How this works in your browser
This uses the Web Speech API, the synthesis engine built into your browser and supplied by your operating system, which is why the available voices vary by device and why nothing needs uploading. The engine converts text into phonemes using pronunciation rules and a dictionary, then generates audio from a voice model already installed on your machine. Because the model is local, there is no network request, no account and no limit on how much text you process. The same locality explains the limitations: voice quality is whatever your system ships, and unusual names get the general rules applied to them rather than any special handling.
Who uses Text to Speech
Proofreading by ear
Catch clumsy sentences and missing words your eye skips over.
Accessibility
Have text read aloud without installing dedicated software.
Rehearsing a script
Hear how a talk or presentation sounds before delivering it.
Listening while doing something else
Have an article or your own notes read to you.
Frequently asked questions
Which voices are available?
The voices available depend on your operating system and browser. Most systems include at least a couple of English voices, and often several languages.
Can I download the audio as a file?
This tool plays the speech live in your browser. Recording it to a downloadable audio file is not supported.
Is my text sent to a server?
No. Speech synthesis runs using your browser’s built-in engine, entirely on your device.
Why is hearing my writing read aloud useful?
Because your eye skips what your ear cannot. Reading your own draft silently, you supply words that are missing and smooth over sentences that do not work, since you know what you meant. A voice that does not know reads exactly what is on the page, which is why run-on sentences and clumsy rhythm become obvious immediately.
Why do the voices differ on my phone and my laptop?
Because the voices belong to your operating system rather than to this page. Windows, macOS, Android and iOS each ship a different set, and browsers expose whatever is installed. That is also why the same text can sound noticeably better on one device than another.
Can I get more or better voices?
Yes, by installing them at the operating system level. Windows and macOS both allow additional voices and languages to be added through system settings, and anything installed there appears in the list here automatically.
Why does it mispronounce names and technical terms?
Because the synthesiser applies general pronunciation rules and has no knowledge of unusual proper nouns or jargon. Spelling a word phonetically in the text is the usual workaround when a particular name matters.