type to speech mac

Dictation on Mac: How to Use Voice-to-Text Typing

Get your mac to type for you.

In case you are unaware, Apple provides a range of Accessibility features on Mac — especially with the recent versions of macOS. Accessibility features, essentially, are features that aid people with disabilities to better use certain functionalities to allow them to operate their devices independently. However, that is not to say that normal users cannot benefit from these features. Since some of the Accessibility features on Mac, such as Voice Over, Zoom, Voice Control, and Speech can also come in handy for those looking to get more out of their actions, and in turn, their device.

If you have been a Mac user for some time, you would be aware (or might have stumbled upon) the Dictation feature. Dictation, again, is an Accessibility feature on Mac. It allows you to speak text (instead of typing) and leverages the power of voice-to-text transcription to get the output in the form of text. Thus, allowing you to type-in text, without having to, well, actually type text. Since the feature can be used by anyone, for any of their use-cases, here’s a guide, with everything about the feature, including the steps on how to use Dictation (voice-to-text typing) on Mac.

What is Dictation and how does it work?

As already mentioned, Dictation is an Accessibility feature on Mac that allows you to speak text and get an equivalent output for the same in the form of text across any input field. You can use it anywhere on your Mac to enter your input using voice. Most importantly, it is not to be confused with Voice Control, which is another Accessibility feature, which allows you to control your Mac using commands.

When you initiate Dictation and speak text, the same is processed by Apple and sent to their servers, where it is analyzed using language data and converted into text in real-time.

How to enable and set up Dictation?

Before you can use Dictation to enter text using voice, the first thing you need to do is enable Dictation from the Settings. Here’s how –

1. Head over to the System Preferences , and select Keyboard .

2. In the Keyboard settings tab, tap on Dictation and select the On radio button next to Dictation.

Once enabled, you can further change related settings for the same, like the input language, shortcut to initiate Dictation, and the input microphone.

1. Change input language – hit the dropdown button next to Language to choose your preferred input language. In case you do not see your language in the list, tap the Add Language button to search and add the language.

2. Set shortcut to trigger Dictation – to set the trigger shortcut to initiate Dictate, tap the dropdown button next to Shortcut and select a trigger option from the list. Alternatively, you can also set a custom key as the trigger for Dictation.

3. Set input microphone – tap on the dropdown button below the microphone (on the left) to select the input microphone.

How to use Dictate to input text?

Once you have set the shortcut to trigger Dictation, in the previous point, you are ready to use the feature to dictate text.

1. Open the app/website/service where you want to enter text and place the cursor in the input field.

2. Double-tap the trigger key you set for Dictation, and in the two prompts that appear, hit Ok and Enable Dictation , respectively. [ Note – you are only required to perform this step when you are using the feature for the first time ].

3. Once you tap the trigger shortcut, you should see a microphone icon, indicating that your Mac is ready to accept dictation. Start dictating your text now. Apple recommends no longer than 40-second dictations for best results.

4. When you are done dictating your text, tap the Done button, or hit the return key to stop Dictation.

Since a lot of the text we type involves the use of various punctuations make the text easier to comprehend and better convey the message, Apple also allows you to input punctuation marks using voice with Dictation. For instance, if you need to enter a comma (,), you can simply speak ‘comma’ in your dictation to include the same in your writing. Similarly, there are a bunch of other punctuation marks that you can use with Dictation, the commands for which you can learn here .

Now that you have discovered Dictation and how to use it to input text without having to actually type it, on your Mac, you can use the same to input text under different circumstances — like when your keyboard is broken, or you do not feel like typing. Not to mention, it can also be of help to those having disabilities, as they can now input text efficiently without having to be completely reliant on someone’s assistance.

How to Use Dictation on a Mac for Voice-to-Text Typing

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Typing isn't for everyone. If you have clumsy fingers or difficulty spelling, typing might be your least favorite part of using a computer. Fortunately, you can use the built-in dictation software on your Mac to speak what you want to type instead.

Unlike Voice Control---which is Apple's fully-featured accessibility tool---dictation is easy to use. It's also so accurate at translating your voice that some of the best dictation software developers, like Dragon Dictate, stopped making their own dictation apps for Mac to compete with it.

How to Use Dictation on a Mac

Double-press the Fn button to start dictating on your Mac. You should see a microphone icon appear or hear a macOS confirmation tone. If this is your first time using Dictation, click OK in the popup window to confirm you want to use it.

After activating Dictation, start saying what you want to type to see it appear on screen. Dictation ignores pauses in your speech, allowing you to take a moment to compose your thoughts. However, this does mean you need to dictate your own punctuation, which we explain below.

Apple suggests you dictate in short bursts of 40 seconds or less. This keeps your Mac from falling behind, since you can speak much faster than it can process what you say.

You can dictate text anywhere you'd usually type on your Mac. That includes writing documents, using Spotlight or search bars, entering web addresses, and composing emails. If that sounds useful, you might want to take a look at these dictation apps for your Android phone as well.

Use any of the following methods to stop dictating:

• Press Fn again
• Click Done beneath the microphone

Your dictated words appear underlined while your Mac is processing them. After you stop dictating, they'll reformat themselves, and any words your Mac was unsure of appear underlined in blue. Click these words to pick an alternative option or type it out manually if it was wrong.

The more you use Dictation, the better your Mac gets at understanding your voice. This means you'll see fewer mistakes and words underlined in blue less often.

How to Add Punctuation and Format Your Dictation

Chances are that you need to add punctuation to your dictation to make sure it's formatted correctly. This is easy to do while dictating your text by saying the particular punctuation marks you want to add.

For example, to dictate the following text:

Hello, my name is Dan. How are you?

You need to say:

Hello comma my name is Dan period how are you question mark

Apple includes a long list of over 50 punctuation marks, typography symbols, currency signs, mathematical signs, and voice commands you can use with Dictation in the macOS user guide. Visit Apple's voice dictation commands page to take a look at the list yourself.

Along with adding punctuation, you can also use a small set of voice commands to change the formatting of dictated text on your Mac. These commands include capitalization, line breaks, and even typing without spaces.

Say the following voice commands to format text with Dictation:

• New Line: Equivalent to pressing the Return key once
• New Paragraph: Equivalent to pressing the Return key twice
• Caps On/Off: Types the following words in "Title Case"
• All Caps On/Off: Types the following words in "ALL CAPS"
• No Space On/Off: Types the following words "withoutspaces" (useful for website URLs)

Troubleshoot Dictation Problems on Your Mac

Dictation is a fairly simple tool, but it doesn't work all the time. There are a few different problems that might stop you from being able to use Dictation on your Mac. Here's what they are and how to fix them.

Change the Dictation Shortcut

If nothing happens when you double-press the Fn button, you might have changed the Dictation shortcut on your Mac. You can change this shortcut to whatever you like, or check what the new shortcut is and use that instead.

To do so, open System Preferences and go to Keyboard > Dictation . Open the Shortcut dropdown menu and choose the dictation shortcut you want to use. To create your own, click Customize , then press the keyboard shortcut you'd like.

Test Your Internet Connection

Your Mac requires an active internet connection to use Dictation. This is because Apple processes your voice on its servers---using the latest language data---rather than locally on your Mac.

Without an internet connection, the microphone icon appears with three dots in it, but vanishes before you can start dictating.

To make sure your internet connection is working, try streaming a video on YouTube. To fix problems with your connection, restart your Wi-Fi router and follow our steps to get your Mac connected to Wi-Fi again . Contact your internet service provider for more help.

Choose a Different Microphone to Use

As you dictate, you should see a white bar in the microphone icon that fluctuates with the loudness of your voice. This shows the microphone input on your Mac. If nothing appears in the microphone, your Mac can't hear you. You need to use a different microphone to fix it.

Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation . Open the dropdown menu beneath the microphone at the left of the window to choose a different microphone. If you can't see your microphone, make sure it's connected with the latest drivers installed.

Change the Dictation Language

To dictate in a different language, you need to add that language in System Preferences and select it from the Dictation icon. Using the wrong language results in a lot of mistakes, as Dictation will use regional spellings or replace what you said with similar-sounding words from another language.

In System Preferences , go to Keyboard > Dictation and open the Language dropdown menu. Click Add Language and check the box next to whichever languages you want to use. Make sure you choose the appropriate region if your language is used in multiple countries.

The next time you activate Dictation, you should see the current language displayed beneath the microphone icon. Click it to change to another dictation language instead.

How to Make Dictation as Private as Possible

Dictation communicates with Apple's servers to convert your speech to text. This means it's never completely private, as explained by the popup message that appears when you enable Dictation for the first time. That said, there are still steps you can take to reclaim as much Dictation privacy as possible.

To change the data Dictation uses, open System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy . Go to the Privacy tab and scroll down to select Analytics & Improvements in the sidebar. Disable the option to Improve Siri & Dictation to stop Apple from storing or reviewing your future Dictation recordings.

