How to Make Your Computer Say Everything You Type

Last Updated: April 30, 2018

Both Windows and Mac OS X provide built-in text-to-speech capabilities that narrate in a computer-generated voice. To make your Windows or Mac computer say what you type, follow the instructions below.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Windows

1
Open up Windows Narrator. You can do this by clicking Start Narrator in the Ease of Access Center of the Control Panel. For Windows Vista and 7, simply click Start, type “narrator” in the search bar, and press Enter to launch. Once Narrator is launched, it will begin speaking as well as announcing your activities.
2
Change the Narrator’s settings. Select or deselect options in the dialogue box such as Echo User’s Keystrokes, which will narrate letters as you type them.
3
Change the narrator’s voice. Depending on your operating system, click Voice or Voice Settings at the bottom of Microsoft Narrator and play with the options.
4
Test the Narrator. Open Notepad either by using your usual pathway or going to Start, typing “notepad” in the search bar, and hitting enter.
5
Type words you want narrator to say in notepad.
6
Highlight the words in notepad. This will cause the Narrator to read them back for you.
- Alternatively, press Ctrl+Alt+Space or Ctrl+Shift+Space.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Mac OS X: Terminal Method

1
Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities.
2
Double-click Terminal to launch it.
3
Type “say” followed by whatever you want your Mac to say.
4
Press Return on your keyboard. This will cause the computer to read your text back to you.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Mac OS X: Text Edit Method

1
Type something in TextEdit.
2
Place your cursor wherever you’d like the narration to begin. Otherwise, the default place to start narrating is at the beginning of the document.
3
Go to Edit > Speech > Start Speaking. This begins the narration.
4
Go to Edit > Speech > Stop Speaking. This ends the narration.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I turn this off on an iOS device?

Seth Friesen

Community Answer

Go to Settings>General>Accessibility>VoiceOver then turn it off. Your iPhone gestures may change depending on the settings previously changed. You may also need to turn off Speech.
Question

Where would I find the "Echo User's Keystrokes"?

Glitchmasta47

Community Answer

This option will usually be available in your computer's accessibility settings.
Question

How do I do this on Windows 10?

Community Answer

First go to Settings. Then click on Ease of Access, turn on Narrator and you're done.
Question

How can I find "Narrator" Program if it's not there?

Community Answer

Search "Ease of Access" into the search bar of your all your files and programs.
Question

How do I turn off the narrator voice on my Windows computer?

Community Answer

On your login screen, click the ease of access button (located at the bottom left corner) and you can turn it off from there!
Question

How do I turn off narration voice in my iPhone?

Community Answer

From the home screen, tap Settings-->General-->Accessibility-->Voice Over. Slide switch and OK.
Question

How would I do that on a Chrome book?

Community Answer

Turn on ChromeVox Spoken Feedback in Settings. You could also use an online TTS program.

Warnings

You might get into trouble if your parents think you are messing with their computer.

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Don't make your computer say bad words if you are young and your parents are around, especially if the volume is turned up really loud.

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