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In this article we will discuss about how to Use Google Text to Speech in Chrome. Text-to-speech is getting better. Text-to-speech technology has a lot of different uses, especially for people who have trouble reading. Even for those of us who like to tap away on our keyboards, giving our ears a chance over our eyes has some interesting benefits.
Google Chrome is a complete web browser that makes it easy to get work done and be productive. Chrome, for example, has a built-in screenshot tool that lets users take a picture of the screen on their own. It also gets rid of Yahoo and Bing so that the focus is only on Google. The Chrome Web Store has a lot of add-ons for the features that don’t come with Chrome by default. This is a win-win situation.
Ways to Use Google Text to Speech in Chrome
Use Google Docs Screen Reader to read text aloud
Before you can use the screen reader options in Google Docs, you need to get a program that will read the text in a Google Docs document out loud. If you already have built-in screen reader software like Apple VoiceOver or ChromeVox, you don’t need to do this step. If you can’t, we’ll suggest that you use the NVDA screen reader software.
It is a free, open source screen reader program that takes up little space and is easy to use. You don’t have to change any settings to use it with Google Docs. To use it with Google Docs, just download and install the software and then follow the steps below.
You can also use this Google Screen Reader Chrome extension if you don’t want to use desktop screen reader software. This screen reader will only work in the Chrome web browser, not on your whole computer. It doesn’t need any special settings to work with Google Docs, either.
Enable Google Docs Screen Reader
If the Google Docs screen reader option isn’t turned on, your screen reader software won’t be able to read the text inside a Google Doc. You can also go to the official Google chrome support site to know more information about this. Here’s how to make Google Docs work with a screen reader:
- Click on the “Tools” menu in the top bar and select “Accessibility settings” in it.
- Now check the checkbox next to “Turn on screen reader support” and click on “OK”.
Use text-to-speech in Google Docs
After you’ve followed the steps above, you’ll see a new Accessibility menu in the top bar. You can use it to have Google Docs read text out loud. Press the Ctrl+Alt+Z keys on your keyboard if you still can’t find the Accessibility option.
- Open up the document and select the text you want to read aloud (press Ctrl+A to select all the text).
- Now click on “Accessibility” in the top menu bar and select “Speak selection” in the “Speak” option. Your screen reader software will read aloud the text.
- There is also a Google Docs keyboard shortcut for this purpose. Once the required text is selected, press Ctrl+Alt+X keys to start reading aloud.
Use a text-to-speech Chrome extension
If you don’t want to use a screen reader, you can also use a text-to-speech Chrome extension for Google Docs. A text-to-speech extension will copy the content of Google Docs and put it in its own interface. It will then read the content out loud. I really like the Read Aloud Chrome extension for this. It’s amazing how easy it is to use, but it’s also very strong.
The extension works on almost every web page, even web apps like Google Docs. Just open the document and click on the button for the extension to have the text read out loud. You also don’t have to choose the text to read out loud. Read Aloud will automatically find the text that needs to be read out loud.
In its settings, you can choose the type of voice, the volume, the pitch, and the speed. The best part is that Read Aloud can read the text in more than 40 languages. There’s a good chance that your language is one that can be used.