Apple usually does this to help improve Dictation. Even with this option disabled, you still need to delete existing recordings from Apple's servers. Go to System Preferences > Siri and click Delete Siri & Dictation History to do so.

Do More With Your Voice Using Voice Control

Although many people confuse the two, Dictation and Voice Control are two separate features on your Mac. As we've explained, Dictation allows you to convert your speech to text, adding punctuation and line breaks where necessary. But Voice Control unlocks an entire world of voice commands that control your Mac.

If you want to save documents, switch applications, open menus, and do much more with your voice, you need to use Voice Control. This is primarily an accessibility tool; it lets anyone control a Mac using nothing but their voice. Take a look at our Mac Voice Control guide to learn how it works.

• Speech Recognition
• Speech to Text

How to dictate on a Mac computer, using the voice-to-text dictation feature that can type out your speech

• You can dictate on a Mac computer so that your computer types out your speech. 
• But before you can start using dictation, you'll have to enable it via your Mac's System Preferences, and decide the shortcut you'll use to turn it on, as well as the language it will dictate in.
• Here's how to set up and use the dictation feature on a Mac computer.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Voice-to-text is a helpful feature for those who are often out and about.

And for those who have a Mac computer, you can take that feature and use it in your everyday workflow. The key is a built-in feature known as dictation. 

But before you can take advantage of dictation, you'll have to enable it. After that, it works similarly as any voice-to-text feature, any you may be able to access more in-depth voice commands to format your document.

Here's how to set it up and start using it.

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Macbook pro (from $1,299.99 at best buy), how to set up dictation on a mac.

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left toolbar, then choose "System Preferences."

2. Select "Keyboard."

3. Toggle over to "Dictation" in the menu at the top of the window.

4. Next to "Dictation" select "On" and if desired, turn on enhanced dictation by ticking the corresponding box — this allows you to use additional commands, like bold, italics, underline, copy, delete, and undo — and dictate without an internet connection (enhanced dictation is only available for those with OS X Mavericks v10.9 or later ).

5. Set the language and create the desired shortcut.

How to dictate on a Mac

Once you've enabled the dictation feature, here's how to use it:

1. Open a document.

2. Place your cursor to the desired location for your dictation.

3. Use the shortcut you established when setting up dictation; alternatively, you can also select "Edit" and then "Start Dictation."

4. Start talking.

You should see a microphone icon appear on the screen after you start the feature. 

As you speak, it's important to remember to say your desired punctuation out loud, otherwise you'll end up with a long, run-on sentence. To stop dictation, click "Done" below the microphone icon.

Related coverage from  How To Do Everything: Tech :

How to easily record audio on your mac using either of its 2 simple recording apps, how to uninstall apps on a mac computer in three different ways, how to create folders on a mac computer and organize your files, how to set an alarm or event reminder on a mac using the calendar app.

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• Main content

How to Use Dictation in macOS: A Comprehensive Resource

• Apple’s macOS includes speech recognition software baked right into the operating system.
• You can select from multiple languages, with options varying by which version of macOS you are running.
• Dictation is not only a handy speech tool, but it is also a fantastic Accessibility feature.

I’m taking a look at how to set up and use Dictation for macOS. For those that may not know, Apple includes voice recognition software within macOS that is capable of dictating your voice directly to any document that needs text. Dictation is not only useful as an Accessibility feature, but it can be pretty helpful for those that may simply prefer speaking their ideas rather than using their hands to type. This not only saves you from buying third-party dictation products, but Apple’s form of dictation software includes some additional handy tools as well.

Getting it all together, I’m going to take a look at how to use the Apple Dictation feature with macOS, as well as look at some of the advantages of Dictation. This includes setting up the built-in dictation software and then properly using it. I’ll also provide some dictation tips, while also covering additional dictation options as well. Considering this can be incredibly useful for those that need accessibility features, I break the steps down so that the average person can get an idea of what to do. I also go over the common commands you can implement with Dictation while covering additional commands as well.

Keyboard Dictation VS Voice Control: What’s the Difference?

Before starting, folks should be aware that two different Accessibility features on macOS involve speaking to your device . While both are extraordinarily helpful, they serve different functions. While macOS Dictation allows a voice-to-text option, there’s also Voice Control. The Voice Control feature provides voice-to-text options, but you can also control your Mac using voice commands.

Concerning Voice Control and Dictation, the most important thing to remember is that the Dictation feature is not going to work if Voice Control is enabled. You can check to see if Voice Control is active from the menu bar by navigating to  Apple > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control  and ensuring it is disabled.

How to Enable Dictation on macOS

If you need to know how to enable Dictation on your Mac, simply follow these steps. Remember that if you are using an Intel-based processor, you may need an internet connection to properly engage with the Dictation feature.

Time needed:  1 minute

To turn on Dictation on your Mac, follow this guide.

From here, you’re all set to go! Dictation should be ready to go. Next, I will show you how to use Dictation on macOS.

How to Use Dictation on macOS

Now that Dictation is enabled, you can begin to dictate your text to your Mac, offering a great Accessibility feature for those that need it. Simply follow the steps below to begin a Dictation.

• Using any app on your Mac, place the insertion point wherever you would like to add text.
• Press and release the microphone button (which looks like a microphone) that is within your row of function keys.

• You can finish your Dictation by pressing the Return key. Or you can also press your keyboard shortcut, or click Done from the feedback window. Dictation also ends when your Mac doesn’t detect any speech for 30 seconds.

Dictation Privacy: What You Need to Know

One should be aware that the first time they enable Dictation, there’s a chance your machine is going to ask you to share your audio recordings with Apple. Be aware that agreeing to this allows Apple to store copies of your inputs into Dictation. This also includes Siri commands if you agree. Agreeing also means that Apple can listen to portions of your recordings.

It’s up to you whether or not you want to share this information. Remember that regardless of what you choose when you first set up Dictation, you can always change this setting by going to  Apple > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvement > Improve Siri & Dictation . This will prevent Apple from storing and reviewing your Dictations. However, if you use Dictation, Apple is going to be listening to help process your requests, so keep that in mind.

You should also be aware that if you want to remove your recordings from your disk drive, simply go to  Apple > System Settings > Siri & Spotlight > Siri & Dictation History > Delete Siri & Dictation History . Note that on anything before macOS Ventura, the Siri & Spotlight option will just be labeled Siri. Either way, this can be a good way to free up some disk space and remove your Dictation history.

Go Offline: Enhanced Dictation

Depending on what version of macOS you are running, you may have the option for Enhanced Dictation. You will know your Mac has this as an option, as it will simply be a checkbox that you need to click to enable from the Dictation Settings page. Also, be aware that if you are using a Mac with Apple silicon, you will not need an internet connection for Dictation anyway.

This can be extremely beneficial for those that do a lot of work offline. You can always check what processor you are using (Apple or Intel) by going to  Apple > About This Mac . If you see the word ‘Intel’ anywhere in the Processor section, you are running an Intel-based Mac.

Key Voice Commands for Dictation

While Apple’s Dictation feature does automatically include punctuation, knowing certain Voice Commands for each type of punctuation is still going to be rather useful, as it substitutes certain key combinations. Being aware of these advanced dictation commands can make the process faster for you. Additionally, there are several other Commands that one should familiarize themselves with as well. Take a look at the complete list below.

Punctuation

Special Characters

Codes for Formatting

Capitalization

Mathematical

Intellectual Property

Tips for Effective Dictation on macOS

When using Dictation on Mac, you may need to familiarize yourself with the speech recognition software feature before diving into it fully. Extended use of this program can truly be a help, as it allows your Mac to get a better sense of your voice. The degree of accuracy within the program is only going to increase the more you engage with it.

Additionally, consider your voice and compatible speech when using Dictation. Accuracy rates will only continue to climb if you speak in a clear tone with a consistent pace. Remember to consider the punctuation rules at well. While it may take a bit of use to get the Dictation feature to 100% accuracy, taking extra time working with the program is only going to make things easier.

If you do find that you’re using Dictation for an extended period, or you’re not happy with the results, considering a more advanced microphone may be the way to go. You may also want to consider removing any background sounds or distractions.

Use Dictation with Different Languages

One nice thing about Apple Dictation is that it is available in a multitude of languages, though this is going to vary from Mac to Mac. For example, any Mac running Apple silicon is likely to have more language options than an Intel-based Mac. If you want to use Dictation with another language, you can select a different language from  Apple > System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation  and select the Language pop-up menu. Choose a language from the list, or select Customize or Add Language to add additional languages. English will more than likely be the default option. Though the default setting may also depend on what language you originally chose when setting up your Mac.

You can also remove languages by going to the Language pop-up menu, selecting Customize and deselecting any languages you do not want to use. It’s also important to note that you can switch languages while you are dictating. So long as you set the feature up for multiple languages, you can select a language from the feedback window and select the language you wish to use.

