choose the voice again after the page has loaded.
Why is no word marked while the text is read?
Word marks depend on the browser and on the voice: some do not report where each word starts. The reading itself still works without the marks.
Can I save the spoken text as an MP3 file?
Not with this page. The speech API gives no audio file, so the tool cannot download one. To keep the sound, use a recording tool on your device while the text is read.
Does the reading need an internet connection?
A voice installed on your device can read without one. Cloud voices need the internet, and some browsers send the text to an online voice service for them.
Why does the page say that speech is not supported?
The speech API belongs to the browser, not to this page. When the browser has no speech synthesis, the page cannot read the text, and another browser may work.
Sources
- MDN: SpeechSynthesis (the Web Speech API's speech output)
- MDN: SpeechSynthesisEvent.charIndex (the position of the word being read)
Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.