word speech read

How to Use Microsoft Word Read Aloud Feature

Everything you need to know about how to use the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word, Word Online, and Word Mobile.

Read Aloud is a new powerful text-to-speech feature built into Microsoft Word that reads out documents to you. It is a wonderful tool that reads the contents of your Word document in more realistic and natural-sounding voices. However, you will need a Microsoft 365 subscription to use the natural-sounding voices, otherwise, you will have to use the three default voices. Read Aloud is only available in the versions of Office 2019, Office 2021, and Microsoft 365.

Sometimes, listening to a document can help you find errors, repetitive words, or clumsy words that you may have missed or skipped over while editing or reading the document. Plus, listening to a document can improve your comprehension, learning pronunciations, and language skills if the document is not in your primary language. This feature is very useful for readers with learning disorders and visual impairment.

Don’t confuse ‘Read Aloud’ with another text-to-speech feature called ‘Speak’ in Microsoft Word. While ‘Read Aloud’ can read you any and all parts of your document, the Speak feature can only read the selected text. If you want to find out more about Word’s Read Aloud feature and how to use it, read on.

Using the Read Aloud Feature in Word

Read Aloud is an advanced tool that uses the Windows enhanced Narrator and Accessibility technology to play back written text as spoken words. There are two ways the Read Aloud reads out your content. It will either read the content starting from wherever you placed the cursor or it will read only the highlighted text.

The offline versions of Word 2019 and 2021 only have three different voices. If you want to hear the content of your document in natural-sounding voices, you will need a Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection. In Microsoft 365, you can choose from over 142 different voices.

Starting from where you placed the cursor, it reads one word at a time and highlights each word when reading it aloud. It uses auto-scroll to move from word to word, line by line, and paragraph to paragraph to read and reads the content out loud.

Access Read Aloud in Microsoft Word

First, open the document you want to read aloud in Microsoft Word. Next, place the cursor where you want to start listening from or highlight the text that you want to be read aloud.

Then, go to the ‘Review’ tab and click the ‘Read Aloud’ button in the ribbon or simply press Alt + Ctrl + Space .

This will launch the Read Aloud controls at the top right corner of your open document, under the Ruler, and start reading the content automatically. The little control panel will have 5 controls: Previous, Play/Pause, Next, Settings, and Stop.

You can click the ‘Pause’ or ‘Play’ button in the middle of the panel to pause or resume the reading. Once the reading starts the middle button turns to pause and when paused, it will turn to play. Each word will be highlighted while reading it aloud as shown below.

You can also use the ‘Previous’ and ‘Next’ buttons to jump back and forth between paragraphs. When either of the buttons is pressed, it will resume the reading at the beginning of the next or previous paragraph.

To stop the Read Aloud tool, you can click the close button in the controls or click the ‘Read Aloud’ button again in the Word ribbon.

If you wish to changes the reading speed and the reading voice, click the ‘Settings’ button (Speaker with the gear icon) on the right.

You can also use the Reading speed slider to increase or reduce the reading speed.

To the change reading voice, click the ‘Voice Selection’ drop-down and choose one of the voices. If you are using Word 2019, or Word 2021, you will have only have three preset voices: Microsoft David, Microsoft Zira, and Microsoft Mark. If you are using Microsoft 365’s Word, you will have hundreds of different voices to choose from.

You can also control the Read Aloud tool with the following keyboard shortcuts:

Ctrl + Alt + Space – Launch the Read Aloud tool
Ctrl + Space – Play or Pause
Alt + Left Arrow – Decrease reading speed
Alt + Right Arrow – Increase reading speed
Ctrl + Left Arrow – Jump to the start of the previous paragraph
Ctrl + Right Arrow – Jump to the start of the next paragraph

Read Aloud in Immersive Reader mode

Immersive Reader is a built-in interactive reading tool that helps learners improve their reading skills, pronunciation, and grammar skills, regardless of their age or ability. It removes formatting and other visual distractions to provide an immersive read-aloud experience. To have text read aloud in immersive reader mode, follow these steps:

Open the document you want to read aloud, switch to the ‘View’ tab and click the ‘Immersive Reader’ button in the Immersive section.

