How to fix ‘Microsoft Word Read Aloud Not Working’ issue

This article will show you how to fix ‘Microsoft Word Read Aloud Not Working’ issue. The world-famous word processor Microsoft Word is part of the Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft Word makes it easy to save important information in a document. You might want to change Word text to speech for different reasons, such as to save time or do more than one thing at once. People who use MS Office often have trouble with the Read Aloud feature not working in Word or other Office programs. Because the icon is grayed out in MS Word, users can’t use the feature.

Read Aloud is a feature of Microsoft Office that lets you read text or a document out loud, just like an audiobook. Even though the feature works fine, you might get an error when you try to use it or turn it on. Some Word users have said that the “Read Aloud” feature doesn’t work right. Some users have said that Read Aloud isn’t working in Word because something is stopping it from starting. If you also get this error on Windows 11 or 10, the solutions in this post will help you how to fix ‘Microsoft Word Read Aloud Not Working’ issue.

What is Microsoft Word Read Aloud Not Working issue?

Microsoft Word is a great word processor and information storage tool that comes with the Microsoft Office suite. It’s easy and safe to make a document in Word and share it with other people. But sometimes people need to hear the information instead of reading it, so they ask if Word can read to them. There are some built-in features that make it possible for Microsoft Word to read aloud. Read Aloud is a built-in feature of Microsoft Word that lets you hear what you have written. This is helpful when you’ve written long papers. But a number of our users have said that Read Aloud doesn’t work in MS Word. In this guide, we’ll tell you what caused the problem and how to fix it.

Why is Microsoft Word Read Aloud not working?

1. Compatibility: Ensure that your version of Microsoft Word supports the “Read Aloud” feature. This feature may not be available in older versions or certain editions of Word.
2. Add-ins: Check if you have any third-party add-ins or extensions installed in Word that might interfere with the “Read Aloud” feature. Disable or remove them to see if that resolves the issue.
3. Audio Output: Make sure your computer’s audio output is functioning correctly. Check if you can hear sound from other applications. If not, you may have an issue with your computer’s audio settings or hardware.
4. Audio Device Selection: In Word, go to the “Review” tab, and under “Read Aloud,” click on the “Settings” button. Ensure that the correct audio playback device is selected. Sometimes, it may be set to a device that is not working or not connected.
5. Updates: Ensure that your Microsoft Office suite is up to date. Sometimes, updating Office can resolve issues with its features, including “Read Aloud.”
6. Text Selection: Make sure you have selected the text you want Word to read aloud. Word will only read the text that is currently selected.

Fix ‘Microsoft Word Read Aloud Not Working’ issue

Open Word in Safe Mode and disable add-ins

1. To open the Run dialog, press Win + R.
2. Enter winword /safe and hit the Enter key.
3. If the problem doesn’t happen in this setting, it has to do with the add-in.
4. Go to File > Options next.
5. Go to the part called “Add-ins.”
6. Choose COM Add-ins from the drop-down menu on the right side of the bottom and click Go.
7. Here, uncheck all but one of the add-ins and click OK.

Reinstall MS Office

1. Right-click on the Start button and choose “Apps and Features.”
2. Scroll down to find where to install MS Office.
3. Click Uninstall and then click Uninstall again to confirm.
4. Follow the steps on the screen to get rid of the app completely.
5. To open File Explorer, press Win + E.
6. Go to the following place and delete everything there:
   • C:Program Files is where the files are. Office by Microsoft
7. Next, type regedit into the search box in Windows and hit Enter.
8. In the Registry Editor, go to the following places and delete these things:
   • ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftAppVISV
   • ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftOfficeClickToRun
   • ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftOfficeClickToRun
9. Restart the computer, and then reinstall Microsoft Office.

Update Word

1. Start Microsoft Word and go to the File menu.
2. Choose Account from the file menu.
3. Find Update Options under Product Information and click on it.
4. Choose Update Now from the drop-down menu. The program will then look for updates and install them if there are any.

Repair the Word document

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Go to File and then Open.
3. Click “Browse” and select the file you want to fix.
4. Instead of clicking Open, click the down arrow next to it.
5. Choose Open and Repair. Word will fix the document if it can.

Restart Word

1. Close the active Microsoft Word document.
2. Close Microsoft Word completely and make sure it is not running in the background; press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager and shut down the tasks associated with the application.
3. After a few moments, reopen Microsoft Word, open the document, and try using the “Read Out Loud” function again.

Repair MS Office

1. Type “Control Panel” into the search box in Windows and hit “Enter.”
2. Choose Programs > Programs and Features from the menu.
3. Click on Change after you’ve chosen Microsoft Office.
4. Choose Online Repair and then click on Repair.
5. Follow the instructions to finish.

Conclusion

Read Aloud is a great way to get things done, especially when you need a break for your eyes. You can have Word start reading the document from where your cursor is, and you can even pause or skip ahead and back to hear important parts again. So when Word’s Read Aloud feature stops working, it’s definitely a pain. Having this happen to you is nothing to worry about. We’ve made a quick guide to help you solve the problem. If you want to know more information about this issue so you can visit Microsoft Word Official Website.

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