Our technology-hasted lives have made us lose the habit and habit of poring over long stretches of text. In this situation, the best solution is to have text-to-speech software for PC or voice synthesis; that allows you to have a narrator read what you need for you. It could also be a very useful tool for accessibility for people with visual disabilities. These programs are ideal for converting text to speech for multiple purposes, ideally for studying large amounts of text or doing research on a given topic. Today we’re going to show you how to use it, but before we get into it, let’s explore a couple of basic facts about text-to-speech.
What is Text-To-Speech and how does it work?
A text to speech software is an assistive technology, which basically helps people to overcome a challenge. It can also be a device or piece of equipment that meets that goal, so a wheelchair and text-to-speech software fall into the same category.
Any type of assistive technology allows people to overcome challenges or complications, and also to improve performance against any task. In the case of text-to-speech, any text that is on the computer can be converted into audio with just one click, giving life to a narrator who will read us what we ask.
Text-to-speech software works on any digital device, be it a computer, tablet, or mobile, and can read virtually any text file. The voices are usually quite human, although some have difficulty pronouncing certain words.
Software such as the one we will present below, Woord, can be configured for almost any available language, and the vast majority highlight the text as you read it. This is very useful for children who have difficulty reading, this helps them retain information while reading.
Benefits of using a text to speech software?
In addition to improving the accessibility and performance of difficult tasks for people with reading disabilities, text-to-speech software has several positive uses. One of them is the creation of audio for video, for classes or to study.
Another benefit could be to increase our productivity and improve the performance of certain tasks; such as proofreading and editing text, or also in the investigation of complex topics, as we mentioned earlier.
Perhaps the most superficial—but completely valid—use of text-to-speech software is to save time and improve mobility. It’s simple: if we have a book we want to read but don’t have time to read it, the software can do it for us, just like an audiobook.
Now that you know what voice software is and what its benefits are, let’s talk about Woord, one of the most widely used voice synthesis software on the market.
Woord: A Text-To-Speech For Your PC
Woord is a text reader platform and API; this free online text-to-speech tool with a variety of useful features might be really helpful. It includes more than 50 languages and dialects, and it allows you to pick between masculine, feminine, or non-binary voices. These characteristics are free to use, so you can test the service before buying a premium version. The free version includes premium voices, a Chrome plugin, an SSML editor, an MP3 download, and up to 20,000 characters per month. You can also change the voice’s speed and format with this software.
Nontheless, purchasing a premium membership for business use may be a good idea, because they are not expensive and have a lot of nice features. Furthermore, with the premium editions of Woord, you have complete intellectual property ownership of your audios.
Its Chrome extension will “read” aloud to you any website or article you visit. Google Chrome has a wide variety of users, and it is the most popular browser in the world. This platform is used by people of all ages and places in the world for its accessibility. For this reason, Woord is an excellent complement; due to its intuitive interface and ability to generate high-quality audio in simple steps, anyone can use it. Learn more here: How To Read Text Out Loud From Any Website With Chrome.
How To Use Woord’s SSML Editor
Also published on Medium.