This will open the document in Immersive mode. Now, click the ‘Read Aloud’ button in the Immersive Reader section of the ribbon.

Then, the Read Aloud controls will appear at the top left corner of the window and automatically start reading the content.

Use Read Aloud on Microsoft Word Online

If you are using a computer that doesn’t have Microsoft Office 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365 subscription, you can still use the Read aloud feature on Microsoft Word online for free. With this method, you listen to your document anywhere on any computer. Here’s how you can do that:

Open a browser and go to office.live.com/start/word and sign in with your Microsoft login credentials.

On the Office home page, click the ‘Word’ button on the left-hand side panel.

If you already have the document that you want to listen from is uploaded to your OneDrive, open that document or create a new document. If you want to upload the document from your computer, click the ‘Upload and open…’ link.

When the document opens, go to the ‘View’ tab and click the ‘Immersive Reader’ button in the ribbon area.

This will open the document in Immersive Reader mode. Now place your cursor where you want to start the reading and click on the green ‘Play’ button at the bottom.

You can pause the reading by clicking the same button. When reading, the tool shows focus only on the line and the word that is being read out aloud as shown below.

To change the reading speed and voice selection, click the ‘Voice settings’ button next to the play/pause button. You can change the voice speed using the slider and change between male and female voices.

If you click on a word, it will show you a pictorial representation of that word for better comprehension. Also, you will see a little speaker button that you can click to listen to the pronunciation of that word.

To exit the immersive reader mode, click the back arrow (Exit) at the top-left of the window.

Moreover, using Word Online to read aloud a document will sound better than the offline version.

Use the Read Aloud in Microsoft Word Mobile App

If you are too busy with some other work like commuting or doing chores, you can still use the read-aloud feature while using Microsoft Word on your mobile device.

Open the Microsoft Word app on your mobile phone, and open a document from OneDrive. Alternatively, you can tap the ‘Open’ button at the bottom right corner of the app and select the document you want to open from your device’s local storage, Google Drive, etc.,

After the document opens up, tap/press the three dots button in the top right corner of your screen.

Then, select ‘Read Aloud’ from the menu.

Now, the playback controls will appear at the bottom of the screen and it will automatically start playing the contents of the document.

To change voice speed and voice selection, click the ‘Settings’ icon in the controls.

Note: The Read Aloud feature stops when your phone goes to sleep and you need to restart the reader after you wake up your phone. In order to keep listening to the document, increase your mobile’s display or backlight duration.

Read a PDF Aloud Using Microsoft Word

Most of the official documents come in PDF format, so listening to PDF files in Word could be useful. Here’s how you can do that.

First, open the Microsoft Word app on your device, click on the ‘File’ tab, and select ‘Open’. Or, press Ctrl + O . Then, click the ‘Browse’ button on the right pane.

And select the PDF file from your computer that you want to read aloud.

A warning box will be shown stating that the PDF file will be converted into an editable Word document and the resulting document may not look exactly the same as the original file. Here, click ‘OK’ to continue.

Then, as usual, switch to the ‘Review’ tab and click the ‘Read Aloud’ in the ribbon area.

Now, you can control the read-aloud with the playback controls just as you would do when reading a Word document.

How to Add Read Aloud Button to the Quick Access Toolbar

For quick access, you can the Read Aloud button to the Quick Access Toolbar in the upper left corner of the Ribbon in Word. The Quick Access Toolbar is customizable, you can add or remove any tool or option in there. Here’s how you can do that:

Go to the ‘File’ tab and select ‘Options’ from the backstage view

In the Word Options dialog window, click the ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ section on the left pane.

On the right pane, click the ‘Choose commands from:’ drop-down menu, and select ‘All Commands’.