Dictation and App Compatibility

Concerning Apple Dictation for macOS, any program native to the company is going to work without issues. However, this might not be the case for third-party applications. While countless applications are likely to work, some are likely not, possibly common applications. If you find that Dictation simply isn’t working with a third-party app, remember that the program simply may not support this feature. It can also be a good idea to check an App’s page on the App Store to see if it offers any information in terms of this feature. While you may want to use your application of choice for a specific situation, remember that apps native to macOS may work better with the feature over third-party apps.

Dictation in Siri

In addition to Dictation implementing Apple’s voice recognition software, don’t forget that Siri can also be your handy virtual assistant. Arriving on the scene in Oct. 2011, Siri is Apple’s virtual assistant, and it can be quite powerful on its own. You can think of Siri as a nice combination of Voice Control and Dictation: while Siri is not able to do all of the things that these features can, it can  still perform many of them , and perform them well. For example, you can send messages with Siri by asking it “Hey Siri, send a message to. . .” It can also help set reminders and more.

Differences in Enabling Dictation on Different macOS Versions

While different versions of macOS may have different ways they word enabling Dictation, the instructions should be relatively the same. Simply go to  Apple > System Settings  from the menu bar and navigate to Keyboard. Look for Dictation, and ensure it is enabled. Different versions of macOS may prompt you differently, but the steps are the same. Whether you’re  using macOS High Sierra or Sonoma , just remember where the Dictation setting is located, and ensure that it is enabled.

Note that older versions of macOS may refer to System Settings as System Preferences. Essentially, be mindful of the language.

Troubleshooting Dictation: Problems and Solutions

One thing a user needs to remember is that Voice Control and Dictation will not operate at the same time. You can either have one, or the other. If you are enabling Dictation and it is not working for you, ensure that Voice Control is disabled by going to  Apple > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control  and ensuring that it is disabled. Be mindful of your Accessibility settings.

Another issue you may have is your machine picking up their speech. I discuss this elsewhere in this article, but it’s important to reiterate that you may need to spend some time with Dictation to get it exactly where you want it: it may take some practice before it is perfect. Also, be aware that Dictation will highlight ambiguous text with a blue line. If the program finds a statement unclear, you can click the text highlighted in blue and make the corrections suggested by Dictation. You can also dictate or type your corrections. If you have been using Dictation for a while and it is still making several mistakes, you may want to consider a different microphone.

You may also want to remember that you may not hear audio coming from other apps while you are using Dictation. However, this is an easy one to fix. If you are not hearing audio from any of your apps, simply wait 30 seconds without saying anything to get Dictation to close on its own, or have it stop listening for audio by pressing the Return key.

Apple’s built-in speech tool isn’t just powerful, it can be outright necessary for certain individuals. Of course, an important thing to remember is that macOS Dictation is going to work best as a digital assistant for official Apple apps. You may also want to remember the importance of clarity while recording your voice. I recommend giving Dictation a try and seeing if it works well for you, though be mindful of my recommendations as well. Experimentation is almost always a good thing. Of course, feel free to let us know in the comments what your experience was, or if there is anything that you would recommend.

3 thoughts on “ How to Use Dictation in macOS: A Comprehensive Resource ”

One warning about Mac speech dictation: it mutes the sound for other apps. You can get fooled by that if you accidentally leave speech dictation (the little mic icon) on. Then, if you attempt to watch or listen to something somewhere else, you will not have sound. It took me a few minutes to figure out why I had no sound in a different app – I had previously left speech dictation on in a previously used app and it was on another one of my Mac’s 3 displays.

I’m trying to convert a lecture from an MP3 file into text using Pages. Is this possible? Have tried without any luck. Thank you very much for your help.

To do it manually, you would be able to use dictation on the Mac if you spoke what the lecturer was saying. For audio transcription you would need specialized software. One example I found is called Descript .

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• Nick deCourville

MacBook tips: How to use speech-to-text to dictate in macOS

Take notes without a keyboard using this handy feature

Speech-to-text is a handy tool for dictation available in macOS. Once you set it up, you can scribble words to a page using this tool anywhere you would otherwise type with a keyboard. In addition to typing text, you can also enter punctuation marks and formatting such as line breaks and special symbols by speaking the commands.  

While this feature was full of glitches and actually made typing more laborious in years past, Apple really has ironed out most of the wrinkles and made it fairly useful. If you find yourself needing a break from the keyboard, it’s definitely worth trying.

It is a handy tool when you need to work hands-free, or jot down a quick note before its lost forever. That said, it’s still not perfect, and I find that it works best when you speak slowly and accentuate bigger words.

1) Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.

2) In the menu that opens, select System Preferences .

3) In System Preferences, select Keyboard .

4) In the Keyboard window, go to the Dictation tab .

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5) There, switch on the dictation option .

6) Click Enable Dictation to allow Apple to use the recording.

7) In any document processor, click the Dictate icon and start speaking.

8) To change the default language, click the down arrow to open the language drop-down menu .

9) Select a language you would like to convert from speech to text.

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Use Live Speech on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch

With Live Speech, you can type what you want to say and have it spoken out loud in FaceTime and phone calls, in supported assistive communication apps, or from your device's speakers for in-person conversations.

Here's what you need

Turn live speech on or off, select a voice to use, type to speak in facetime, phone, supported assistive communication apps, or in-person conversations, add or remove favorite phrases.

iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, or later

One of these devices:

iPhone XS or later

iPad Air (5th generation)

iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) or later

iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) or later

Mac with Apple silicon

Apple Watch Series 3 or later

Before you can use Live Speech , you need to turn it on.

On your iPhone or iPad

Open the Settings app. Tap Accessibility, then tap Live Speech.

Turn Live Speech on or off.

On your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, then click Live Speech.

On your Apple Watch

You can choose from dozens of system voices or use a customized Personal Voice that you create.

Under Voices, tap the voice that you want to change.

Select a voice to use. (You might need to download a voice before you can select it.)

When you're in a FaceTime or phone call, other participants hear your words spoken through their device's speakers or headphones. Otherwise, the voice plays from your device's speakers so you can type to speak in in-person conversations.

Make sure that Live Speech is on .

Triple-click the side button. (If you have an Accessibility Shortcut set up, tap Live Speech.)

Enter the text that you want spoken aloud, then tap Send.

To quickly use a saved favorite phrase :

Tap the phrase that you want spoken aloud.

Click the Type to Speak text field in the Live Speech window.

Select the phrase that you want spoken aloud.

Click the Speak button.

Triple-click the Digital Crown. (If you have an Accessibility Shortcut set up, tap Live Speech.)

To quickly use a saved favorite phrase , tap the phrase that you want spoken aloud.

You can create a list of phrases that you use often so you can chime in quickly in a conversation.

To add a favorite phrase:

Tap Favorite Phrases.

Type a phrase, then tap Save.

To remove a favorite phrase:

Tap Favorite Phrases, then tap Add a phrase, then tap Create a phrase.

Type a phrase, then tap Done.

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5 Best (TTS) Text To Speech For Mac

Whether you prefer articles read to you while you do something else or trying to grasp a new foreign language or even for specially abled students, TTS (short for text-to-speech) has proved to be very useful.

In our previous articles we saw some of the best text to speech apps for Windows and Android . And today, we take a look at some of the best TTS options available for Macs.

Table of Contents

Text To Speech For Mac

1. macos tts.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves and start downloading third party apps, it is very trivial to know that macOS itself comes with a built-in TTS and you can use it anywhere on your computer from the Notes app to any browser.

To get started, highlight or select the text which you want to be read and then right click, go to Speech and then to Start Speaking; and your Mac should start reading the text to you. It also supports a lot of other languages other than English and there are a lot of voices to choose from in all the languages. To change the language option simply go to  Accessibility > Speech . Although some voices are very robotic, there are a few which aren’t and sound more like a human.

But the TTS is far from perfect; it is very basic and barebones and lacks options like pause/play, picking up from a selected word instantly and a lot more.

Quick Tip: It blew my mind and might even blow yours to know that the native TTS on Mac also supports converting your text into audio files. Just select the required text, right click and go to Services > Add to iTunes as a spoken track . The text will be converted to an audio track and added to your iTunes library.

Pros: – Built-in system wide – Lots of voice options – Converting text to iTunes track

Cons: – No Pause/Play – Have to select manually all the words to be read – No instant pickup

Verdict: Overall, the TTS that comes with macOS is very barebones without all the bells and whistles and should be perfect for somebody looking for a basic TTS experience without even buying or installing any third party software.

2. Invicta TTS

Invicta TTS is a very simple free Text To Speech app available on the Mac App Store. Once you open up the app, it presents you with a text box where you can enter or paste any text which will be then converted to speech. The app is very lightweight and minimal in nature with everything being to the point.

Although the app is very basic, unlike the built in TTS of Mac OS, it does add the option of playing or pausing the audio which becomes crucial when listening to long texts or articles. The voice settings cannot be changed but the in built voice does the job pretty good enough.

