How to listen to text instead of reading it

When listening is the easier way through a text

Listening helps when you already understand the words and you want them out loud: a message to check, a paragraph you wrote and want to hear, class notes, or an article you copied. It is not a substitute for a careful read of a contract or a page of numbers. Hearing a sentence can also show a missing word you skipped on screen.

Get from another app to spoken audio

1. In the app that has the text, select the passage and copy it.
2. Open Text to Speech and tap Paste. You can also type.
3. If the passage is longer than 5,000 characters, copy it in parts.
4. Pick a voice. A System voice is enough for a quick listen. A natural voice is worth the download if you will replay the same notes offline.
5. Tap Speak. Stop whenever you have heard enough.
6. Tap Save only if you want the clip in History.

Choose a pace that matches the text

The speed control runs from half speed to double speed. A familiar note can sit at 1.5× or 2×. A name-heavy paragraph, or anything in a language you are still learning, is easier at 1.0× or a bit under. Best quality in the app is 1.0× speed and 1.0× pitch, which is the setting it recommends for the clearest sound.

The home screen also estimates how long the current text will take to speak, in seconds or minutes, so you can see whether a passage is a short listen or a long one before you start.

What you still do yourself

• Copying. The app has no browser and no file importer.
• Splitting very long texts at 5,000 characters.
• Choosing a voice that matches the language. Hindi notes want a Hindi voice. English notes want an English one.

If the goal is a file you can replay tomorrow, follow how to save text to speech as an MP3 after the first listen sounds right.

Related guides

• Change the speaking speed
• Save what you heard
• The full convert-to-speech steps

Questions