Then, scroll down the list box below until you see ‘Read Aloud’. Then, select it and click the ‘Add’ button. This adds the tool to the box on the right.

After that, click ‘OK’ to apply changes.

You can then click the ‘Read Aloud’ icon in the Quick Access Toolbar to quickly launch or stop the tool.

Use Read Aloud on Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge also has a built-in read aloud feature that allows the webpage to be read aloud to you.

First, open the webpage you want to be read aloud to you and click where you want to start reading or select only the text or paragraph on a page that you want to listen to.

Then, right-click and select the ‘Read aloud’ or ‘Read aloud selection’ option from the menu.

Once you do that, the Read aloud control panel with playback controls will appear at the top of the screen below the address bar and the tool will start reading the text to you. The reading line will be highlighted in blue while the word that is being read will be highlighted in yellow. You can use the control to manage the playback.

To change the reading speed and voice, click the ‘Voice options’ button in the Read aloud bar.

Then, you can use the ‘Speed’ slider to adjust the reading speed and the ‘Choose a voice’ drop-down to change the voice to one of the hundreds of different voices and languages.

Another great thing about using Read aloud in the Edge browser is that if you choose a voice in a different language, the tool will automatically translate the content to that language and read it to you in that voice. But you will need an active internet connection for this.

For instance, if I enable the read-aloud tool on a webpage that is in English and change the voice to ‘Microsoft Joana Online (Natural) – Catalan (Spain)’. Then, the tool will translate and read this English content in the Spanish language using that voice.

Enable and Use Speak Feature to Listen to Documents

In case, you are using any Office version older than Office 2019, you can use the built-in Speak feature to listen to your documents on Word. The Speak tool is not present in the ribbon, so you have to add it to the Quick Access Toolbar or the Ribbon. Here’s how:

Go to the ‘File’ tab and select ‘Options’.

In the Word Options dialog window, click the ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ section on the left pane and then choose ‘All Command’ from the ‘Choose commands from’ drop-down menu.

Then, scroll down the list box and select the ‘Speak’ command. After that, click the ‘Add’ button to add the ‘Speak’ command to the box on the right.

Then, click ‘OK’ to apply changes.

After adding the Speak command, select the block of text in your document or select the whole document ( Ctrl + A ). Then, click the ‘Speak selected text’ icon in the Quick Access Toolbar to start listening to the document.

That’s it.

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How to Get Microsoft Word to Read Your Document Aloud

Sometimes hearing a document read out loud is helpful. With Microsoft Word, you can take advantage of a text-to-speech feature that reads documents. Using Read Aloud, just sit back and listen.

We’ll show you how to use the Microsoft Word Read Aloud feature on your desktop, the web, and in the mobile app.

Note : As of this writing, Read Aloud is available in Office 2019, Office 2021, and Microsoft 365.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Desktop

You can use the Read Aloud feature in Word on both Windows and Mac, which works the same way on both platforms.

Open your Word document and head to the Review tab.
Select Read Aloud in the Speech section of the ribbon.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Desktop image

When the small control bar appears, you can manage the playback and adjust a couple of settings.
Use the Play/Pause button to stop and resume.
Use the Forward (right arrow) and Back (left arrow) buttons to move to the next or previous paragraph.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Desktop image 2

Select the gear icon to adjust these settings in the drop-down menu:
Use the Reading Speed slider to adjust the speaking speed. Slide right to increase or left to decrease.
Use the Voice Selection drop-down to choose a different voice. The options vary depending on your installed voices on Windows or macOS.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Desktop image 3

If you want to hear a particular portion of the document or start in a spot other than the beginning, select the text or place your cursor at the beginning of the line. Then, start the playback using the Play button.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Desktop image 4

When you finish using Read Aloud, use the X on the right of the controls to close and exit. You can then continue working on or reading your Word document as usual.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Web

If you use Microsoft Word on the web, you can use Read Aloud within the Immersive Reader feature.