Pros: – Minimal and Light – Play/Pause Option

Cons: – Cannot read documents automatically – Supports only English

Verdict: If you need a simple and light TTS app and might be listening to long articles, Invicta TTS does the job pretty well but do remember that it can only read English.

Link: Get Invicta TTS on the App Store

Price: Free

3. Natural Reader

The next app on our list is Natural Reader which is an extremely powerful TTS software available not only on Mac OS but also on Windows, iOS, Android and even has an online reader.

The app comes in many flavours, each with its fair share of features for the price. The free version comes with basic TTS features along with the ability to read directly from file formats such as Docx, PDF, ePub and Txt. It also has a floating bar which can be used to read text while you are in other applications. The next option or the Personal version, at a steep $100, allows you to read web pages directly, converting text to audio files and syncing everything between your phone apps. There are also Professional and Ultimate versions which add OCR support and a bunch of natural voices.

Pros: – Support for file formats – Convert to audio files – Cross Platform – OCR Support

Cons: – Pricey – No instant pickup

Verdict: All the features of Natural Reader definitely come at a price and you should be able to decide whether it is a suit for you with respect to your investment in TTS, but even for a casual user the free version works really well. Overall, Natural reader is not just best text to speech software with natural voices, but since it also support PDF, it’s also a good option for those who are looking for PDF Voice Reader for macOS.

Pricing Options: Pricing for Natural Reader

Link: Download Natural Reader from here

4. Read Aloud

Read Aloud is not exactly a stand alone Mac app but instead a Chrome extension which might appeal to some people. Considering how many posts and articles are read on the internet everyday, we had to include Read Aloud.

It is completely free and once you install it, its icon will appear in the extension bar which you can now use to read any webpage or any online article, just by a single click. When it is in work, you get a play/pause button along with a forward or rewind button which can be used to advance or backtrack paragraphs. Considering it is free, the voice options are really good and feel very natural and premium.

Pros: – Great natural voice – Forward or rewind by paragraphs – Listen to webpages

Cons: – Works only on Chrome

Verdict: Suggesting Read Aloud is very straight forward; if you are someone who reads a lot on the internet and are looking for a free TTS software for that, nothing beats Read Aloud.

Link: Download Read Aloud from the Chrome Store

5. Capti Voice

Capti Voice is probably the most polished and well rounded TTS software available for the Mac and the award are only there to justify that. Starting off, Capti Voice uses your browser for the app to function instead of a stand alone Mac application. Don’t worry, you can still use it while you are offline as it stores all its data locally and personally I have had no issues.

Capti Voice has a subscription based model and even the free version has a lot to offer from various file format supports to text search while the premium versions add features like creating playlists, OCR Support and intelligent dictionary lookup. The voices offered across all the platforms are very high quality and commendable.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to use the Chrome extension which allows you to save articles or webpages to be read later by Capti Voice.

Pros: – Cross platform with mobile apps – Create Playlists – Dictionary lookup – Shortcuts to get around

Cons: – No standalone app – Syncs only when you add to cloud storage

Verdict: Overall, Capti Voice is a really compelling app with features packed to the brim and is very similar to natural Reader but with a subscription based model. It is really the best TTS experience you can get on Mac OS.

Pricing Info: Pricing Options for Capti Voice

Link: Download Capti Voice from here

6. Honorable Mentions

CereProc has some of the most natural sounding computer speeches available on the market, which you can use to replace the default voice on your Mac (also available for other platforms). There are a lot of high quality voice packs to choose from and each costs around $35.

Zamzar is a free online service which you can use to convert your text to audio files or mp3s. Unlike the iTunes spoken track which you can use only on Apple devices, you can use it on any platform without any hassle.

Wrapping up: Best Text to Speech for Mac

So these were some of the TTS software available on the Mac and we hope we made your decision a little bit easier. If you are someone who reads mainly on the internet, Read Aloud is by far the best free option. Although a little limited, the built-in TTS feature seems to work just fine, but it can be a pain for long stretches of texts or long articles for which there is Invicta which is also free.

Natural Reader and Capti Voice both are spectacular TTS apps with a lot of plans to choose from, but I guess what it comes down to is the paying model. Natural reader is a one time purchase and should be better if you feel you will be invested in TTS for a long time whereas Capti Voice follows a subscription based model also with a one week free trial. Thanks for reading and do comment below which one is your favorite TTS app on Mac OS.

Read:  Make your Devices Read Out Text, With Text to Speech

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Use voice dictation to speak to your mac.

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How-to geek's best of ifa 2024 award winners, 15 console and pc games you can play on android, quick links, set up enhanced dictation, using voice dictation, dictation commands.

Macs have voice dictation built-in, allowing you to talk instead of type. This feature functions more like voice dictation on a mobile operating system , and less like the more complicated Speech Recognition feature found in Windows .

OS X Mavericks contains an "Enhanced Dictation" feature. It lets you use Voice Dictation offline and displays text as you speak, so you can see exactly how your speech is being interpreted.

First, you'll need to enable the Dictation feature. Click the Apple menu at the top of your screen and select System Preferences. Click the Dictation & Speech icon in the System Preferences pane and ensure Dictation is set to On.

Enable the Enhanced Dictation option and your Mac will download the appropriate dictionary from Apple's servers. It will then be able to interpret your voice offline. If you don't enable Enhanced Dictation, your speech will be sent to Apple's servers an interpreted there.

You're also free to customize your dictation shortcut and which microphone dictation uses from here. The purple microphone will light up as you speak if your Mac can hear you.

To use voice dictation in an application on your Mac, first select a text field in an application. Next, press the Fn (Function) key twice or click the Edit menu and select Start Dictation.

Speak to your Mac and the words you speak will start appearing in the text field. If you've set up Enhanced Dictation, they'll appear immediately. If you haven't, you'll have to click Done or press the fn key again and your voice will be sent to Apple's servers, where it's interpreted and the text is filled into your application. You can only speak for up to 30 seconds each time if you haven't set up Enhanced Dictation.

The purple indicator on the microphone should move as you speak. If it doesn't, your Mac can't hear you. You'll need to reposition your microphone or configure which microphone is used from the Dictation pane.

When you're done dictating, tap the fn key again or click Done to make your Mac stop listening to you.

Like on other operating systems, Voice Dictation won't automatically fill in the appropriate punctuation marks as you speak a sentence normally. You'll need to speak the punctuation marks you want to type. For example, to type "I'm doing well. How are you doing?", you'd have to say "I'm doing well period how are you doing question mark."

Related: Use Voice Dictation to Save Time on Android, iPhone, and iPad

Here's a full list of voice dictation commands you can use, adapted from Apple's help site. If you have an iPhone or iPad, note that these are identical to the voice commands used on Apple's iOS .

• Punctuation: Apostrophe (‘), open bracket ([) and close bracket (]), open parenthesis (() and close parenthesis ()) open brace ({) and close brace (}), open angle bracket (<) and close angle bracket (>), colon (:), comma (,), dash (-), ellipsis or dot dot dot (…), exclamation mark (!), hyphen (–), period or point or dot or full stop (.), question mark (?), quote and end quote (“), begin single quote and end single quote (‘), semicolon (;)
• Typography: Ampersand (&), asterisk (*), at sign (@), backslash (\), forward slash (/), caret (^), center dot (·), large center dot (•), degree sign (°), hashtag or pound sign (#), percent sign (%), underscore (_), vertical bar (|).
• Currency: Dollar sign ($), cent sign (¢), pound sterling sign (£), euro sign (€), yen sign (¥)
• Emoticons: Cross-eyed laughing face (XD), frowny face (:-(), smiley face (:-)), winky face (;-))
• Intellectual property: Copyright sign (©), registered sign (®), trademark sign (™)
• Math: Equals sign (=), greater than sign (>), less than sign (<), minus sign (-), multiplication sign (x), plus sign (+)
• Line spacing: new line , new paragraph , tab key

You also have control over formatting and spacing:

• Say numeral or roman numeral and speak a number. For example, if you say “eight,” it will appear as 8 or VIII.
• Say no space on , say something, and then say no space off . For example, if you say “good day sir,” your words would appear as “gooddaysir”.
• Say caps on , say something, and say caps off . The words you spoke will appear in Title Case.
• Say all caps on , say something, and then say all caps off . The words you spoke will appear in ALL CAPS.
• Say all caps and say a word — the next word you speak will appear in ALL CAPS

Whereas the Windows Speech Recognition feature is extremely powerful and can feel more like an accessibility tool than something intended for the masses, the Mac Voice Dictation feature is more streamlined and simplified. It's easy to start using without a long training process and will feel familiar to people who've used voice dictation on smartphones and tablets. In fact, it's extremely similar to the voice dictation feature on Apple's iOS.

• Maintenance & Optimization

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Find the best product instantly, what is the best text to speech software for mac and ios, the best 1 of 10 option s why.

Capti Voice

My rec ommendation for capti voice, my recommendation for capti voice.

