SpeechBeeGuide
Read-aloud questions, answered
Short answers to the questions people ask most about text to speech on a Mac and iPhone, each checked against Apple's documentation or the apps' own sites. We make SpeechBee, and say so where we mention it.
By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 13 October 2026
Questions
How do I make my Mac read text aloud?
Turn on Speak selection in System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak. Select text in any app and press Option-Esc. Press it again to stop.
What is the text to speech shortcut on a Mac?
Option-Esc, once Speak selection is on. You can change it in the Speak selection options.
How do I make my iPhone read text aloud?
Turn on Speak Selection or Speak Screen in Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak. Select text and tap Speak, or swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen. See read aloud on iPhone.
How do I change the reading voice on a Mac?
Choose a voice from the System voice menu in Read & Speak. Click the info button next to it to download more.
Can I change the reading speed?
Yes. Use the controller that appears while your Mac speaks, or adjust the voice's rate in Read & Speak settings.
Can my Mac highlight words as it reads?
Yes. In the Speak selection options, choose to highlight words, sentences or both.
Can a Mac read a PDF aloud?
Yes. Open it in Preview, select the text and press Option-Esc. Scanned PDFs need OCR first. See read a PDF aloud on a Mac.
Does Mac text to speech work offline?
Speak selection uses voices installed on your Mac. Downloading a new voice needs the internet; reading with it doesn't.
Is text to speech private?
Speak selection runs on your Mac. Online readers and cloud voices send your text to their servers. See online text to speech vs a Mac app.
Can I save text to speech as an audio file on a Mac?
Yes, with the built-in say command in Terminal: say -o file.m4a "text". See turn text into an audio file.
Can my Mac speak what I type in a conversation?
Yes, with Live Speech in Accessibility, Speech settings. See type to speak on a Mac.
What is the best text to speech app for Mac?
It depends on the job: books and scanning, audiobooks, MP3 export, or your own text in any app. We compare them in the best text to speech apps for Mac. SpeechBee, which we make, reads selected text in any Mac app with natural voices that run on your Mac.
Sources
Checked on 13 October 2026.