Text to Speech

Convert text to speech with voice selection, rate, and pitch controls.

What It Does

This browser-based TTS tool converts any typed or pasted text into spoken audio using your device's built-in voices via the Web Speech API. Select a voice, adjust the speed and pitch, and click play. Everything runs locally — no account, no data upload, no cost.

Controls Reference

  • Voice — list of all voices provided by your OS and browser
  • Rate — speaking speed from 0.1 (very slow) to 10 (very fast); default is 1
  • Pitch — tone from 0 (very low) to 2 (very high); default is 1

Common Use Cases

  • Proofreading by listening to copy read aloud
  • Creating quick audio previews for scripts or presentations
  • Testing how product names or slogans sound when spoken
  • Accessibility checks to hear how your content flows
  • Language learning — hear how sentences are pronounced

Tips

For the widest voice selection, use Chrome on macOS or Windows. If speech stops mid-sentence on long texts, split into shorter chunks. The en-US voices provided by Chrome tend to sound the most natural for English content.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this text-to-speech tool work?
It uses the Web Speech API built into modern browsers. Speech synthesis runs entirely on your device — no audio or text is sent to any server.
Why do I see different voices in different browsers?
Voice availability is determined by your operating system and browser. Chrome on macOS exposes different voices than Firefox on Windows. Google Chrome often provides additional neural voices via a network request.
What do rate and pitch controls do?
Rate controls speaking speed — values below 1 slow it down, above 1 speed it up (0.1 to 10). Pitch adjusts the tone from low to high (0 to 2, where 1 is the voice's natural pitch).
Can I use this to test accessibility or screen reader behavior?
It is useful for a quick auditory check of your copy, but it does not replicate screen reader behavior. Screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver use different synthesis engines and interpret ARIA attributes differently.
Is there a text length limit?
The Web Speech API does not enforce a strict limit, but very long texts may be cut off or behave inconsistently across browsers. For long documents, split the text into paragraphs for more reliable playback.