Semi-Desktop and Webapp versions make it pretty much crossplatform

Inconvenient to use

Supports many formats

Very disappointing

Offers a one week premium plan trial

Does not automatically sync

Has shortcuts to get around easier

Free account somewhat limited.

Limited free account available

Desktop version for the mac depends on web browser.

Intelligent dictionary lookup

Can't move documents freely between different playlists, very useful in schools, no linux desktop version, offers very high quality voices on all platforms, including online, subscription service, mac version routinely fails to start, 9 other options considered, voice dream reader, my rec ommendation for voice dream reader, my recommendation for voice dream reader.

Easy to follow along with your eyes

Ugly interface

Dropbox source

Can't play drm protected content.

Highlighting text

Inexpensive.

Very efficient voices

Has the best share implementation i've seen on ios, has ocr companion app.

Instant pickup

Reflows pdf text content as plain text, my rec ommendation for cereproc, my recommendation for cereproc.

Best irish accent voice

Expensive desktop version, cheap on android.

Intelligent Speaker

My rec ommendation for intelligent speaker, my recommendation for intelligent speaker, extension / add-on limited to browser, natural reader, my rec ommendation for natural reader, my recommendation for natural reader, no safari support, reads many formats.

Free version available, but upgrades are costly

Prices reflect arrogance.

Few hotkeys, not user configurable

Simple but effective playback controls, unstable on macos high sierra, speech central, my rec ommendation for speech central, my recommendation for speech central, file replication/syncing available via icloud, no voices included on android version, available on mac, windows, ios and android, no playback position syncing, even via icloud, good value for the money / cheap, doesn't support images, my rec ommendation for read aloud, my recommendation for read aloud, voice options are impressive, my rec ommendation for neospeech, my recommendation for neospeech, high-quality voices, limited pricing options.

Easy to use

Complete bs, my rec ommendation for audio book, my recommendation for audio book.

My Rec ommendation for Notevibes

My recommendation for notevibes, best bargain available for all devices, webapp only, no mobile clients.

Voice and speech tuning

Copy paste reliant, 24-57 premium voices, no hotkeys/shortcuts, easy to use on desktop computer browsers, don't see your favorite option add it., ( discontinued ) infovox ivox voice manager, my rec ommendation for ( discontinued ) infovox ivox voice manager, my recommendation for ( discontinued ) infovox ivox voice manager, pdf reader pro, my rec ommendation for pdf reader pro, my recommendation for pdf reader pro, my rec ommendation for playpost, my recommendation for playpost, my rec ommendation for murf ai, my recommendation for murf ai.

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Best text-to-speech software of 2024

Boosting accessibility and productivity

• Best overall
• Best realism
• Best for developers
• Best for podcasting
• How we test

Finding the best text-to-speech software is key for anyone looking to transform written text into spoken words, whether for accessibility purposes, productivity enhancement, or creative applications like voice-overs in videos. 

Text-to-speech (TTS) technology relies on sophisticated algorithms to model natural language to bring written words to life, making it easier to catch typos or nuances in written content when it's read aloud. So, unlike the best speech-to-text apps and best dictation software , which focus on converting spoken words into text, TTS software specializes in the reverse process: turning text documents into audio. This technology is not only efficient but also comes with a variety of tools and features. For those creating content for platforms like YouTube , the ability to download audio files is a particularly valuable feature of the best text-to-speech software.

While some standard office programs like Microsoft Word and Google Docs offer basic TTS tools, they often lack the comprehensive functionalities found in dedicated TTS software. These basic tools may provide decent accuracy and basic options like different accents and languages, but they fall short in delivering the full spectrum of capabilities available in specialized TTS software.

To help you find the best text-to-speech software for your specific needs, TechRadar Pro has rigorously tested various software options, evaluating them based on user experience, performance, output quality, and pricing. This includes examining the best free text-to-speech software as well, since many free options are perfect for most users. We've brought together our picks below to help you choose the most suitable tool for your specific needs, whether for personal use, professional projects, or accessibility requirements.

The best text-to-speech software of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the entries on our best text-to-speech software list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

The best text-to-speech software overall

1. NaturalReader

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

If you’re looking for a cloud-based speech synthesis application, you should definitely check out NaturalReader. Aimed more at personal use, the solution allows you to convert written text such as Word and PDF documents, ebooks and web pages into human-like speech.  

Because the software is underpinned by cloud technology, you’re able to access it from wherever you go via a smartphone, tablet or computer. And just like Capti Voice, you can upload documents from cloud storage lockers such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.  

Currently, you can access 56 natural-sounding voices in nine different languages, including American English, British English, French, Spanish, German, Swedish, Italian, Portuguese and Dutch. The software supports PDF, TXT, DOC(X), ODT, PNG, JPG, plus non-DRM EPUB files and much more, along with MP3 audio streams. 

There are three different products: online, software, and commercial. Both the online and software products have a free tier.

Read our full NaturalReader review .

• ^ Back to the top

The best text-to-speech software for realistic voices

Specializing in voice synthesis technology, Murf uses AI to generate realistic voiceovers for a range of uses, from e-learning to corporate presentations. 

Murf comes with a comprehensive suite of AI tools that are easy to use and straightforward to locate and access. There's even a Voice Changer feature that allows you to record something before it is transformed into an AI-generated voice- perfect if you don't think you have the right tone or accent for a piece of audio content but would rather not enlist the help of a voice actor. Other features include Voice Editing, Time Syncing, and a Grammar Assistant.

The solution comes with three pricing plans to choose from: Basic, Pro and Enterprise. The latter of these options may be pricey but some with added collaboration and account management features that larger companies may need access to. You can try the service out for free for up to 10 minutes, without downloads.

The best text-to-speech software for developers

3. Amazon Polly

Alexa isn’t the only artificial intelligence tool created by tech giant Amazon as it also offers an intelligent text-to-speech system called Amazon Polly. Employing advanced deep learning techniques, the software turns text into lifelike speech. Developers can use the software to create speech-enabled products and apps. 

It sports an API that lets you easily integrate speech synthesis capabilities into ebooks, articles and other media. What’s great is that Polly is so easy to use. To get text converted into speech, you just have to send it through the API, and it’ll send an audio stream straight back to your application. 

You can also store audio streams as MP3, Vorbis and PCM file formats, and there’s support for a range of international languages and dialects. These include British English, American English, Australian English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish and Russian. 

Polly is available as an API on its own, as well as a feature of the AWS Management Console and command-line interface. In terms of pricing, you’re charged based on the number of text characters you convert into speech. 

The best text-to-speech software for podcasting

In terms of its library of voice options, it's hard to beat Play.ht as one of the best text-to-speech software tools. With almost 600 AI-generated voices available in over 60 languages, it's likely you'll be able to find a voice to suit your needs. 

Although the platform isn't the easiest to use, there is a detailed video tutorial to help users if they encounter any difficulties. All the usual features are available, including Voice Generation and Audio Analytics. 

In terms of pricing, Play.ht comes with four plans: Personal, Professional, Growth, and Business. These range widely in price, but it depends if you need things like commercial rights and affects the number of words you can generate each month. 

The best text-to-speech software for Mac and iOS

5. Voice Dream Reader

There are also plenty of great text-to-speech applications available for mobile devices, and Voice Dream Reader is an excellent example. It can convert documents, web articles and ebooks into natural-sounding speech. 

The app comes with 186 built-in voices across 30 languages, including English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese and Korean. 

You can get the software to read a list of articles while you drive, work or exercise, and there are auto-scrolling, full-screen and distraction-free modes to help you focus. Voice Dream Reader can be used with cloud solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Pocket, Instapaper and Evernote. 

The best text-to-speech software: FAQs

What is the best text-to-speech software for youtube.

If you're looking for the best text-to-speech software for YouTube videos or other social media platforms, you need a tool that lets you extract the audio file once your text document has been processed. Thankfully, that's most of them. So, the real trick is to select a TTS app that features a bountiful choice of natural-sounding voices that match the personality of your channel. 

What’s the difference between web TTS services and TTS software?

Web TTS services are hosted on a company or developer website. You’ll only be able to access the service if the service remains available at the whim of a provider or isn’t facing an outage.

TTS software refers to downloadable desktop applications that typically won’t rely on connection to a server, meaning that so long as you preserve the installer, you should be able to use the software long after it stops being provided. 

Do I need a text-to-speech subscription?

Subscriptions are by far the most common pricing model for top text-to-speech software. By offering subscription models for, companies and developers benefit from a more sustainable revenue stream than they do from simply offering a one-time purchase model. Subscription models are also attractive to text-to-speech software providers as they tend to be more effective at defeating piracy.

Free software options are very rarely absolutely free. In some cases, individual voices may be priced and sold individually once the application has been installed or an account has been created on the web service.

How can I incorporate text-to-speech as part of my business tech stack?

Some of the text-to-speech software that we’ve chosen come with business plans, offering features such as additional usage allowances and the ability to have a shared workspace for documents. Other than that, services such as Amazon Polly are available as an API for more direct integration with business workflows.

