Why use text to speech?
Imagine returning home after a long day. The only thing on your mind at this point is a nice warm bath while catching up on a novel. But you are too tired to read, well you don’t have to. You can use your text to speech app to read out the words while you relax.
If you are a learner who struggles with reading comprehension or are temporarily unable to read due to an injury, having the option to listen to information can be a great way to supplement your learning.
So, if you are in a position where reading is difficult and takes too much concentration, then speech synthesis may allow you to focus on the text and what it means instead of sounding out each word and sentence.
Also similar to text to speech, automatic voice-over services can be an affordable alternative in video production and social media content creation. Of course, this will help save you money without compromising on the quality of your production.
Read more: How to activate Google’s Text-to-Speech service
How do I use text to speech?
Using text-to-speech on a computer is usually as easy as right-clicking on a text selection and selecting a voice to read it aloud. You can also take advantage of OS features that will "read" the contents of a page to you in some cases.
Smartphones are even easier. Press the iPhone's Home Button twice to activate Siri or Android's Google Now service and say "Read <article title>" to have it read aloud to you immediately.
Another option for tech-savvy users is using free desktop programs that enable text-to-speech on most Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems.
Read more: How to use text-to-speech for Windows devices
Read more: How to use Text-to-Speech on your Mac
How can I convert text to speech?
There are a number of free options when it comes to text to speech. These include: online tools, downloadable desktop programs, and apps for mobile devices.
These applications allow you to convert written text into spoken audio files which can be saved or shared.
Text to speech applications are also available within many popular ebook readers like Kindle or Nook. These options allow you not only to listen to ebooks, but also to convert other reading material into audiobooks.
Read more: Read Emails and Documents out Loud with these Apps
What are some common problems with text to speech?
One of the most commonly reported problems people have with text-to-speech is that some voices sound too robotic or unnatural. Some can also be hard to understand when they speak too quickly. This is also the case when text to speech is used as a voice-over solution. The robotic nature of the voice may put some people off.
There are also issues with using text-to-speech to "read" web pages. While the programs can usually grab text from any page, it will not be able to do things like break words at the end of lines or change reading speed based on punctuation (such as commas).
Finally, textual context is often lost when converting written words into spoken language. It is best to think of text-to-speech as an alternative to listening rather than actually reading for comprehension.
Text to Speech Websites and Programs for Desktop
What are some text to speech apps for android?
Finding the best text to speech software isn't as simple as it might appear. There are plenty of text to speech apps available on the Google Play Store which offer different features, voices and prices.
However, some apps are paid, while others are free. For extra services and features, some apps ask you to pay more. Here are some great options to consider.
It's one of the most effective text to speech programs available on the Google Play Store. It offers you a good number of voices to choose from and the best part is that it is free. Narrator's Voice enables users to convert any text into speech.
It also allows sharing your spoken work via email, Twitter, Facebook or other messengers or social networking sites. Something which your conventional voice recorder cannot easily do.
If you're looking for a text-to-speech program with a simple and user-friendly design, Talk Free is the one for you. It's an effective app that can read aloud any text from web pages or even books.
It also allows users to adjust the reading speed of each voice, cut audio files into pieces and save them anywhere on their device. The app is available only for Android devices only at the moment but you can get it from Google Play Store for free.
Voice Aloud Reader can read aloud offline files which are created in text or pdf formats. The app includes 19 human-sounding voices, 15 speed options and 3 reading modes. It also allows users to select background colour while converting text into speech.
The bad side of this app is that it has a complicated user interface, but once you get used to it, you'll be able to get the most out of it.
Natural Reader is another highly customizable text to speech app that allows users to create their own library of files and add them to a list for future use. The app comes with 18 different voices and 15 speed settings which can be used according to your convenience.
Natural Reader is a highly customizable app which offers many options for creating your own library of files.
IVONA has been in the text-to-speech industry since 2005 and its expertise can be seen in this app. IVONA is not only one of the best text to speech programs out there but it is also popular throughout the industry for being used in Kindle Fire tablets. It offers a wide variety of voices, each with its own personality and accent.
