Whether you are proofreading a long essay, multi-tasking while reading an email, or require visual assistance, having your Mac read text aloud is an incredibly useful feature. While Apple provides robust screen-reading software called VoiceOver for visually impaired users, it is often too complex for someone who just wants a quick paragraph read back to them.
Instead, macOS includes a simpler “Spoken Content” feature that allows you to highlight any text in any application and instantly have a natural-sounding voice read it aloud using a quick keyboard shortcut.
How to Enable the “Speak Selection” Shortcut
You must enable this feature in the System Settings before the keyboard shortcut will work.
- Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings.
- Scroll down the left-hand sidebar and click on Accessibility.
- In the “Vision” section on the right, click on Spoken Content.
- Find the toggle switch labelled Speak selection and turn it On.
How to Customise the Voice and Shortcut
By default, the keyboard shortcut is usually set to Option + Esc. If you want to change the shortcut or choose a more natural-sounding voice, you can easily customise it.
- Next to the “Speak selection” toggle you just turned on, click the small info button (the ‘i’ icon).
- A pop-up window will appear. Here you can click into the “Keyboard shortcut” box and press your preferred combination (such as Command + Shift + S).
- Click OK to save your shortcut.
- Back on the main Spoken Content page, click the System voice drop-down menu. You can preview different voices and download high-quality voices (like Siri’s voice) for a much more natural listening experience.
How to Use the Feature
Using the feature is incredibly simple. Open any application. Use your mouse to highlight the specific text you want to hear. Then, press your designated keyboard shortcut. The Mac will immediately begin reading the text.
If you want to stop the reading before it finishes, simply press the exact same keyboard shortcut again, and it will immediately fall silent.