SpeechBeeGuide
How to have text read aloud
Almost every device and app you use can read text out loud, usually for free. The trick is knowing where the switch is. Here's every built-in option in one place, with the shortcut for each and a link to the full guide.
By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 12 October 2026
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On a Mac
Turn on Speak selection in System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak. Select text in any app and press Option-Esc. You can highlight words as they're read, show a controller for speed, and download better voices. Full guide: how to make your Mac read text aloud.
On iPhone and iPad
In Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, turn on Speak Selection (select text, tap Speak) and Speak Screen (swipe down with two fingers from the top). Full guide: read aloud on iPhone.
In Chrome
Open reading mode with Command-Option-R on a Mac, or right-click and choose Open in reading mode, then press play. Full guide: read aloud in Chrome on a Mac.
In Word
Choose Review, then Read Aloud, with Office 2019, 2021 or Microsoft 365. Full guide: read aloud in Word on a Mac.
PDFs, images and documents
- PDF: open it in Preview, select the text, press Option-Esc. See read a PDF aloud on a Mac.
- Text in a photo: copy it with Live Text first. See read text from an image on a Mac.
- Save as audio: see turn text into an audio file on a Mac.
When you want a more natural voice
Built-in voices are clear but can tire you over long stretches. Reading apps add neural voices: Speechify, ElevenReader and NaturalReader in the cloud, or SpeechBee, which we make, on your Mac. Select text in any Mac app, press your reading key, and a natural voice reads it without the text leaving your Mac. Compared in the best text to speech apps for Mac.
Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.
Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.
A natural voice for any text on your Mac. Free for 7 days.
Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.
Questions
How do I get my computer to read text out loud?
On a Mac, turn on Speak selection and press Option-Esc on selected text. In Chrome on any computer, use reading mode.
How do I make my phone read text to me?
On iPhone, turn on Speak Screen in Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak, then swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen.
Is there a free read aloud app?
Every Mac and iPhone has one built in. ElevenReader and NaturalReader also have free plans with natural voices.
Every read-aloud guide
- Free text to speech on MacThe free ways to have text read aloud on a Mac: Speak selection (Option-Esc), Chrome reading mode, Word's Read Aloud, the Read Aloud extension, and the free plans of ElevenReader, NaturalReader and TTSReader. What each does and its limits.
- Read a PDF aloud on MacMake your Mac read a PDF out loud for free with Preview and Speak selection (Option-Esc), what to do with scanned PDFs, and when a dedicated reader or a natural-voice app is worth it.
- Read text aloudEvery built-in way to have text read out loud: Speak selection on Mac (Option-Esc), Speak Screen on iPhone, Chrome reading mode, Word Read Aloud, plus apps for natural voices. One page, with links to full guides.
- Text to speech on MacHave your Mac read selected text aloud with Speak selection and Option-Esc, every text-to-speech shortcut, how to change the voice (including Siri voices) and speed, or use a natural local voice with SpeechBee Read Aloud.
- Google text to speech on MacWhat 'Google text to speech' means on a Mac: Chrome's built-in reading mode that reads pages aloud, read-aloud extensions with Google voices, and Google Cloud Text-to-Speech for developers. How to use each.
- Read aloud in Chrome on MacHow to have Chrome read web pages aloud on a Mac: Chrome's built-in reading mode (Command-Option-R), macOS Speak selection, and read-aloud extensions such as Read Aloud, NaturalReader and Speechify.
- Read aloud on iPhoneHave your iPhone read selected text or the whole screen aloud for free: Speak Selection, Speak Screen (swipe down with two fingers), Accessibility Reader, Siri, voices and speed. Plus reading apps for longer text.
- Read-aloud questionsShort, sourced answers to common questions about having a Mac or iPhone read text aloud: shortcuts, voices, speed, PDFs, offline use, privacy, saving audio and more.
- Natural voices on MacHow to make your Mac's text to speech sound more human: download better system voices in Read & Speak, adjust rate and pronunciation, and when neural voices in reading apps are worth it.