Small businesses may find consumer-level subscription plans for text-to-speech software to be adequate, but it’s worth mentioning that only business plans usually come with the universal right to use any files or audio created for commercial use.

How to choose the best text-to-speech software

When deciding which text-to-speech software is best for you, it depends on a number of factors and preferences. For example, whether you’re happy to join the ecosystem of big companies like Amazon in exchange for quality assurance, if you prefer realistic voices, and how much budget you’re playing with. It’s worth noting that the paid services we recommend, while reliable, are often subscription services, with software hosted via websites, rather than one-time purchase desktop apps. 

Also, remember that the latest versions of Microsoft Word and Google Docs feature basic text-to-speech as standard, as well as most popular browsers. So, if you have access to that software and all you’re looking for is a quick fix, that may suit your needs well enough. 

How we test the best text-to-speech software

We test for various use cases, including suitability for use with accessibility issues, such as visual impairment, and for multi-tasking. Both of these require easy access and near instantaneous processing. Where possible, we look for integration across the entirety of an operating system , and for fair usage allowances across free and paid subscription models.

At a minimum, we expect an intuitive interface and intuitive software. We like bells and whistles such as realistic voices, but we also appreciate that there is a place for products that simply get the job done. Here, the question that we ask can be as simple as “does this piece of software do what it's expected to do when asked?”

Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .

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How to use text to speech on MacBook and text to speech Mac shortcuts

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Text to speech on MacBook and text to speech Mac shortcuts are essential if you are looking to save time, increase productivity, and improve accessibility.

Many people own MacBooks, and they are powerful computers. If you are one of numerous Mac users, you might want to check out your text to speech ( TTS ) options for the Mac operating system. It can be so beneficial for you, and it’s easy to use.

Text to speech is a type of speech synthesis software that allows you to easily convert text into speech with an AI-generated voice. What this means is that you can use an existing text, and the program will read it to you. 

Using text to speech apps can be quite helpful. So, how does it work? All you need to do is enable your chosen TTS app, and once you do, you will be able to convert any type of text—from web pages to Microsoft Word documents and more—into an audio file. 

The app will then go through the text and read it aloud. You will get a chance to customize the speaking rate, languages, accents, and so much more.

There are many text to speech options for MacOS.

How to enable text to speech on your MacBook

The first thing you will need to do is find an app that works on MacBooks and install it on your device. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from. As for the choice, why not pick the best text to speech app available on the market— Speechify .

Once you install Speechify from the App Store , using it is quite easy. The app works on your desktop, and also has both Safari and Google Chrome web browser extensions. Speechify Premium additionally supports OCR, which allows you to snap a photo of a text, and the character recognition will turn the text into audio.

This can save you so much time, and the quality of the app will create a seamless experience for your text to speech needs.

Text to speech APIs work with numerous applications. One of the most common uses is with browsers like Safari or Chrome, and you can add it as an extension. The type of settings and functions you will get mostly depends on the TTS tool you choose. You can also download apps for your Apple desktop or mobile devices—whether that be your MacBook, iPhone, or iPad.

The majority of well-known brands have their own version of text to speech. These include Speechify, Google Cloud Text to Speech Amazon Polly, Microsoft Azure, NaturalReader, and many more.

You can also check out the native TTS app on MacOS, although its functionality is quite limited compared to a more robust TTS app like Speechify.

Starting a text to speech app is quite simple—and if you use keyboard shortcuts, the process is even quicker. Follow these steps to turn on text to speech MacBook shortcuts:

• Head over to the Apple menu or Dock, and open System Preferences. A new window will open up.
• Click the Accessibility section in the new window. On the left side of the panel, locate the Speech section.
• See the checkbox “Speak selected text when the key is pressed.” The default key is Option+Esc, but you can add any key you want. Once you do this, using the text to speech feature is as simple as it can be.
• Highlight the text you want to hear, press the shortcut, and the app will start speaking. Once the text is over, the app will stop speaking, and you can select a different piece of text.

There are so many benefits of using text to speech apps on your MacBook. First, you will be able to save so much time by not having to read everything. It is great for business, and it will make checking emails a lot more enjoyable.

You can turn on the app and multitask while listening to your emails, social media, favorite web pages, news articles, documents for work, and so much more. Individuals who struggle with reading due to dyslexia, visual impairment, or any other disability can also benefit from Speechify as an excellent accessibility tool. There are people who need a lot of time to finish a single page, and you won’t need to struggle with Speechify or any other TTS tool. Speechify even has a screen reader feature that will highlight the text as it reads it out loud, so users can follow along.

There are several ways you can improve the experience on your MacBook if you plan on using text to speech tools. The first tip on the list is to ensure the app works properly.

Text to speech programs aren’t always perfect, and the only way you can ensure they work as intended is to focus on spelling and grammar. It’s not rare for someone to make a mistake while typing, but the program won’t be able to spot the error.

This means that you should focus on both spelling and punctuation. Having a question mark at the end of the sentence will change the way the app reads it to you.

Furthermore, you should adjust the sound and voice in your chosen TTS app by customizing it to your listening preference in terms of reading speed, language, and voice quality. But to simplify things even further, you can always download the Speechify app for many incredible and easy-to-use features.

Speechify is one of the best options if you are looking for a text to speech tool. It is easy to use, and the intuitive UI makes it an excellent option for beginners. The app lets you choose between numerous languages, accents, and speak selections. 

But the most appealing thing about Speechify is that the voiceovers sound so natural. This is one of the primary reasons so many users prefer using Speechify and why it is one of the most popular TTS apps for Macs today. With the addition of OCR technology, Speechify also allows you to use screenshots instead of text files, which is a huge bonus.

Speechify works on any Apple device including iPhones, iPads, or anything using iOS—as well as Android and Windows devices. This means that you can easily add it to your MacBook, and the app will instantly start saving you time and improving your accessibility.

Experience the difference of text to speech on MacBook with Speechify today.

The default shortcut for opening text to speech on Mac is Option+Esc—but you can change it at any point. 

In the System Preferences section of the menu, you will move the cursor to the Keyboard and Dictation option within it. Once you pick a keyboard shortcut, you can start the app by pressing the selected keys. 

To start the text to speech on macOS or mac OS x, all you need to do is press Option+Esc, unless you picked a different key combination.

Text to speech is a voice synthesis software that uses AI to create a reading system voice for the text. With it, you can have your device read text aloud, and it is a great way to convert text files to audio.

Kurzweil vs. Read&Write: A Breakdown

Read Aloud: Transforming the Way We Experience Text

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

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macOS Sonoma: How to train your Mac to talk in your voice

With macOS Sonoma, you can create a Personal Voice, which is a voice that your Mac uses that sounds like you. The Mac’s text-to-speech capabilities can be used to recite in a voice similar to yours anything typed using the Live Speech feature.

According to Apple, the voice that is created uses the Mac’s machine learning, and since everything is kept on the Mac, the user’s voice information is kept private and secure. So you don’t have to worry about your recording being used for nefarious reasons by Apple or anyone else. 

The Personal Voice isn’t perfect. It sounds robotic, lacking inflection and emotion, but it’s more personal than the artificial voices that come with the Mac. To hear what it sounds like, I created samples. The first recording is me speaking, and the second is My Personal Voice created in macOS Sonoma. Give it a listen.

The process of creating a Personal Voice involves a long recording session. If you are using a MacBook, you can get away with using its built-in microphone. For best results, however, you should use an external USB mic.

Here’s how to create a Personal Voice in macOS Sonoma. For more information about Apple’s new Mac operating system, check out our macOS Sonoma superguide .

How to create a Personal Voice in macOS Sonoma

• Tools required: microphone if your Mac doesn’t have one
• Materials required: macOS Sonoma

Accessibility settings

In System Settings, click on Accessibility in the left column. In the main section of the window, scroll down to the Speech section and click Personal Voice .

This will open the Personal Voice section. Click Create a Personal Voice .

Get ready to record

After entering the user password, an introduction appears. It tells you that you’ll need to recite 150 phrases that will be used to create the Personal Voice. This voice can then be used in FaceTime, Phone, and other apps. The process takes 15 to 20 minutes. Click Continue .

Another intro screen appears, advising you on how to get the best results. You should perform the recordings in a quiet place that creates very little echo, and you should speak naturally. If you need to, you can stop the session, save the results, and finish it later. Click Continue again to start.

Recording check

Before you begin recording, you need to provide a name for the voice. Enter it and click Continue .

Now the Mac will check the sound quality. At the bottom of the window is a red record button and a label that indicates which mic it is recording from. If it is not the mic you want, you’ll need to cancel the session and then go into the Sound System Settings and select the mic you want to use. Then you need to go back to the first step and start over.

If the red button shows the correct mic, you may proceed. Click the red circle and read the bold phrase. Remember, speak as you normally would in a conversation. When you are done, the process will automatically sense that you are finished talking and proceed to the next step.

