The Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word reads text aloud while highlighting words on the screen. This can help improve reading comprehension, catch errors, and increase accessibility. Here’s how to use this useful feature:
Enabling Read Aloud
The Read Aloud feature is available in Microsoft 365 and Office 2019. To enable it:
- Open the Word document you want read aloud
- On the tab, click “Review”
- In the Speech section, click “Read Aloud”
Once enabled, Word will start reading the document aloud starting from the cursor location.
Controlling Read Aloud
When Read Aloud is enabled, a small control panel appears. This allows you to:
- Play/Pause the narration
- Skip back/forward by paragraph
- Adjust the reading speed
- Change the voice
You can also use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Alt+Space to start/stop Read Aloud and customize other behaviors.
Tips for Using Read Aloud Effectively
Here are some tips:
- Use Read Aloud to proofread. Hearing the words often catches errors.
- Adjust the speed for comprehension. Slow it down if needed.
- Highlight text first to only read a portion of the document.
- Use Read Aloud to increase accessibility for visual impairments.
The Read Aloud feature offers an easy way to hear your Word documents read aloud, helping boost productivity and accessibility. Follow the steps above to enable it and control the experience to suit your needs.
Conclusion
This covers the basics of using the useful Read Aloud tool in Microsoft Word. Enable it and customize the settings to improve proofreading, comprehension, and accessibility while working with Word documents.
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