Speech App Missing On Mac Rating: 9,0/10 5860 reviews
Whether you prefer articles read to you while you do something else or trying to grasp a new foreign language or even for specially abled students, TTS (short for text-to-speech) has proved to be very useful.
In our previous articles we saw some of the best text to speech apps for Windows and Android. And today, we take a look at some of the best TTS options available for Macs.
Sep 02, 2016 Speech Assistant AAC is a text-to-speech app designed for people who are speech impaired, for example due to Aphasia, MND/ALS, Autism, Stroke, Cerebral Palsy or other speech problems. With the app you can create categories and phrases, which are placed on buttons. With these buttons you can create. Jan 29, 2020 While using: Choose whether your Mac performs the action only when you're using a particular app. Perform: Choose the action to perform. You can open a Finder item, open a URL, paste text, paste data from the clipboard, press a keyboard shortcut, select a menu item or run an Automator workflow. Use the checkboxes to turn commands on or off. By Joe Hutsko, Barbara Boyd. If you long for a secretary who takes dictation, your days of waiting are over. Follow the first set of steps to set up the dictation part of the Dictation & Speech preferences, and then read on to learn how your Mac can read text to you or alert you when something occurs, such as when you try to quit an application without saving a document.
Text To Speech For Mac
1. macOS TTS
Before we get too ahead of ourselves and start downloading third party apps, it is very trivial to know that macOS itself comes with a built-in TTS and you can use it anywhere on your computer from the Notes app to any browser.
To get started, highlight or select the text which you want to be read and then right click, go to Speech and then to Start Speaking; and your Mac should start reading the text to you. It also supports a lot of other languages other than English and there are a lot of voices to choose from in all the languages. To change the language option simply go to Accessibility > Speech. Although some voices are very robotic, there are a few which aren’t and sound more like a human.
But the TTS is far from perfect; it is very basic and barebones and lacks options like pause/play, picking up from a selected word instantly and a lot more.
Quick Tip: It blew my mind and might even blow yours to know that the native TTS on Mac also supports converting your text into audio files. Just select the required text, right click and go to Services > Add to iTunes as a spoken track. The text will be converted to an audio track and added to your iTunes library.
Pros:
– Built-in system wide
– Lots of voice options
– Converting text to iTunes track
Cons:
– No Pause/Play
– Have to select manually all the words to be read
– No instant pickup
Verdict:
Overall, the TTS that comes with macOS is very barebones without all the bells and whistles and should be perfect for somebody looking for a basic TTS experience without even buying or installing any third party software.
2. Invicta TTS
Invicta TTS is a very simple free Text To Speech app available on the Mac App Store.
Once you open up the app, it presents you with a text box where you can enter or paste any text which will be then converted to speech. The app is very lightweight and minimal in nature with everything being to the point.
Although the app is very basic, unlike the built in TTS of Mac OS, it does add the option of playing or pausing the audio which becomes crucial when listening to long texts or articles. The voice settings cannot be changed but the in built voice does the job pretty good enough.
Pros:
– Minimal and Light
– Play/Pause Option
Cons:
– Cannot read documents automatically
– Supports only English
Verdict:
If you need a simple and light TTS app and might be listening to long articles, Invicta TTS does the job pretty well but do remember that it can only read English.
Link: Get Invicta TTS on the App Store
Price: Free
3. Natural Reader
The next app on our list is Natural Reader which is an extremely powerful TTS software available not only on Mac OS but also on Windows, iOS, Android and even has an online reader.
The app comes in many flavours, each with its fair share of features for the price. The free version comes with basic TTS features along with the ability to read directly from file formats such as Docx, PDF, ePub and Txt. It also has a floating bar which can be used to read text while you are in other applications. The next option or the Personal version, at a steep $100, allows you to read web pages directly, converting text to audio files and syncing everything between your phone apps. There are also Professional and Ultimate versions which add OCR support and a bunch of natural voices.