Recording Considerations

When you finish the initial recording, the Mac analyzes it and will let you know if there are any issues. For example, the analysis shown here says that there is too much background noise. You can take this opportunity to address any issues you may have and then click Check Again to do another test.

You can also ignore these suggestions and plow ahead. Or maybe you got the all-clear in the first place. In any case, click Continue to start the procedure.

Do this before recording the first phrase

The first Read the Phrase screen appears, but don’t click the red record button just yet. There are a few  things you should know:

• Under Read the Phrase is an indicator of your progress. If you want to go back to a previous phrase, click the left button. Click the right button to move forward in the list.
• At any time you can click Done, even if you haven’t read all 150 phrases. Your place in line will be saved and you can come back and continue the process.
• The blue Preview button will have the Mac read the phrase to you, in case you have trouble reading. You can then click the red button and repeat what you heard.
• Continuous Recording : After saying each phrase, the next one automatically appears and you don’t need to press the record button at all.
• Stop at Each Phrase : After saying each phrase, the next one automatically appears, but you must click the record button.

Now that you know what’s going on with the UI, make any adjustments you want. 

Start recording the phrases

Click the record button to start the process. This will take 15 to 20 minutes.

Tip: If you are reading a phrase, mess up, and want to start over, click the record button to stop. When you’re ready, click the record button and continue recording.

How to pause and then restart later

Maybe you need a break or have to go do something else. To stop the session, click Done to exit. To restart the session, follow these steps:

• Go into S ystem Settings > Accessibility , look for the Speech section, and click Personal Voice .
• Under the Personal Voice section you’ll see an entry with the name of your personal voice and underneath it is the number of phrases you need to record. Click the “i” icon next to it.
• Enter your user password in the pop-up that appears.
• A window appears with a Continue Recording button. Click it.

You’ll need to do the sound quality check again, but after that, the phrase recording will proceed and you can continue the process.

You’re Done Recording

After you say the 150th phrase, you’ll reach the end of the session. A You’re Done Recording window appears and after you’re done patting yourself on the back, click Continue .

Prepare Your Personal Voice

Now your Mac needs to get to work–and it’s going to take a while, so if you’re using a MacBook, plug it in. You’ll get a notification when the Personal Voice is done and ready to use. On a M1 Pro MacBook Pro, this took about 90 minutes.

Click Done to start the process. The Personal Voice section in the Accessibility System Setting will display the progress made on making your voice. You can use your Mac for other work while this is going on, but you shouldn’t shut it down. When the process is done, the progress notification will be replaced by the creation date.

The Personal Voice System Setting has a couple of other preferences to set:

• Share across devices : This allows your Personal Voice to be used on other Macs running macOS Sonoma, iPhones with iOS 17, and iPads with iPadOS 17. Turn this one if you’d like to do that.
• Allow applications to use your Personal Voice : Turning this on allows applications to request to use Personal Voice to speak aloud through the Mac’s speakers or during calls.

Adjust the Live Speech System Setting

Now that your Personal Voice has been created, you need to adjust the Mac’s settings so you can use it in apps. This is done in the Live Speech setting,

• Go to System Settings > Accessibility , then scroll down to the Speech section and click on Live Speech .
• In the Voice setting, click the pop-up menu. Look for your Personal Voice and select it.
• Turn on the switch at the top for Live Speech .

A Type to Speak box will appear, and you can enter some text and hit Return to sample your Personal Voice. If you want to hide the box, click the menu bar icon that looks like the Live Speech icon (a keyboard with a microphone in the lower right corner).

How to use Text to Speech in FaceTime, macOS

If you want to use text-to-speech input in FaceTime, go to the Video menu in the FaceTime app, and select Transcriptions Text-To-Speech under the Microphone section.

If you want to set macOS to use Text to Speech for the Mac, go to System Settings > Sound , then scroll down to the Output & Input section and click on Input . Click on Transcriptions Text-To-Speech.

That’s it! You should be able to use your Personal Voice in text-to-speech situations. If you don’t like how the Personal Voice sounds, you can delete it and do the procedure again. You even add another Personal Voice by doing the procedure again.

Author: Roman Loyola , Senior Editor, Macworld

Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.

Recent stories by Roman Loyola:

• macOS Sequoia to be released with iOS 18 next month; M4 Macs ‘coming later’
• Microsoft apps on the Mac have a security hole that won’t get fixed soon
• macOS Sequoia requires regular permission checks when using certain apps

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How to Convert Text to Speech on a MacBook

• Make Your MacBook Read for You

Whether you prefer to have content read to you when busy, are too tired to read, or are a special needs individual, the text to speech feature on MacBook can prove to be a boon. With just a few clicks or key combinations, users can transform any text into speech, saving time and boosting productivity. You can now turn your favorite books or articles into speech and listen to them read aloud anywhere, anytime—without having to carry the books or flip through each page physically. 

Furthermore, not everyone has time to read lengthy documents or time-consuming emails on their Mac. This is where the text to speech in Mac serves as an easier way to consume content without straining one's eyes. In this blog, we'll dive into the top benefits of using this powerful function to transform how users interact with their device, how to use the feature with just a press of a key combo, and some of the alternatives to MacBook text to speech. 

Table of Contents

How to enable text to speech on a macbook, speech customizations, range of voice languages and accents, various download formats , top substitutes for macbook text to speech, which is the best substitute for mac text to speech.

To enable MacBook to speak selected text, simply press the key combination 'Option + Esc.' There is also an alternative option to customize the keyboard shortcut to use other features. For example, users can decide to display a controller on the screen that enables them to quickly alter the speech rate, resume, or stop speaking using the play button. Here are the steps to enable TTS on Mac:

Step 1: On MacBook, select Apple Menu > System Settings. Then, click on the 'Accessibility' option in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

Step 2: Click on 'Spoken Content.'

Step 3: Next, turn on 'Speak selection.'

Step 4: Press the default key combination 'Option + Esc.' The TTS will now start speaking in its system voice. If a particular text is marked when pressing the key combination, Mac will speak the selected text in the default voice. Else, present text items in the current window are spoken. For instance, if a new window consists of Mail, an email message is read aloud. If no text items are available on the screen, one can hear a beep.

Step 5: Press the key combination 'Option + Esc' again to stop the text to speech feature. The default voice will now stop speaking.

Note: If users set the option to automatically show the controller, it appears on the screen when the Mac starts speaking. The controller can be used to move forwards or backward one sentence in the text. 

Why Text to Speech Software Over the Text to Speech Feature on Mac?

Although the inbuilt text to speech function on MacBook serves a decent purpose with a simple press of a key shortcut, the range of its functions is not adequate for various use cases. In fact, MacBook's text to speech options are quite limited for users when it comes to speech modulations and customizations. 

The inbuilt TTS has a 'Controller' that allows users to pause, resume or stop the speech, tweak the speaking rate, and skip ahead or back in the read text. But that is all it has to offer. While there are a few options to highlight or change the style of the text appearing on the screen, it puts users at a disadvantage when it comes to altering the speech. Users often like to hear the accent they are familiar with to understand through speech.

Thankfully, there are various best TTS software in the market with additional features that far surpass the limitations of MacBook's TTS feature. Users can add a web browser extension to listen to the text directly from a web page. TTS software even allows users to drag and drop text files, including Microsoft Word documents, PDFs, and images, and convert them into speech. Some TTS software also go beyond just reading the text aloud to creating voiceovers for diverse content. For instance, users can create realistic voiceovers for their YouTube videos using a script , create audiobooks that sound like a human is narrating them, and more.

Also read : Three Simple Ways to Convert PDF to Speech 

Let's look at some of the benefits of choosing a TTS software over the TTS feature on Mac:

TTS software can prove to be a boon when it comes to the range of options available to modify speech. Using TTS, users can convert a text file into speech with advanced options like professionally modulating the pitch and speed of the voice, changing certain pronunciations , and adding pauses to the speech, which are amiss in the TTS feature on MacBook. 

Unlike Mac, TTS software enables users to customize the voice for the speech by allowing the user to select from a range of languages and accents. Some software have filters such as gender, age group, and use cases, enabling users to easily select the voice based on their project requirements. 

TTS software facilitate the download of created projects in various audio formats like MP3 , AAC, WMA, and WAV, eliminating the need for a third-party tool to convert the file to a desired format.

Natural Readers  

WellSaid Labs

Amazon Polly  

TTS Reader  

Speechify  

Why is Murf the Best Text to Speech Software for Mac?

Murf is undoubtedly the best text to speech alternative for Mac, considering the all-encompassing premium features of the platform. Users can customize their project based on use cases by selecting from a range of available options, including eLearning , audio ads, IVR systems, audiobooks, public announcements, podcasts, presentations, articles, and blogs. 

Murf also offers various voice customizations, like adding pauses, managing the speed and pitch of the AI voice, and enhancing the pronunciation of certain words, enabling users to fine-tune their voiceover. A notable feature of the platform is the ability for users to improve the pronunciation of a particular word using either IPA phonemes or alternate spellings.

