How to Activate Text to Speech in Mac OS X
How to Activate Text to Speech in Mac OS X[edit | edit source]
To activate and use Text to Speech in Mac OS X, follow these steps:
Enabling Text to Speech[edit | edit source]
1. Open System Settings by clicking the Apple menu and selecting "System Settings" (or "System Preferences" in older versions)2[1].
2. Click on "Accessibility" in the sidebar2[1].
3. Select "Spoken Content" (or "Speech" in older versions)2[1].
4. Turn on "Speak selection" by toggling the switch2[1].
Customizing Text to Speech Settings[edit | edit source]
Once enabled, you can customize various aspects of the Text to Speech feature:
Choosing a Voice[edit | edit source]
- Click on the "System Voice" dropdown menu to select a different voice[5]. - To add more voices, select "Manage Voices" and download additional options[5].
Adjusting Speaking Rate[edit | edit source]
- Use the "Speaking Rate" slider to control how fast or slow the voice speaks[5].
Setting a Keyboard Shortcut[edit | edit source]
- By default, the keyboard shortcut to activate speech is Option + Esc1[1]. - You can change this by clicking "Change Key" next to the "Speak selected text when the key is pressed" option[5].
Using Text to Speech[edit | edit source]
Once set up, you can use Text to Speech in various applications:
1. Select the text you want to hear read aloud. 2. Press the keyboard shortcut (default is Option + Esc) to start speaking1[1]. 3. Press the shortcut again to stop the speech[5].
Additional Features[edit | edit source]
- Highlight Content: You can set words or sentences to be highlighted as they're spoken[5]. - Show Controller: Enable an on-screen controller for easy access to play, pause, and navigation controls[5].
Tips for Better Usage[edit | edit source]
- Speak slowly and clearly when using dictation features[10]. - For long documents, consider using the "Read All" command (VO-A) in VoiceOver for continuous reading[9]. - Explore third-party applications like TextSniper for more advanced text-to-speech features, especially for text in images or non-selectable content[11].
Remember, Text to Speech is not only useful for accessibility purposes but can also be beneficial for proofreading, multitasking, or simply resting your eyes while consuming content.