Having the ability to read PDFs aloud can make your documents more accessible to different users. Using a PDF voice reader can be a useful way of turning any text-based PDFs into audio content.
Text-to-speech PDF functions are handy for those looking for more efficient ways of working, or who may face problems understanding text-based content online. Have your PDF read aloud in a few simple clicks with Adobe Acrobat.
Adobe Acrobat’s PDF Reader uses built-in tools that enable it to read a PDF aloud. The PDF text-to-speech feature enables Adobe Acrobat to scan a document and turn written words into audible speech.
It’s a great idea for all sorts of functions. Perhaps the text on a document is too small to read or the image is scanned handwriting that’s difficult to make out. It can also help in other scenarios, whether for accessibility or as a learning aid for languages and reading practice.
You can easily activate Text-to-Speech and have a PDF read aloud in Adobe Reader with these simple steps:
4. Customise your preferences. You can change the reading speed, voice and other elements in the Preferences setting.
You’ll also be able to travel back and forward between points in the text using the on-screen tools, re-reading sentences if you need to or jumping to sections later in the text.
The PDF text-to-speech reading will start at the page you’re currently on, even if you select Read to End of Document. To start at the beginning, navigate to the first page. You can even edit the reader’s voice.
At any point, you can also choose from several options to customise the experience of having your PDFs read out loud:
Having your PDF read aloud via built-in tools can bring many benefits.
These are some frequently asked questions about having text in a PDF read aloud.
You can add sound, video and interactive content to a PDF file. These can be played using Adobe Reader, although you will need to have the appropriate application installed to play multimedia content.
Yes, Android devices have a built-in text-to-speech function. You can access it from the Accessibility option in Settings. From there, turn on Text-to-Speech and toggle the Select to Speak option from a document open on your device.
You can also use text-to-speech functions on devices running Apple’s iOS. When in Settings, scroll to General > Accessibility and click Speech. Toggle Speak Selection on. When in your document or web browser, simply highlight the text you want to read and select the Speak Text option from the highlight menu.
Your PDF won’t read aloud if you haven’t amended the settings for it to do so. Once you’ve opened you PDF in Adobe Acrobat, you can head to View and Activate Read Out Loud. There you can amend any setting you need.
You may also find that the PDF doesn’t read text if it is on an image. Make sure the text is on the PDF page, and not on an image embedded on a PDF. Otherwise, you may need to extract the text from the image.
You can manage, edit and alter your PDFs using Adobe’s range of online tools.
Here are some helpful guides for making the most of your documents.