- Proofread by listeningHearing your writing read aloud catches errors your eyes skip: missing words, repeats, run-on sentences. How to proofread by ear on a Mac with Speak selection or a natural-voice reader, with a step-by-step routine.
- Read aloud in Word on MacUse Word's Read Aloud on a Mac (Review, Read Aloud) to hear your document, change voice and speed, use Immersive Reader, or use macOS Speak selection with Option-Esc. What each needs and how to proofread by ear.
- Text to audio file on MacSave text to speech as an audio file on a Mac for free with the built-in say command in Terminal, including M4A output, choosing a voice and speed, and reading from a text file. Plus apps that export MP3.
- Online vs on-device text to speechOnline text-to-speech sites and cloud voices send your text to a server to be spoken. Built-in and on-device readers don't. What that means for privacy, limits and offline use, and how to choose on a Mac.
- Read text from an imageHow to get text out of a photo or screenshot on a Mac with Live Text in Photos or Safari, then have it read aloud with Speak selection. Free, built in, no OCR app needed.
- Type to speak on MacHow to use Live Speech on Mac to have what you type spoken out loud in conversations and FaceTime calls: turning it on, choosing a voice, saved phrases and categories. Free and built in.
Text to speech apps compared
- Best text to speech for MacSix ways to have text read aloud on a Mac, from free Speak selection to Speechify, ElevenReader, NaturalReader, Voice Dream and SpeechBee. Prices, voices, what each reads, and who each suits.
Speechify vs SpeechBeeSpeechify is a cloud reading app with 1,000+ voices, scanning and AI extras for $29 a month or about $139 a year. SpeechBee reads and dictates on your Mac, iPhone and iPad for $79 a year or $99 once. Which one fits you.
NaturalReader pricingNaturalReader costs $79 to $159 a year, or $13.90 to $25.90 a month. What the free plan includes (20,000 characters a day of AI voices), what Lite, Plus and Pro add, refunds, EDU plans, and cheaper ways to hear text on a Mac.- Speechify alternativesSpeechify Premium costs $29 a month or $139 a year. Here are 5 text-to-speech alternatives for Mac, including a free built-in one and a local app that also does dictation.
- Speechify pricingSpeechify Premium costs $29 a month, or $11.58 a month billed yearly (about $139 a year). What the free plan includes, how the 3-day trial works, student discounts, and cheaper ways to hear text on a Mac.
- Speechify reviewAn honest look at Speechify from a company that makes a competing app: what Premium includes for $29 a month or about $139 a year, what the free plan leaves out, how the trial bills, privacy, and who should pick something else.
- Speechify vs NaturalReaderSpeechify Premium is about $139 a year; NaturalReader runs from $79 to $159. Both read documents aloud with AI voices. How their free plans, voices, scanning, MP3 export and apps compare, and which suits you.
- Best text to speech for iPhoneFree Speak Selection and Speak Screen, plus Speechify, ElevenReader, NaturalReader, Voice Dream and SpeechBee compared for reading aloud on iPhone and iPad. Prices, free plans and who each suits.
ElevenReader vs SpeechifyElevenReader Ultra is $11 a month or about $99 a year with a 10-hours-a-month free plan; Speechify Premium is $29 a month or about $139 a year. Voices, audiobooks, scanning, platforms and price compared.- NaturalReader alternativesNaturalReader is a browser-based text-to-speech reader with a free plan. If you want a native Mac app, voices that run offline, or reading inside any app, here are 5 alternatives.
Voice Dream alternativesVoice Dream is a reading app built for accessibility. If you want text read aloud inside any Mac app, natural voices, or a free option, here are 5 alternatives with prices checked October 2026.- TTSReader alternativesTTSReader is a free online text-to-speech reader with Premium at $10.99 a month or $99 a year. Alternatives for Mac: Speak selection, ElevenReader, NaturalReader, Speechify and SpeechBee, with prices and trade-offs.
Want to write by voice too?
Reading aloud pairs well with dictation: talk a draft, then listen back. Voice typing on a Mac maps every way to type with your voice, with all our dictation guides and comparisons.
Keep reading
Sources
All checked on 12 October 2026.