Pros:
– Support for file formats
– Convert to audio files
– Cross Platform
– OCR Support
Cons:
– Pricey
– No instant pickup
Verdict:
All the features of Natural Reader definitely come at a price and you should be able to decide whether it is a suit for you with respect to your investment in TTS, but even for a casual user the free version works really well. Overall, Natural reader is not just best text to speech software with natural voices, but since it also support PDF, it’s also a good option for those who are looking for PDF Voice Reader for macOS.
Pricing Options: Pricing for Natural Reader
Link: Download Natural Reader from here
4. Read Aloud
Read Aloud is not exactly a stand alone Mac app but instead a Chrome extension which might appeal to some people. Considering how many posts and articles are read on the internet everyday, we had to include Read Aloud.
It is completely free and once you install it, its icon will appear in the extension bar which you can now use to read any webpage or any online article, just by a single click. When it is in work, you get a play/pause button along with a forward or rewind button which can be used to advance or backtrack paragraphs. Considering it is free, the voice options are really good and feel very natural and premium.
Pros:
– Great natural voice
– Forward or rewind by paragraphs
– Listen to webpages
Cons:
– Works only on Chrome
Verdict:
Suggesting Read Aloud is very straight forward; if you are someone who reads a lot on the internet and are looking for a free TTS software for that, nothing beats Read Aloud.
Price: Free
Link: Download Read Aloud from the Chrome Store
5. Capti Voice
Capti Voice is probably the most polished and well rounded TTS software available for the Mac and the award are only there to justify that. Starting off, Capti Voice uses your browser for the app to function instead of a stand alone Mac application. Don’t worry, you can still use it while you are offline as it stores all its data locally and personally I have had no issues.
Capti Voice has a subscription based model and even the free version has a lot to offer from various file format supports to text search while the premium versions add features like creating playlists, OCR Support and intelligent dictionary lookup. The voices offered across all the platforms are very high quality and commendable.
Quick Tip: Don’t forget to use the Chrome extension which allows you to save articles or webpages to be read later by Capti Voice.
Pros:
– Cross platform with mobile apps
– Create Playlists
– Dictionary lookup
– Shortcuts to get around
Supported export file format. Supported import files. Best mind mapping software mac. It should be able to convert your brainstorming ideas into a systematic structure.Given below are a few features that you should look for while selecting a Mind Map software:. Available templates. It should be easy to use.
Cons:
– No standalone app
– Syncs only when you add to cloud storage
Verdict:
Overall, Capti Voice is a really compelling app with features packed to the brim and is very similar to natural Reader but with a subscription based model. It is really the best TTS experience you can get on Mac OS.
Pricing Info: Pricing Options for Capti Voice
Link: Download Capti Voice from here
6. Honorable Mentions
CereProc has some of the most natural sounding computer speeches available on the market, which you can use to replace the default voice on your Mac (also available for other platforms). There are a lot of high quality voice packs to choose from and each costs around $35.
Zamzar is a free online service which you can use to convert your text to audio files or mp3s. Unlike the iTunes spoken track which you can use only on Apple devices, you can use it on any platform without any hassle.
Wrapping up: Best Text to Speech for Mac
So these were some of the TTS software available on the Mac and we hope we made your decision a little bit easier. If you are someone who reads mainly on the internet, Read Aloud is by far the best free option. Although a little limited, the built-in TTS feature seems to work just fine, but it can be a pain for long stretches of texts or long articles for which there is Invicta which is also free.
Natural Reader and Capti Voice both are spectacular TTS apps with a lot of plans to choose from, but I guess what it comes down to is the paying model. Natural reader is a one time purchase and should be better if you feel you will be invested in TTS for a long time whereas Capti Voice follows a subscription based model also with a one week free trial. Thanks for reading and do comment below which one is your favorite TTS app on Mac OS.
Read: Make your Devices Read Out Text, With Text to Speech
Phone will ask you the lock code. Nokia c2 01 manual.
By Adela D. Louie, Last updated: August 27, 2019
Text-to-speech as known as an assistive technology wherein it will be able to read any digital content that you have on your Mac. That is why this feature is sometimes called the “Read Aloud” technology.