There's no need to worry about payment options. IVONA Text-to-Speech HQ is completely free but you will have to pay for purchasing additional accents and voices packs.
Acapela Group is a Dutch tech company that offers text to speech apps through the Google Play Store for select countries including United States, Australia and Canada. This app not only reads aloud web pages but also supports many languages such as French, Spanish, German and Swedish, among others.
It is one of the best text to speech software for Android devices since it doesn't require an Internet connection. You can use it offline or even on a plane, train or any place with poor Internet access.
Google's own text to speech engine is quite similar to Acapela TTS in terms of features. You can use it offline, even without an Internet connection and download all voices for free. There are no in-app purchases available but you will have to pay for downloading additional languages.
Pocket TTS Reader is another great text to speech program comparable to all the other apps mentioned above. It allows users to easily download their favorite files and share them with others via email or any third-party app you desire. The best part of this app is that it allows creating custom voices using your own voice recording.
The app has several reading options including speed settings, language selection and much more.
NeoSpeech is the text to speech app for all those Android users who want high quality voices. The company offers free voices but you will have to purchase additional ones if you want them in your library. There are 36 voices available so far and new ones are being added regularly.
NeoSpeech is one of the best text to speech programs that offers high quality voices for your device.
If you have a friend or family member who has trouble reading, recommend them any one of the above mentioned apps and they will be able to enjoy reading on their own.
Read more: The most useful text-to-speech apps for Android
What are some text to speech apps for iPhone?
We'll show you which text to speech software is the best for Apple's iPhone. Here are our top recommendations.
Text to Speech! is the software of choice, if you want to make your text come alive. As the name suggests, this text to speech app reads your texts out loud. It also allows you to save files as mp3 files so that you can listen to them later.
It supports up to 20 languages. You can change the speed of speech within this text to speech app. This means that you can also use it to learn a new language if you are planning to do so. Text to Speech! is the one of the best free text to speech software for iPhone.
This text to speech app reads electronic files and documents just like Text to Speech! app we discussed earlier. It offers several reading voices for different accents which you can switch up at any time.
You can convert your own voice read-outs into mp3 files using this app. This means that you can even use it to create custom mp3 files.
iSpeech TTS is the ultimate iPhone text to speech app. It offers both premium and free voices for different languages. The best part of iSpeech TTS is its privacy policy which doesn't require you to create an account, no credit card information required either! You can easily use it with all your Android devices.
Next up on our list is Voice Dream Reader, which is one of the greatest programs you can download that reads text and various files to you. This app comes with different themes and layouts, making it one of the best text to speech apps for your iPhone. All you need to do is just to sit back and relax as the plethora of choice ensures that you can find a reading voice that suits your tastes easily.
This app comes with two modes: Speak and Type, which will allow you to either talk to your device or type out what you want to read. Talk For Me is a simple and easy-to-use text to speech app that ensures both convenience and comfort for the user.
This is one of the most basic text to speech apps that you can download for your iPhone. It offers multiple high quality voices, but they are only available as in-app purchases.
Speech Central is a simple text to speech app. It can be used for reading articles out loud, providing narration for videos, and converting documents into audio files.
iSpeech Pro is a well known and widely used text to speech app among all other apps on this list. This app is used by both students and business people alike, offering different modes in which you can use this app with your iPhone.
iSpeech Pro lets you create your own text-to-speech voices, as well as those from recognized recording artists. With this software, it's easy to turn any word into moving sound waves for all of the world's languages!
Are you looking for a way to make your speech more captivating? Speech Speaker Pro is an excellent text to speech app that provides you with adjustable voices, built-in dictionary support, bookmarking capabilities and much more.
Last but definitely not the least on our list is Google Translate, which transforms your words into native language instantly! This app comes with plenty of unique features, offering easy to use text to speech capabilities.
Read more: The best text-to-speech apps for iPhone
Text to Speech Voice-Over Services for Video Production
What are the benefits of text-to-speech?
