Read Aloud

Read Aloud lets you listen to the text while following along in the reader.

Starting Read Aloud

Open the reader controls and select the Read Aloud control to begin listening.

Read Aloud starts from the current reading position and continues through the text from that point.

Playback controls

Read this page aloud

Start reading aloud from the beginning of the current page.

Pause

Temporarily pause Read Aloud while keeping your current position.

Resume

Continue reading after pausing.

Stop

Stop Read Aloud. You can start it again when you are ready.

Restart from the last spoken sentence

Start reading again from the last spoken sentence and continue onwards. This button appears when that option is available.

Read from a bookmarked location

Start reading from the target sentence reached through a bookmark or passage link. This button appears when the target sentence is on the current page.

Read one sentence aloud

Use the speaker button beside a sentence to read just that sentence. If these buttons are hidden, use the sentence controls toggle in the reader controls to show them.

Following the text

You can continue to view the text while Read Aloud is playing. This can be useful for close reading, language learning, accessibility, or simply listening while following the passage on screen.

Moving to another page or section

If you navigate to another part of the text, Read Aloud may need to be restarted from the new reading position.

For the most predictable experience, move to the passage you want first and then start Read Aloud.

Voice and playback behaviour

The available voice and pronunciation can depend on your browser, device and operating system.

Some names, historical words, poetry, dramatic speech and unusual punctuation may be pronounced differently from how a person would read them aloud.

Read Aloud is intended as a reading aid. Pronunciation and emphasis are generated automatically and may not always reflect a particular interpretation of the text.

Read Aloud and annotations

Read Aloud reads the main text rather than the study annotations attached to it.

You can still open annotations separately when you want to explore notes about a passage.

Useful ways to use Read Aloud

  • Follow a difficult passage while listening to it.
  • Hear dialogue and dramatic scenes spoken aloud.
  • Support language and pronunciation practice.
  • Listen while reviewing a familiar text.
  • Use audio as an alternative way to access the text.