That said, Murf offers users the choice to choose an AI voice from a range of 120+ natural-sounding voices in 20+ languages across different accents and tonalities. The tool allows users to even add media such as videos, images, or background music to the finished audio projects. 

With Murf, one can also save projects as audio, video, and voice with background music. Murf not only ushers in advanced TTS functions but also provides superior options to create full-fledged audio-visual projects . Additionally, users can deploy high-quality voices on apps, websites, and other services at scale with Murf's text to audio API , which is simple and easy to use, irrespective of the application, product, or website. 

Also read : Unleash Creativity by Converting ChatGPT Text to Speech

So, if you're looking for a high-quality, customizable TTS solution, Murf is definitely worth considering.

How to enable text to speech on a Mac?

Users can press different key combinations such as 'Command+ F5' or 'Option + Esc' simultaneously to activate the TTS feature on macOS. A second way users can enable Mac to read aloud is: navigate to the Apple Menu, open "System Preferences," click on "Accessibility," and then on "Spoken Content." The TTS will immediately start reading the current page out loud.

Murf is among the best TTS for macOS and other operating systems. It supports multiple languages and accents, hundreds of natural-sounding voices, and is super easy to use.

You should also read:

How to create engaging videos using TikTok text to speech

An in-depth Guide on How to Use Text to Speech on Discord

Medical Text to Speech: Changing Healthcare for the Better

If you have a speech disability or prefer to connect without using your voice, these innovations give you more ways to communicate, your way.

New Live Speech

Turn your typed text into spoken words..

Type what you want to say, and your device will speak it out loud. If you are unable to speak, have a speech disability, or prefer to communicate through text, you can use Live Speech to stay connected during Phone and FaceTime calls as well as in-person conversations. You can also save commonly used phrases to respond easily during daily interactions or while having lively conversations with friends and loved ones.

Available on:

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch

Live Speech

Set up Live Speech on:

• Apple Watch

New Personal Voice

Create a voice that sounds like you..

Those who are at risk of voice loss now have a simple and secure way to create a voice that sounds like them. 1 Personal Voice guides you through a series of randomly chosen text prompts to record 15 minutes of audio that can be used to generate a voice that sounds like you. 2 This feature uses on-device machine learning to keep your information private and secure. And you have the option to sync Personal Voice with end-to-end encryption on iCloud to use your voice on other Apple devices. It integrates seamlessly with Live Speech, so you can type what you want to say and have your iPhone, iPad, or Mac speak it aloud in your Personal Voice.

iPhone, iPad, Mac

Personal Voice

Set up Personal Voice on:

Spoken Content

Select the text you want to hear out loud..

Spoken Content includes a collection of features that enable your devices to read text out loud. Use Speak Screen if you want to hear the content of your entire screen. Or try Speak Selection if you want to select and hear a specific range of text. During speech playback, you can control the pace of the reading more precisely with Speech Controller. And Typing Feedback speaks every letter you type. Spoken Content is available in more than 60 languages and locales, with more options to customize settings such as pitch range for your preferred built-in voices. 3 And on Apple Vision Pro, Spoken Content is currently available only in U.S. English.

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro

Set up Spoken Content on:

• Apple Vision Pro

Updated Messages

Say everything you want, without saying anything..

Messages helps you communicate without needing to say a word. Emoji, Memoji, stickers, and reactions make your texts more personalized and expressive. Quickly catch up on unread messages, swipe to reply to specific messages, and edit or unsend messages for more seamless communication in real time. Messages makes it easy to share photos, links, and even your location with friends and family. And audio messages are transcribed, so you can read them in the moment and listen later on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. Staying connected without speaking is simpler and more fun than ever.

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro

Set up Messages on:

• Apple Watch

Catch-up and swipe to reply. A new catch-up arrow lets you jump to the first message you haven’t seen in a conversation. And you can swipe right on any message to send a reply.

All your stickers in one place. The new stickers drawer lets you access all your Live Stickers, emoji, Memoji, and other sticker packs in one place. Your stickers sync with iCloud so they are available on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices.

All your iMessage apps in one place. Tap the new plus button to view all the things you send the most — like photos, audio messages, and your location. You can swipe up to view the rest of your iMessage apps.

Check In. Let your loved ones know you’ve arrived safely by automatically notifying them when you reach your destination. If you stop making progress, it checks in with you, and if you don’t respond, it shares helpful information with your friend, like the location, battery level, and cell service status of your iPhone. Your shared information is end-to-end encrypted.

Audio message transcriptions. Audio messages are now transcribed, so you can read or listen to them depending on your needs and preferences. Not available on Apple Vision Pro.

Handwrite everything you want to say.

Reply to a message or write a note by scribbling on your display, and your device automatically converts your words to typed text. You can use your finger to write quick responses on your Apple Watch display, or jot down notes with Apple Pencil on iPad. If you’re nonverbal or prefer to communicate through handwriting, Scribble helps you get all your ideas across.

iPad, Apple Watch

Set up Scribble on:

Updated FaceTime

Type what you want to say during video calls..

FaceTime is a great way to stay connected to family and friends, especially if you rely on facial expressions, gestures, or sign language to communicate. Its high-quality video and fast frame rate ensure that you never miss a moment. On Apple Vision Pro, watch movies with loved ones using SharePlay in the FaceTime app. And on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Live Speech integrates seamlessly into FaceTime — just type your responses and your device speaks them out loud to others on the call. Or quickly chime in with your favorite saved phrases during animated conversations. FaceTime makes it easy to be even more expressive without a word. Use simple hand gestures to add a reaction that fills the camera frame with 3D augmented reality effects like hearts or confetti. 4

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro

Set up FaceTime on:

• Apple TV

React with your hands. Use a simple hand gesture to add a reaction that fills the camera frame with fun effects like hearts, confetti, or fireworks. 4

Leave a message. When someone misses your FaceTime call, record a video or audio message with all the same video effects that make you look your best in FaceTime, like Portrait mode and Studio Light. Your messages can also be played on Apple Watch.

FaceTime on Apple TV. Use your iPhone as a camera and start a call directly from the FaceTime app on Apple TV, or hand off the call from your iPhone to your TV. 5

SharePlay on Apple Vision Pro. Use SharePlay in the FaceTime app to stream TV shows, movies, and music with friends and family while on a FaceTime call together.

Accessibility Shortcut

Triple-click to start using features faster..

Easily add, organize, and customize the features you use the most in Control Center or System Settings with the Accessibility Shortcut. You can triple-click the side button, Digital Crown, or power button to quickly access your favorite features — like Live Speech or Spoken Content — without needing to leave the app you’re using.

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro

Set up Accessibility Shortcut on:

Updated Siri

Siri responds to text, too..

Siri can help you with the things you do every day without your needing to speak a word. Use Type to Siri to ask questions, set up reminders, issue commands, and more. 6 With Siri Pause Time, you can also adjust the amount of time Siri waits before responding, so you can speak comfortably at your own pace without worrying about Siri interrupting you.

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro

Set up Siri on:

• Apple Watch

Customize Siri speed. Customize Siri to speak at a slower or faster rate depending on your needs and preferences.

Siri activation. Siri now works when you just say “Siri” as well as “Hey Siri.” 7

Back-to-back requests. Once you activate Siri, you can make multiple requests back to back without needing to say “Siri” again. 8

Siri in Safari Reader. You can have text read aloud in Reader-compatible sites in Safari by saying “Siri, read this.”

Shortcuts on Apple Vision Pro. You can use Siri to launch a shortcut from the Shortcuts app on Apple Vision Pro.

Tap-tap to cue your favorite features.

Back Tap lets you double‑tap or triple‑tap the back of your iPhone to perform a range of custom tasks automatically. You can use Back Tap to start using your favorite speech features, like Live Speech or Speak Screen, even faster.

Set up Back Tap on:

Updated Switch Control

Navigate onscreen with a sound..

Switch Control makes it easy and efficient to control your device with a variety of adaptive switch hardware, wireless game controllers, or even sounds. You can use item, point, and manual scanning to navigate sequentially through onscreen keyboards, menus, and the Dock. Sound actions for Switch Control let you use simple mouth sounds — like a click, a pop, or “ee” — to navigate sequentially and perform actions onscreen. And the same switch or sound actions you use to navigate and control your iPhone and iPad can be turned into a game controller. 9

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro

Switch Control

Set up Switch Control on:

Switch Control for Gaming. People who use Switch Control have the option to turn the same switch or sound actions they use to navigate and control their iPhone or iPad into a game controller. For example, those who prefer to use sound actions as switches can set different sounds, like a pop or a click, to perform game maneuvers, such as moving left and right.

Go deeper with videos from Apple.

Learn tips, tricks, and how-tos for speech features from Apple Support on YouTube.

Make  yours. showing Speak Selection feature.

Discover more about apple accessibility features..