There are several benefits of text-to-speech. Let us look at some of them:
Text to speech can be used as a cheap alternative for voice-over in video production. Have you ever tried to hire a professional voice over artist? Well, if you have then you will agree that it can get expensive really fast. So if you are working with a limited budget, text to speech apps can be an affordable solution.
1. Comfort
While some people may prefer listening to the radio or music during their spare time, others might opt for reading instead since it's much more stimulating than simple sound. This means that if you are one of those people who like reading better, then text-to-speech might be just for you.
You are able to use text-to-speech anywhere, which is another plus. You can even have it read your favorite book to you as you doze off into peaceful sleep! This will definitely reduce your stress levels and make you feel recharged every night.
2. Ease of use
Text-to-speech converters are extremely easy to use. You simply copy and paste or upload the text you want to turn into speech, press a button, and voila! It is already spoken for you.
Many text to speech converters offer different modes so that even beginners can quickly understand how it works, which makes the learning curve almost nonexistent.
3. Assistive technology
A lot of people can benefit from text-to-speech. For example, if you are trying to improve your pronunciation but feel too shy doing it in front of others, then text-to-speech is probably the best solution for you. You can play or download a recording of another person's voice saying the sentence and then mimic it, which will help you get better.
Text to speech can also help students improve their grades. They can use text-to-speech for reading assignments, long essays, and other things that require lots of practice and patience. Finally, there are people with disabilities such as dyslexia or an eye condition like astigmatism who can benefit from text-to-speech.
4. Save time and money
When you get the right software, you don't have to hire a dedicated person to read things for you or spend extra cash on buying audiobooks at the bookstore. You only need to spend minimal amounts of both time and money; sometimes one or none at all! This means that you can have more time for your other activities.
5. Experience enhanced learning
Some people find it hard to concentrate when they listen to lectures or read books. On the other hand, text-to-speech makes them easier to understand and follow along with because you don't lose focus as easily as you do when you listen to audio content.
6. Learns languages faster and easier
If you want to learn a new language, then text-to-speech is the best solution for you because it lets you practice your words and phrases without having to look at a dictionary or study grammar rules. It can also help improve pronunciation as well as intonation in tonal languages.
7. Aids in multitasking
If you are the type of person who is always busy with several activities at once, then text-to-speech can definitely help you with that. It lets you listen to content while you are working on your computer or cooking without having to stare at the screen for hours on end.
8. Broadens your horizons
Even if you don't have access to the internet, text-to-speech still lets you read books and articles from all sorts of sources such as magazines and newspapers. You can also listen to audio files like podcasts or music that you download beforehand on recordable CDs and DVDs (or watch movies and shows on DVDs and Blu-Ray).
9. Customization and sharing
Most text-to-speech converters come with several customization options that let you change the speech rate, pitch, tone, and volume. You can also add effects to make your listening experience even more fun. Another added bonus is the fact that you can share the text-to-speech files with friends so that you can listen together.
What are some disadvantages of text-to-speech?
Text-to-speech does have some disadvantages. For some people, it is not the be-all and end-all solution. Some of these are:
1. Quality concerns
Some people are worried that text-to-speech will make their written content sound unnatural or low quality. They believe that people won't enjoy reading their books or articles if they listen to them instead. However, there are now apps and programs that have advanced noise-reduction algorithms so they can understand the words more accurately even with a lower quality voice.
2. Using as a crutch
Some people may use text-to-speech for their personal convenience but later on forget how to speak aloud or read without it because they get too used to it. While this doesn't happen all the time, you do have to be careful about how much you use text-to-speech so that you don't become dependent on it later in life.
3. Difficulties with complex words and phrases
Most systems let you pause or rewind. If you don't understand a difficult word, and if they do, their speech rate is slow enough for you to follow along. However, when it comes to complex words with several syllables or one-off phrases that you only hear once, text-to-speech often makes mistakes in pronunciation. If this happens frequently, then high-quality speakers and apps should be able to do a better job.
What are your thoughts on text to speech?
Do you have personal experience using text to speech or have you used it in the past for other purposes? What do you use it for? How does it benefit you? Is there anything else worth sharing about text to speech that was not covered in this article? Why do you feel that text to speech is beneficial or not?