Visit Word on the web , sign in, and open your document.
Go to the View tab and select Immersive Reader .

You’ll see the document open in a focused mode , making it easier to read. You’ll also notice a green Play button at the bottom.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Web image 2

Select the Play button to hear the document read out loud. Select it again to pause the playback.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Web image 3

To change the Voice Speed or Voice Selection , use the gear icon to the right.

Use Read Aloud in Word on the Web image 4

To exit Read Aloud and Immersive Reader, use the back arrow on the top left and return to the document’s original view.

Use Read Aloud in Word in the Mobile App

The Read Aloud feature is a handy way to listen to a Word document in the Word mobile app when you’re on the go.

Open the Word app on Android or iPhone and the document you want to hear .
On Android, tap the three dots on the top right and pick Read Aloud . On iPhone, tap Read Aloud at the bottom of the screen.

Use Read Aloud in Word in the Mobile App image

When the Read Aloud controls display, use the Play/Pause , Forward , and Back buttons to control the playback. To hear specific text, select it and then use the Play button to hear it.
To change the speed or voice, select the gear icon. Then use the slider to adjust the Reading Speed and the arrow next to Voice Pack to change the voice.
Tap the down arrow next to Audio Settings to close these settings when you finish.

Use Read Aloud in Word in the Mobile App image 2

To close Read Aloud, select the X on the right side of the control bar.

Whether you want to listen to your own document or one composed by someone else, Read Aloud in Microsoft Word is convenient.

If you’re having trouble hearing your document read to you, look at these fixes for when audio isn’t working on your computer .

Sandy Writtenhouse is a freelance technology writer and former Project, Department, and Program Manager. She turned her education, job experience, and love of technology into a full-time writing career. With all sorts of gadgets in her home and her hands, she seeks to help others make life easier through technology. Read Sandy's Full Bio

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Microsoft Word reads to you: How to use the Speak and Read Aloud commands

Can Microsoft Word read to me? Yes, it can. There are three ways to accomplish this task: The Speak and Read Aloud features in Word, or the Narrator feature in Windows.

The Speak feature was incorporated into Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.) back in version 2003. It was called Text to Speech (TTS) then, and it functioned much the same as it does now. Fortunately, it’s a very simple procedure to set up and use, so you can get started immediately.

Add the Speak button to the Quick Access Toolbar

1. Click the Customize arrow on the Quick Access Toolbar.

2. From the dropdown menu, select More Commands .

3. Go to Word Options > Customize the Quick Access Toolbar and locate the Choose Commands From box. Scroll down to the Speak command.

4. Select the Speak command, click the Add button in the middle of the screen, then click OK .

5. Word adds the Speak command to the Quick Access Toolbar at the end, and you’re ready to go.

Add Speak button to Quick Access Toolbar

Click the Speak button to listen to your text

1. Ensure that your system’s speakers or sound devices are turned on.

2. Highlight a paragraph of text, then click the Speak command button.

3. Word reads any text that’s highlighted, even the entire document. Press Ctrl+ A to select the entire document.

4. Click the Speak command button once to begin the reading session, then click it again to stop. There is no pause-and-continue option at this time, but many users have requested this feature, so we hope to see it in future versions.

Select the Read Aloud command

1. 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.

And (b), when you click the Read Aloud button a second time, it stops. Click the button again to continue from that point on. So, essentially, you have a Pause feature with Read Aloud that is not available with Speak.

Change the Speak preferences in the Windows Control Panel

The Speak preferences are defined in Widows, not in Word specifically.

1. Click Start > Windows System > Control Panel

2. Select Ease of Access > Speech Recognition > Text to Speech , and the Speech Properties dialog window opens on the Text to Speech tab.

