Location:
Academic Commons/Library -- Ground Floor
Office hours:
Mondays: 2-3pm
Thursdays: 2-3pm
Phone: 323-259-2692
Fax: (323) 341-4927
Microsoft Office applications have a built-in text-to-speech feature, Immersive Reader. In any document, click View > Immersive Reader, and then press the play button that appears. It then reads your document back to you, highlighting the corresponding words as it goes.
Microsoft Edge has also has this feature built in. It works well with HTML articles and PDFs. Just enter Immersive Reader mode > Read Aloud.
Every Apple device comes with the Spoken Content feature for text-to-speech accessibility. Enable the feature by going to System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content and checking the Speak Selection option which allows you to trigger the tool using a keyboard shortcut (Option-Esc) for a document or any text you select.
Microsoft also has a built-in speech-to-text feature, Voice Access, for Windows (versions 11 22H2 and higher). Search for Voice Access from the Start menu and go through a quick setup process. It then appears as a bar at the top of the screen. Tap the microphone icon in the upper left corner or say "Voice Access Wake Up" to start using it.
You can dictate text in Microsoft Office by clicking the Dictate button in the tool ribbons in all versions of PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, and Word.
Since 2012, Apple's macOS includes a Dictation feature. Go to System Settings > Keyboard and scroll down to Dictation to enable it. Newer Macs have a function key that looks like a microphone (F5) in the top row of the keyboard to turn dictation on and off.
On Apple mobile devices, there is a microphone icon to the left of the space bar or sometimes below the space bar on the right side. If you tap that Dictation button, a microphone icon will appear next to your cursor and when you start talking, your text will appear.