All it takes is just one hit of a single button, the TTS will then be able to take some words on your Mac and have them be in audio. This is one helpful feature that you can use especially if you have a child that has difficulty in reading. In addition to that, it could also be very helpful to you as well especially if you are that type of person who loves to do multi-tasking.
And with that, we are going to show you in this article some of the text-to-speech that you can use on your Mac. This way, you will be able to do more tasks while listening to your digital content by activating text-to-speech.
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Part 1: Different Text-To-Speech for Mac
1. The macOS TTS
If you are looking for a text-to-speech for you to have to on your Mac, then you might want to consider the one that is already installed on your Mac before setting to get third-party applications. Yes, that is right. Your macOS actually comes with a built-in TTS that you can use anywhere from your computer including from your notes up to your browser.
For you to know how to use the built-in TTS that you have on your Mac, here are the things that you should do.
Step 1: Go ahead and choose all the text that you would want to read by your Mac.
Step 2: After that, go ahead and right-click on the selected words.
Step 3: From there, all you need to do is to click on Speech and then click on Start Speaking.
Once that you are done, your Mac will then be able to read the text that you have selected. The built-in TTS on your Mac also comes with different languages that you can choose from. And for you to be able to change your language, all you need to do is to click on Accessibility and then choose Speech.
However, the macOS TTS can only come with a basic work thus you will not be able to pause and play and more features. But this could be a perfect tool to use for those you just want a basic text-to-speech application.
PROS:
- It is a built-in app on your Mac
- Comes with several options for voice.
- It can convert text to an iTunes track
CONS:
- It does not have a Play and Pause button
- You have to manually choose the words that you want this app to read.
- It does not come with instant pickup.
Mac Speech To Text App
2. Invicta TTS
This is one simple application of a text-to-speech that you can easily download from your Mac App Store. Once that you launch the Invicta on your Mac, it will automatically show you text box wherein you can paste the text that you want it to read.
The Invicta TTS is also one basic application, however, it can give you an option for you to be able to pause and play the audio that you are listening to especially if you are having a long article. The settings of its voice will not be changed, but the built-in voice that you have is actually quite good enough.
PROS:
- Comes with minimal and light
- Has a Play and Pause button
CONS:
- It does not have the ability to automatically read documents
- It can only support the English language
3. Natural Reader
The Natural Reader is one of the most powerful applications that you can use on your Mac as your TTS. But this app is not only available on Windows, iOS and even for Android devices. It also has an online reader.
The Natural Reader comes with so many features that you can use. This app comes with a free version but it can only give you some basic features of TTS and the ability to read from files such as Docx, PDF, ePub, and as well as Txt. You can also use it to read some words for you while you are using other applications on your Mac.
PROS:
- It has the ability to support file formats
- It has the ability to convert audios
- It can cross platforms
- Comes with OCR support
CONS:
- It has a high cost
- It does not come with an instant pickup
4. The Ready Aloud
Unlike any other TTS application, the Read Aloud app comes with a Chrome extension which is for some people comes appealing. This application is free to use and install and the icon of this TTS will be seen at the extension bar wherein you will be able to use to read any website or any articles that you want online.
You can also have it play or pause it or even have it rewind which is really handy. The Read-Aloud is a straight forward application that you can use.
PROS:
- Comes with a great and natural voice
- Has the rewind and forward button
- You can listen to webpages
CONS:
- It can only work on Google Chrome browser.
5. Capti Voice
Capti Voice is one app that actually used your browser so that it can function well. That means that this application is not a Mac standalone app. But the great is that you can still use the application even if you are offline.
This application comes with s subscription-based model but you can still make use of its free trial version and it still comes with a lot of features that you can actually use. And on the other side, if you are going to get its premium version, you will be able to use some features such as making your own playlist, OCR Support, and the intelligent dictionary lookup. Also, the voices that come with this TTS has a very high quality that you can enjoy listening to it.
PROS:
- It can create playlists
- Comes with dictionary lookup
- Comes with some shortcuts
- Can cross platforms using a mobile application
CONS:
- It is not a standalone app
- It can only sync if you use cloud storage.
