Read Aloud: A Text-to-Speech Reader for Chrome Pages
Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader · for Windows, macOS and Linux
Developer: lsdsoftware.com (opens in a new tab)
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
The download link points to the program’s official source; the file is not hosted on this site. Link address: chromewebstore.google.com
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Read Aloud is a Chrome extension from lsdsoftware.com that reads web articles, PDFs and documents aloud with browser voices or optional cloud voices.
Read Aloud reads the page you are on. Its Chrome Web Store listing, from lsdsoftware.com, says it speaks web articles in more than 40 languages and also handles PDFs, Google Docs, Kindle and EPUB files.
Voices
The extension offers two kinds of voices:
- Built-in voices supplied by your browser or operating system, which need no account
- Cloud AI voices from providers named on the listing, including Google, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft and OpenAI
The listing notes that some cloud voices may require an in-app purchase or your own API key, so the premium sound is not automatically free.
Who it helps
The developer points to people who prefer listening, children learning to read and readers with dyslexia. Pausing, speed and voice choice are available from the popup.
How to install
- The Download button opens the official listing on the Chrome Web Store.
- Click Add to Chrome and confirm.
- Open an article, click the toolbar icon and press play.
Privacy to weigh
The listing discloses that the extension handles personally identifiable information, authentication information and website content. This matters most when you use cloud voices, because the text you listen to has to be sent to the provider for synthesis. For private documents, stay with the built-in voices.
Related tools
If you mostly want quick word lookups rather than whole-page narration, see the Google Dictionary extension. For long videos you would rather speed up than hear read aloud, the Video Speed Controller does that.
Pros
- Reads pages, PDFs, Google Docs, Kindle and EPUB
- 40+ languages with built-in voices
- Optional cloud voices from several providers
Cons
- Some cloud voices need a purchase or your own API key
- Cloud voices send the text to the provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the cloud voices free?
Not always. The listing says some cloud voices may need an in-app purchase or your own API key. Built-in browser voices work without either.
Does it read PDFs and ebooks?
Yes. The listing says it supports PDFs, Google Docs, Kindle and EPUB files as well as ordinary web pages.
Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice ReaderFreemium
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