002 change speak preferences in windows control panel

3. Under Voice Selection , choose MS David Desktop for a male voice or MS Zira Desktop for a female voice.

4. Click the Preview button to listen to each voice, then make your selection.

5. Use the slider under Voice Speed to adjust the pace (slow, normal, or fast) of the reader.

6. Click the Audio Output button to define the Sound preferences.

7. Click the Advanced button to select or change the output device.

Using Windows 10 Narrator in Word and beyond

Windows 10 Narrator is an accessibility feature designed for vision-impaired users, however, anyone can use it. It reads everything onscreen: documents, websites, comments, page instructions, commands, and more. It’s also not restricted to Word, as the Speak feature is.

Using Narrator is really easy, though learning all the commands may take some time. See Microsoft’s “ Complete guide to Windows Narrator ” for full information. (If you search elsewhere online for WIndows 10 Narrator help, check the date of the article and the Windows version before you start memorizing commands.)

There are two keyboard layouts available: Standard and Legacy. The default is Standard. Follow these instructions to change the keyboard (which changes how the commands function). For more information, go to Microsoft’s support page about Narrator keyboard layouts .

1. Right-click the Windows Start button and select Settings .

2. Select Ease of Access .

3. Click Narrator in the left panel.

4. Browse to Choose Keyboard Setting .

5. From the Select Keyboard Layout field box, choose Standard or Legacy .

6. Next, select your Narrator Modifier key (that is the key used to activate the Narrator commands). Options include Caps Lock, Insert, or Caps Lock and Insert. I chose the Caps Lock key, because its location on the keyboard is more efficient.

7. Once you have chosen the Narrator Modifier key, the instructions here and on the web will refer to that key as the Narrator key (or, in some cases, the SR key).

8. Exit the Settings menu.

Windows Narrator keyboard settings.

The basics for using Narrator are this:

1. Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter (simultaneously) to access or exit Narrator.

2. If you have not memorized all the “reader” keystrokes yet, the easiest method to read text is to place your cursor on the target word/sentence/paragraph and press Narrator key + Down Arrow . Press Narrator key (by itself) to stop, then Narrator key + Down Arrow to continue. There are other keys that perform this same function, but these are the easiest.

3. Most important: For a list of all the Narrator commands, press Narrator + F1 .

4. For reading the current paragraph, press Narrator + Ctrl + K .

5. For the next paragraph, press Narrator + Ctrl + L .

6. For the current page, press Narrator + Ctrl + I .

7. For the next page, press Narrator + Ctrl + O .

The list goes on and on. In addition to the complete guide above, check out the support pages for Windows 10 Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures , and Windows 10 narrator reading text .

How to Use the Read Aloud Feature in Microsoft Word

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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

Launch the Microsoft Word desktop application and open the document you want to read aloud.
Click on the Review tab in the ribbon area.
Microsoft Word will begin reading aloud from the active page.
You can also select the entire content ( Ctrl + A ) and click the play button to begin from the very top.

Related: How to Use Spoken Content to Make Your MAc Read Out Loud to You

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.

You'll need to have the Microsoft Office extension installed on your browser.
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.
You can also pause the reader by clicking on the pause button.
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.
You can also select between male and female voices.
Simply click the back arrow in the top-left corner of your screen to Exit the “Immersive Reader” mode.

Related: The Best Voice-to-Text Browser Extensions

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.

Launch the Microsoft Word app on your mobile phone and open a recent document.
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.
Once the document is open, tap on the three dots button in the top right-corner of your screen.
The playback controls will appear at the bottom of the screen, with which you can manage playback.
Tap the speaker icon with a cogwheel to access the Reading Speed and Voice Pack settings.
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)

Related: How to Make Your iPhone Read Text Out Loud

How to Read a PDF Aloud Using Microsoft Word

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

Open Microsoft Word on your desktop, click on File > Open . Alternatively, press Ctrl + O .
Select and click on the PDF file you want to read aloud.
Click on the Review tab in the ribbon area, then click on Read Aloud .
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.

Go to the webpage you want to read aloud and press Ctrl + P .
Select and click on the “Webpage file” you want to read aloud.
Review the warning message displayed on the screen and click OK when done.