Part 2: Keeping Your Mac from Unwanted Apps
Now, since that we are talking about some applications that you might be getting for you to have the best text-to-speech on your Mac, they might as well consider on getting removing all the apps that you no longer use. Apps that you have on your Mac that you do not actually need can take up a lot of space on your Mac. Which means that because of these unwanted apps that you have, you might experience slow performance on your Mac and some other related concerns.
Completely removing applications on your Mac is not just by putting them on your trash. You also have to make sure that you remove all of those files that come with the application that you want to remove. And with that, you may need to go through all of the files that you have on your Mac just to get the files that come with the app you are uninstalling. Now, this could really take a lot of your time.
Luckily we have the best tool that you can use for you to be able to remove all the apps that you no longer need on your Mac. And the best part of it is that it can also remove all of the files that are associated with the application. All of this is just one click. And the tool that we are talking about is no other than the FoneDog PowerMyMac.
The FoneDog PowerMyMac is considered to be the best Mac Cleaner that you can use for you to be able to clean up your Mac. Using this tool, you will be able to uninstall any apps on your Mac instantly. And to know more how the FoneDog PowerMyMac works, here is a quick guide for you.
Step 1: Grab the FoneDog PowerMyMac
First of all, you have to download the FoneDog PowerMyMac from our website and have it installed on your Mac.
Step 2: Open Up FoneDog PowerMyMac
After the successful installation of the program, you can then go ahead and open up the FoneDog PowerMyMac. And as you can see on the main screen of the program, the system status of your Mac is shown by default.
Step 3: Hit Toolkit Module
On the same screen, there are three modules that you can choose from. The first one is the Status wherein you see your Mac’s system status. The other one is Cleaner. And lastly is the Toolkit module. From those three, go ahead and hit on Toolkit.
Step 4: Select Uninstaller
Then, under the Toolkit module, you will be able to see several options that you can choose from. So from that list of options, you can just go ahead and choose the Uninstaller.
Step 5: Scan Process
After choosing the Uninstaller option, the FoneDog PowerMyMac will then instruct you to make a scan. This is where the FoneDog PowerMyMac will be able to find all of the applications that you have on your Mac. And for you to do this, just go ahead and simply click on the “Scan” button.
Then, the scanning process will then start. And after the scanning process is all done, you will then see a full circle icon located on the left part of the FoneDog PowerMyMac screen.
Step 6: Check the Result
Once that the process is done, you can then go ahead and see the result of the scanning process. For you to do so, just go ahead and simply click on the “View” button.
Mac Apps Download
Step 7:Choose the App to Uninstall from Mac
Then, on the result page, you will be able to see all the applications that you have on your Mac. From there, just go ahead and simply scroll down and look for the application that you want to remove from your Mac. Then, go ahead and click on that application.
Step 8: Select the File to Clean Up
Now, on the right side of your screen, you will be able to see all the files that are associated with the application that you want to uninstall from your Mac. From there, just go ahead and choose all the files to remove along with the application. You can also make use the “Select All” button at the top of your screen for you to choose all the files at once.
Step 9: Clean All Files and Uninstall App
After choosing the app that you want to uninstall and as well as the files that you want to remove from your Mac, then it is now time for you to start the cleaning process. To do so, all you need to is to click on the Clean button at the bottom of your screen.
Step 10: Confirm the Process
After clicking on the Clean button, you will then be able to see a pop-up box appear on your screen. This is where the FoneDog PowerMyMac is asking for your confirmation on the cleaning process. So all you have to do now is to click on the Confirm button. Then the cleaning process will begin.
Text To Speech On Mac
Part 3: Conclusion
There is actually a lot of text-to-speech application that you can use on your Mac aside from the ones that we have mentioned above. So if you know any application, then you can go ahead and leave a comment to let us know.
Speech App Missing On Mac Download
Also, you have to make sure that you have the perfect uninstaller tool that you can use for you to remove any apps on your Mac. Or even the ones that you are going to install and would not like it. For that, you can go ahead and opt on getting the FoneDog PowerMyMac for you to have the best experience in cleaning up your Mac.
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