How to use text to speech on Windows 11 and Windows 10
4 minute read · updated October 28, 2026
7 sources: 1 peer-reviewed research, 6 product documentation
For web pages, open Microsoft Edge and choose More > More tools > Read aloud. For documents, open Word and choose Review > Read Aloud. To hear everything on the screen, including menus and buttons, press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter to start Narrator, and press it again to stop.
Microsoft documents three read-aloud routes: one inside Edge, one inside Word, and Narrator, the screen reader built into Windows. Narrator also reads menus and buttons, so for a single article the app tools are usually simpler.
| What you want to hear | Tool | How to start it |
|---|---|---|
| A web page or online article | Read aloud in Microsoft Edge | More > More tools > Read aloud[1] |
| A Word document | Read Aloud in Word | Review > Read Aloud[2] |
| Everything on screen, including menus and buttons | Narrator | Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter[3] |
Read a web page aloud in Edge
Start Read aloud in Microsoft Edge
Edge can also open a cleaner Reading mode view first, with font and column settings. That is covered step by step in Read aloud in Microsoft Edge.
Read a document aloud in Word
Word puts Read Aloud on its Review tab, with buttons to play, pause and jump a paragraph at a time. Microsoft lists it for Office 2019, Office 2021 and Microsoft 365, with Ctrl + Alt + Space as the shortcut.[2] Details, including the reading-speed slider, are on Read Aloud in Microsoft Word.
Use Narrator to hear the whole screen
Microsoft describes Narrator as a screen reader that lets people who are blind or have low vision use a PC without a mouse. It reads text and also announces buttons and other controls.[3] Some sighted readers use it too, but expect it to talk about everything you move to, not only the article.
Turn Narrator on, read, and turn it off
- Press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter to start Narrator. On older versions of Windows the shortcut was the Windows logo key + Enter.[3]
- Click where you want reading to begin, then press Narrator + R to read from the cursor, or Narrator + Shift + Down arrow to read text you have selected.[4]
- Press Ctrl to stop reading.
- Press Narrator + Plus sign (+) or Narrator + Minus sign (-) to speed up or slow down.[4]
- Press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter again to turn Narrator off.[3]
The "Narrator" key in these commands is Caps lock or Insert by default; either works.[5]
Settings worth trying
- Narrator voice, speed and pitch. Press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + N to open Narrator settings, choose a voice, then expand Show all settings to change Speed, Pitch and Volume.[5]
- Natural voices for Narrator. Microsoft lists three US English natural voices, Jenny, Aria and Guy, installed with the Add button under the voice settings.[5]
- The Windows default voice. Go to Settings > Time & Language > Speech. Under Voices you can change the default voice and its speed and preview it.[6]
- Less chatter from Narrator. The Verbosity level setting runs from 1 (text only) to 5 (all text details); a low level suits plain reading.[5]
Troubleshooting
- Narrator started by accident. Press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter to stop it. In Narrator settings you can turn off the keyboard shortcut so it cannot start this way.[5]
- Text is read in the wrong language. Not every language pack includes text-to-speech. When adding a language under Language & region, choose one that shows the text-to-speech symbol.[6]
- Read Aloud is missing in Word. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 account, then close and reopen Word, as Microsoft advises.[2]
- Other audio drowns out the voice. Narrator has a setting to lower the volume of other apps while it speaks.[5]
Text stuck in another program can be copied into the focus reader, our browser tool that voices it line by line.
Quick answers
What is the shortcut for text to speech on Windows 11?
Narrator starts and stops with the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter.[3] In Word, Ctrl + Alt + Space starts Read Aloud.[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]Use Reading mode in Microsoft Edge. Microsoft Support. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
- [2]Listen to your Word documents with Read Aloud. Microsoft Support. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
- [3]Chapter 1: Introducing Narrator. Microsoft Support. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
- [4]Appendix B: Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures. Microsoft Support. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
- [5]Chapter 7: Customizing Narrator. Microsoft Support. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
- [6]Download languages and voices for Immersive Reader, Read Mode, and Read Aloud. Microsoft Support. Accessed 2026-10-28. Product documentation
- [7]Does use of text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools improve reading comprehension for students with reading disabilities? A meta-analysis. Wood SG, Moxley JH, Tighe EL, Wagner RK. Journal of Learning Disabilities 51(1):73-84. doi:10.1177/0022219416688170, 2018. Accessed 2026-10-28. Peer-reviewed research
Related reading
- How to use Read aloud in Microsoft EdgeStart Read aloud in Edge from the More menu or Reading mode (F9), change the voice and speed, and use Line focus and text spacing in Immersive Reader.
- How to use Read Aloud in Microsoft WordTurn on Read Aloud from the Review tab in Word, change the reading speed and voice, use keyboard shortcuts, and try Immersive Reader with Line Focus.
- How to use voice typing and dictation on WindowsPress Windows logo key + H to start voice typing, say punctuation and editing commands, change settings, and when to use voice access or Dictate in Word.
- Reading tools and accessibility features: what is built in and what the research saysWhere to find text-to-speech, reader views, dictation and text settings on Apple, Microsoft and Google devices, and what research says about special fonts.