Free text to speech software

text to speech

Programs to convert text to speech can be very useful on a day-to-day basis. Thanks to this type of applications, we can listen to any text document, even books anywhere from our mobile device, our smart speaker while doing other things.

But, in addition, it is also ideal for those people who write regularly and want to hear if their words make sense, to help us retain information in memory, practice other languages, and even for those with dyslexia, visually impaired who have trouble seeing the screen…

If you're looking for a free application to convert any type of document from text to speech, you've come to the right article. Here are the best text-to-speech apps available for Windows.

Balabolka-Windows

Balabolka

The Balabolka application offers us two methods to pass text to speech:

  • Copy and paste the text in the application.
  • Open a document in the app in AZW, AZW3, CHM, DjVu, DOC, DOCX, EML, EPUB, FB2, FB3, HTML, LIT, MD, MOBI, ODP, ODS, ODT, PDB, PDF, PPT, PPTX, PRC, RTF, TCR, WPD, XLS and XLSX

As for voice output, the application allows us to use SAPI 4, with eight different voices to choose from, SAPI 5, with two, or those offered by Microsoft through Windows.

Regardless of which method we use, we can adjust the pitch and volume to create the voice we like best. It also includes a large number of tools that will help us customize the pronunciation.

The files generated by the application can be stored on our computer in MP3 and WAV format.

For long documents, we can create bookmarks to make it easier for us to return to a specific place and resume listening.

You can download Balabolka for free through the following link. In addition to an executable version, we can also use a portable version.

Convert Text to Speech

Convert Text to Speech

The Convert Text to Speech application is another of the free applications available in the Microsoft Store to convert text to speech. This app includes an in-app purchase to remove ads.

With Convert Text to Speech, we can open a file in Doc/DocX, PDF, Rtf, Dot, ODT, html and xml format for you to read. Once the text has been interpreted, we can export the result to a file in .mp3 format using the different voices that we have configured in Windows 10.

It is compatible with the dark mode of Windows, it allows us to read only selected text, it includes a button to repeat the hearing and it is also compatible with the main subtitle formats .srt, .sub, .ssa and .ass.

Convert Text to Speech
Convert Text to Speech
Developer: yunus.inc
Price: Free

Natural Reader – Windows / macOS

NatureReader

NatureReader is another free text-to-speech application that also allows us to load the content of the application in two different methods.

The first option allows us to load the document in the application so that it reads them aloud. This is an excellent application to manage multiple files, the number of supported formats is very high.

In addition, it includes support for electronic books and OCR (character recognition) technology, which allows us to upload an image to be read aloud.

The second option shows us the form of a floating toolbar. In this mode, you can highlight text in any application and use the toolbar controls to launch and customize text-to-speech.

Through this function, we can read any text that we select in any application that we have installed on our computer. There's also a built-in browser to convert web content to speech more easily.

Convert Text to Speech MP3 – Windows

Convert Text to Speech MP3

With a very simple interface and no frills, we find Convert Text to Spech MP3, an application that, as its name indicates, allows us to convert any text that we paste in the application to MP3 format.

In addition, it allows us to select what type of voice and what language we want to use to create the conversion, modify the reading speed and the intonation.

The Convert Text to Speech MP3 application is available for download completely free of charge through the following link.

Convert Text to Speech MP3 (Pro)
Convert Text to Speech MP3 (Pro)
Developer: GoSmart
Price: Free

Panopreter Basic – Windows

panopreter

If all you're looking for is a no-frills text-to-speech app, the app you're looking for in panopreter. The application allows us to open documents in plain text, Word and .html.

The voice files, the application will store them in both .mp3 and .wav formats. Within the customization options, the application allows us to change the language of the application, modify the color of the application and set the output directory of the files.

A curiosity, the Panopreter application allows us to recreate a piece of music when the playback ends, indicating that the playback has ended. All these features are available in the free version.

But, if you want something more, you can upgrade to the Premium version. This version allows us to enable a toolbar for Microsoft Word and any browser, the ability to highlight text while reading, add additional voices...

WordTalk-Windows

WordTalk

behind the app WorldTalk, is the University of Edinburgh. WordTalk is a toolbar that adds a text-to-speech system to Microsoft Word.

It supports all of Word's features through the toolbar or the ribbon, depending on the version of Office you're using.

The user interface is not the most visually appealing, however, it allows us to easily interact with the application. But despite this, it supports SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 voices, it allows us to read single words or phrases, it includes the possibility of storing narrated audio, it includes keyboard shortcuts...

How to add voices to Siri in other languages

Many of these applications use Windows 10 to perform the reading of the texts. Natively, Windows 10 only installs the Cortana audio interface in the language of the operating system.

However, if we want to not only read texts in Spanish, but also in English to improve our pronunciation in languages, we can add voices in other languages.

If you want to add voices in other languages, we must carry out the steps that I show you below:

add voices windows 10

  • First of all, we access the Windows 1o or Windows 11 configuration options by pressing the Windows key and without releasing the letter i.
  • Next, click on Time and language. Next, click on Language, in the left column.
  • In the right column, in the Preferred languages ​​section, click on Add language and select the language that we want to use.

Once we have added a new language that we are going to be able to use in addition to Spanish, we are going to check if new voices have been added to Windows by performing the steps that I show you below.

  • First of all, we access the Windows 1o or Windows 11 configuration options by pressing the Windows key and without releasing the letter i.
  • Next, click on Time and language.
  • In the next window, click on Voice in the left column and go to the Voices section in the right column.
  • Click on the Choose a voice drop-down box and we will see how instead of showing the 3 available voices in Spanish, new voices are shown, voices that will allow us to read any text in their language.

Do not try to use a voice in English or Spanish to read a text in French, because they will not understand anything.


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