Free Online Text to Speech
Listen to your text read aloud using your browser's built-in voices.
- Free
- Real-time
- Runs locally
Player
Enter some text above, then press Play.
Voice settings
Turn any text into speech in a click. Paste an article, an email draft or your own writing, choose a voice and language, and listen while the word being read is highlighted. It is a quick way to proofread, rest your eyes, or hear how a script sounds before you record it.
The tool uses the speech voices built into your browser and operating system, so there is no sign-up and no upload. By default only voices that run on your device are shown; online voices from your browser's provider are available if you choose to turn them on.
How to use text to speech
- STEP 01
Add your text
Type or paste the text you want to hear. Long texts are fine: they are read part by part.
- STEP 02
Pick a voice
Choose a language and voice, then adjust speed, pitch and volume. Use Preview voice to hear a short sample.
- STEP 03
Press Play
Listen while the current word is highlighted. Pause, resume, skip between sentences or stop at any time.
Features
Voices in many languages
Every voice installed on your device is available, grouped by language so the right accent is easy to find.
Word highlighting
Follow along as each word is spoken, with a progress bar for the whole text. Highlighting depends on voice support.
Speed, pitch and volume
Slow down to 0.5× for difficult material or speed up to 2× to review quickly. Changes apply from the next sentence.
Sentence navigation
Jump back to repeat a sentence or forward to skip one without starting over.
Handles long texts
Text is split at sentence boundaries and read as a queue, avoiding the cut-offs some browsers have with long passages.
Private by default
Only on-device voices are listed unless you opt in to online voices, so your text stays on your computer.
Device voices and online voices
Browsers offer two kinds of voices. Device voices are installed with your operating system and generate speech locally. Online voices, such as some Google voices in Chrome or natural voices in Edge, send the text to the provider's servers to create the audio.
This tool lists device voices by default. If you turn on online voices, the text being read is handled by your browser's provider under its own privacy policy, not by this website. The voices you see depend on your browser and operating system, so they can differ between computers and phones.
Frequently asked questions
Is this text to speech tool free?
Yes. It is free with no account and no character limit. It uses the speech engine that is already part of your browser.
Why do I see different voices on another device?
Voices come from your browser and operating system, not from this website. Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and ChromeOS each include different voices, and you can usually add more in your system's language or accessibility settings.
Can I download the speech as an MP3?
Not at the moment. Browsers play speech directly through your speakers and do not give websites access to the audio, so it cannot be saved as a file without recording your system sound.
Is my text sent to a server?
With the default device voices, no: speech is generated on your device. If you turn on online voices, your browser sends the text to its provider (such as Google or Microsoft) to create the audio. This website never receives your text.
Why is the current word not highlighted with some voices?
Word highlighting relies on timing information that each voice may or may not provide. When a voice does not report word positions, the tool still shows which part is being read.
Why does nothing play on my phone?
Make sure your phone is not in silent mode and that media volume is up. Some mobile browsers only allow speech to start directly from a tap on the Play button.