--- title: "How to have your Mac read emails aloud in Mail, Outlook and Gmail" description: "Make your Mac read an email aloud: Speak selection with Option-Esc in Apple Mail, Edit, Speech, Start Speaking, Read Aloud in Outlook, and a natural-voice option for Gmail in the browser. Plus how to listen to your own email before you send it." url: "https://speechbee.app/guides/read-emails-aloud-mac" --- # Have your Mac read emails aloud Listening to a long email is easier on the eyes, and listening to your own reply before you send it catches the mistakes you read past. Your Mac can do both for free. Here's how in Apple Mail, Outlook and Gmail. By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 14 October 2026. > ### The short version > > - **Turn on Speak selection** in **System Settings**, **Accessibility**, **Read & Speak**. > - **In any mail app,** select the text and press **Option-Esc**. Press it again to stop. > - **In Apple Mail** you can also choose **Edit**, **Speech**, **Start Speaking**. ## Apple Mail 1. Turn on **Speak selection** in **System Settings**, **Accessibility**, **Read & Speak**. 2. Open the email. Select the part you want to hear, or press **⌘A** in the message to select it all. 3. Press **Option-Esc**, or choose **Edit**, **Speech**, **Start Speaking**. 4. Press **Option-Esc** again, or choose **Stop Speaking**, to stop. In the Speak selection options you can change the voice, the speaking rate and the shortcut, and turn on highlighting so you can follow along. ## Outlook for Mac Microsoft's advice for Outlook for Mac is to use the Mac's own feature: with Speak selection on, select the text in the message and press **Option-Esc**, just like Mail. Outlook's Immersive Reader, which reads a message with word highlighting, is documented for Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, so it's an option if you open Outlook in your browser. ## Gmail in a browser Gmail has no read-aloud button. Select the text in the email and press **Option-Esc**; Speak selection works in Safari and Chrome. Chrome's own **Read aloud** in the side panel reads web pages, which also covers an open email in many cases. See [read aloud in Chrome on a Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-aloud-chrome-mac). ## Listen to your own reply before you send it Your eyes fill in the word you meant to write. Your ears don't. Select your draft, press the shortcut, and listen at a slightly slower speed. Missing words, doubled words and sentences that run on stand out straight away. More in [proofread by listening](https://speechbee.app/guides/proofread-by-listening-mac). ## A natural voice in every mail app The built-in voices work, but some sound flat over a long email. SpeechBee, which we make, reads selected text in Mail, Outlook, Gmail or any other app with a natural voice that runs on your Mac: select the text and press the right ⌥ key. A small player lets you pause, skip and change speed. The email isn't uploaded to be read. Voices depend on the language. SpeechBee also works the other way round: hold the right ⌘ key in the reply box, talk, and your reply is typed. See [voice to text for email and Slack](https://speechbee.app/guides/dictation-for-email-and-slack). ## Questions ### Can my Mac read my emails out loud? Yes. Turn on Speak selection in System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, select the email text and press Option-Esc. ### How do I make Apple Mail read an email? Select the text and choose Edit, Speech, Start Speaking, or press Option-Esc with Speak selection turned on. ### Can Gmail read emails aloud? Gmail has no read-aloud button. On a Mac, select the text and use Speak selection, or Chrome's Read aloud. ### Why doesn't Option-Esc read anything? Speak selection is probably off, or the shortcut was changed. Check System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, and make sure text is selected first. ## Keep reading - [Read text aloud on a Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-text-aloud) - [Proofread by listening](https://speechbee.app/guides/proofread-by-listening-mac) - [Questions about read aloud](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-aloud-questions) ## More on reading aloud - [Every read-aloud guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-text-aloud) - [TTSReader alternatives](https://speechbee.app/compare/ttsreader-alternatives) - [Voice Dream price](https://speechbee.app/compare/voice-dream-pricing) - [Natural voices on Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/natural-text-to-speech-voices-mac) - [Read aloud in Word on Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-aloud-word-mac) - [Text to audio file on Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/text-to-speech-mp3-mac) - [Every dictation guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-typing-mac) ## Sources Checked on 14 October 2026. - [Apple: Have your Mac speak text that's on the screen](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mh27448/mac) - [Apple: Change Read & Speak settings for accessibility on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mh27444/mac) - [Microsoft: Listen to your email messages in Outlook for Mac](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/listen-to-your-email-messages-in-outlook-for-mac) - [Microsoft: Open Immersive Reader for Outlook](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/education/learning-accelerators/open-immersive-reader-for-outlook) - SpeechBee facts from our [homepage](https://speechbee.app/) and [privacy policy](https://speechbee.app/privacy)