Related: How to Use Voice-Typing on Microsoft Word and Get More Done

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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Microsoft Word
Text to Speech

How to Read Aloud in Word 2019: A Step-by-Step Guide

Reading aloud in Word 2019 is a useful feature that can help you proofread your documents or assist those with reading difficulties. To use this feature, you simply need to access the ‘Review’ tab, select ‘Read Aloud’ and let Word do the rest.

Step by Step Tutorial: How to Read Aloud in Word 2019

Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to know that the ‘Read Aloud’ feature in Word 2019 uses text-to-speech technology to convert your written words into spoken words. This can be incredibly helpful for catching mistakes or just for listening to your document for better understanding.

Step 1: Open your document in Word 2019

Open the Word document you wish to have read aloud.

Once your document is open, you’re ready to start using the ‘Read Aloud’ feature.

Step 2: Go to the ‘Review’ tab

Click on the ‘Review’ tab in the Word ribbon at the top of the page.

The ‘Review’ tab is where you’ll find all the tools you need for proofreading and reviewing your document.

Step 3: Click on ‘Read Aloud’

Find and select the ‘Read Aloud’ button in the ‘Speech’ group.

You’ll notice that as soon as you click ‘Read Aloud,’ Word will start reading the text from the beginning of the document, or from where your cursor is placed.

Step 4: Control the reading

Use the controls that appear to pause, play, skip forward, or rewind the reading.

You can adjust the reading speed and the voice in the ‘Read Aloud’ settings if you click on the ‘Settings’ icon in the control panel.

After you complete these steps, Word will begin reading your document aloud. You can follow along and make any necessary changes as you listen.

Tips: Enhancing Your Experience with Read Aloud in Word 2019

Use headphones for a clearer and more private listening experience.
Customize the reading voice and speed to your preference.
Highlight text to have only specific sections read aloud.
Use ‘Read Aloud’ as a tool for learning pronunciation or language practice.
Try out the feature with different types of documents to see how it can benefit your workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i change the voice that reads the document.

Yes, you can change the reading voice in the ‘Read Aloud’ settings.

Different voices can provide a different experience, so feel free to experiment with the options available.

Is ‘Read Aloud’ available in all versions of Word?

‘Read Aloud’ is available in Word 2019 and in the latest versions of Word that come with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

If you have an older version of Word, you might not have this feature.

Can I use ‘Read Aloud’ for languages other than English?

Yes, ‘Read Aloud’ supports multiple languages, provided you have the necessary text-to-speech engines installed on your computer.

Make sure you have the language pack installed for the language you want to use.

How do I stop Word from reading aloud?

To stop ‘Read Aloud’, you can click the ‘X’ on the control panel or press the ‘Read Aloud’ button again.

You can start and stop the reading as many times as you need to.

Can ‘Read Aloud’ read text from images or PDFs?

‘Read Aloud’ cannot read text embedded in images or from PDF files within Word. It only reads the text that is in the Word document itself.

If you need to read text from an image or PDF, you will need to use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to convert it into editable text first.

Open your document.
Click on the ‘Review’ tab.
Select ‘Read Aloud’.
Control the reading with the on-screen controls.

Reading aloud in Word 2019 is a powerful feature that can greatly enhance your productivity and help you catch errors that might be missed during silent reading. It’s also an invaluable tool for those with disabilities or for anyone who learns better through auditory means. With customizable settings and easy-to-use controls, Word’s ‘Read Aloud’ function is a feature that everyone should explore and utilize.

Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who loves to write, taking advantage of this feature can save you time and improve the quality of your work. Why not give it a try with your next document? You might be surprised at how useful it can be.

Remember, the ability to have your documents read aloud is just one of the many ways Word 2019 can help streamline your workflow and make your life a little easier. So next time you’re reviewing a lengthy report or proofreading your latest blog post, let Word do the reading for you. It’s like having your own personal assistant, just one that resides within your computer.

Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.

After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.

His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.

Read his full bio here.