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How to use text to speech and display settings on Kindle

5 minute read · updated October 28, 2026

8 sources: 1 peer-reviewed research, 7 product documentation

Open a book, tap the top center of the screen, tap Aa, then More, and turn on Assistive Reader to hear the book read aloud with highlighting. Amazon lists it for the Kindle app and for Kindle E-Reader 11th Generation and later, Kindle Scribe and Kindle Colorsoft. The same Aa menu changes font size, spacing, margins and page color.

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Amazon calls its Kindle text-to-speech feature Assistive Reader. It reads a book aloud and highlights the words as they are read, with controls for speed and a 30-second rewind.[1] In the Kindle app, it uses your phone, tablet or computer's own text-to-speech engine.[2]

Turn on Assistive Reader

Assistive Reader in the Kindle app or on a Kindle

  1. Open the book you want to hear.
  2. Tap the top center of the screen, then tap the reading settings menu, Aa.[2]
  3. Tap More, then turn on Assistive Reader. It stays available until you turn it off.[1]
  4. Tap the screen to show the player controls, then play, pause, change the reading speed, or rewind 30 seconds.[2]
  5. In the app, to start from a particular spot, long-press a word and choose Play from the quick actions menu.[2]

Amazon lists the app version for iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Mac and Fire tablets.[2] On e-readers, Amazon names the Kindle E-Reader 11th Generation and higher, Kindle Scribe and Kindle Colorsoft, and lists English, Spanish, French, German and Italian books.[1]

On a Kindle e-reader, Amazon describes listening through a supported Bluetooth audio device. To pair headphones, go to Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth (or Wireless), turn Bluetooth on, and select Bluetooth Devices. Amazon says only Kindle devices released in or after 2016 support Bluetooth.[3] Kindles also have VoiceView, which reads menus and books aloud over a Bluetooth audio device and is controlled with gestures.[4]

Change font size, spacing and margins

Display settings on a Kindle e-reader

  1. While reading, tap the top of the screen to bring up the toolbars.
  2. Select the Aa (Page Display) icon.[5]
  3. On the Font tab, choose a font, drag the size slider or tap plus and minus, and set one of five levels of bold. You can also pinch on the page to change size.
  4. On the Layout tab, adjust the spacing between lines, paragraphs, words and characters, change the margins, choose orientation, and pick justified or left-aligned text.
  5. On the Themes tab, change the page background color and save your settings as a theme.[5]

Amazon says these preferences apply to every book you read on that Kindle, and that display settings vary by model.[5] To change the Kindle's own font size outside books, go to Settings > Screen and brightness > Display & text size; Amazon lists this for the 11th Generation and higher, Scribe and Colorsoft.[6]

In the Kindle app

In the Kindle app for Android and iOS, the Aa menu has the same tab idea with some extras. Amazon lists these:[7]

  • Font tab: font size, font type (including Amazon Ember Bold and OpenDyslexic), and spacing between lines, paragraphs, words and characters.
  • Layout tab: page color (white, sepia, light green or black), continuous scrolling, margins and text alignment.
  • Themes tab: save a custom theme, or pick Compact, Standard, Large or Low Vision.
  • More tab: Assistive Reader, Real-time Text Highlighting, a colored Reading Ruler over the text, and Word Wise on Android for short definitions above harder words.[7]

Troubleshooting

  • There is no Assistive Reader switch under More. Check that the book has Enhanced Typesetting, and on an e-reader, that your model is one Amazon lists.[1]
  • You hear nothing on a Kindle e-reader. Check that headphones or a speaker are paired under Wi-Fi & Bluetooth. If pairing fails, Amazon suggests turning off other nearby Bluetooth devices, updating the Kindle software and restarting both devices.[3]
  • Reading stopped by itself. Assistive Reader pauses when you open the navigation menu or make a highlight or note. Tap play to continue.[2]
  • The app voice sounds odd. The app uses your device's text-to-speech engine, so change the voice in your phone or tablet settings; see the iPhone and Android guides.[2]

Quick answers

Does my Kindle have text to speech?

Amazon lists Assistive Reader for the Kindle E-Reader 11th Generation and higher, Kindle Scribe and Kindle Colorsoft, and for the Kindle app on iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Fire tablets.[1][2]

How do I change line spacing on a Kindle?

Tap the top of the screen, select Aa, and open the Layout tab to change the spacing between lines, paragraphs, words and characters.[5]

Can I speed up Assistive Reader?

Yes. Tap the screen to show the player controls and change the reading speed there.[2]

Review status

Source-checked, not expert-reviewed

Drafted with AI assistance. Each factual claim was checked against the source it links to on 2026-10-28. No clinician, psychologist or dyslexia specialist has reviewed this page. See the claims register.

Sources

  1. [1]How to Use the Assistive Reader on Your Kindle. Amazon Customer Service. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
  2. [2]How to Use the Assistive Reader in Kindle Apps. Amazon Customer Service. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
  3. [3]Pair a Bluetooth Audio Device with Your Kindle E-Reader. Amazon Customer Service. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
  4. [4]Guide to VoiceView Gestures on Your Kindle. Amazon Customer Service. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
  5. [5]Customize Your Kindle E-Reader Text Display. Amazon Customer Service. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
  6. [6]Enlarge the Font Size on Your Kindle E-Reader. Amazon Customer Service. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
  7. [7]Accessible Reading Options for Kindle Reading Apps. Amazon Customer Service. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
  8. [8]The effect of a specialized dyslexia font, OpenDyslexic, on reading rate and accuracy. Wery JJ, Diliberto JA. Annals of Dyslexia 67(2):114-127. doi:10.1007/s11881-016-0127-1, 2017. Accessed 2026-10-28. Peer-reviewed research

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