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Does text to speech work on Google? Explore the top text to speech Google products today to find the best one for you.

Text to speech Google products

Accessibility to information is paramount. Whether it's for individuals with visual impairments, language learners, or anyone on the go, text to speech (TTS) technology plays a crucial role in ensuring content is readily accessible and digestible. Google, a tech giant known for its innovation, offers a range of text to speech solutions catering to different platforms and needs. Let's delve into the diverse text to speech offerings from Google and a leading text to speech solution that is compatible with any website and device.

Google Cloud Text to Speech

Google Cloud Text to Speech (TTS) is a powerful tool that converts text into natural-sounding speech, leveraging deep learning technology. Google Cloud Text to Speech API provides developers with an easy-to-use API to integrate high-quality speech synthesis and artificial intelligence capabilities into their applications. With a wide array of voices available in multiple languages and dialects, including English, Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, and more, developers can create personalized and engaging user experiences.

Google Cloud Text to Speech pricing

Google Cloud Text to Speech operates on a character-based pricing model, where charges are determined by the volume of characters processed into audio each month. Users benefit from a generous free tier, with the first 1 million characters synthesized using WaveNet voices and the first 4 million characters for Standard voices offered at no cost monthly. Beyond these limits, users are billed per 1 million characters of text processed starting at $16 per 1 million bytes. This transparent pricing structure ensures that users have the flexibility to scale their usage according to their needs while providing an accessible entry point for exploring the capabilities of the platform.

Google Cloud Text to Speech’s top features

Google Cloud Text to Speech offers a suite of cutting-edge features, such as:

  • WaveNet voices: Utilize advanced WaveNet technology to produce exceptionally realistic voices.
  • Voice and language selection: Choose from a wide array of 220+ voices across 40+ languages to suit your project's needs.
  • Studio voices (Preview): Impress your audience with professionally narrated content recorded in studio-quality settings.
  • Custom Voice: Train a personalized voice model using your own audio files for a unique and natural-sounding voice.
  • Voice tuning: Adjust the pitch and speaking rate of your selected voice to customize its sound.
  • Text and SSML support: Enhance your speech synthesis with SSML tags for added customization, such as control over pauses, numbers, date and time formatting, and pronunciation.

How to use Google Cloud Text to Speech

Whether you're a developer seeking to integrate speech synthesis into your applications or an organization aiming to enhance communication channels, understanding how to effectively utilize Google Cloud Text to Speech is essential. Thankfully, using Google Cloud Text to Speech is straightforward. Simply follow these steps:

  1. Get started: Begin by signing up for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and enabling the text to speech API.
  2. Choose a voice: Select from a variety of voices, including WaveNet and Standard, to suit your application's requirements.
  3. Synthesize speech: Send text input to the API, and receive high-quality synthesized speech in return.
  4. Customize output: Fine-tune parameters such as pitch, speaking rate, and volume to tailor the output to your preferences.

More Google text to speech products

Google Cloud Text to Speech serves as Google’s primary text to speech solution; however, there are additional Google options in this domain that warrant exploration. These include built-in text to speech features on Android devices and the Read Aloud Chrome extension. Let’s explore these platforms:

Google Text to Speech on Android

Integrated seamlessly into the Android operating system, the Google Text to Speech Engine provides users with real-time speech synthesis capabilities across their Android devices. Users can rely on the built-in TTS functionality to convert text into spoken words with ease, including while navigating through apps, reading emails, or accessing documents,

How to use Google text to speech on Android

Whether you're visually impaired, multitasking, or simply prefer auditory input, mastering Google Text to Speech can significantly enhance your mobile experience. Here’s how to turn on Android’s Google Text to Speech feature:

  1. Open: Navigate to “Settings,” “Accessibility” and “Text to Speech” to enable Google Text to Speech as the default engine on your Android device.
  2. Choose a voice: Explore the available voices and languages to find the one that best suits your preferences.
  3. Activate text to speech: Select text within any app or document, then tap the "Speak" option from the menu to have it read aloud in real-time.
  4. Adjust Settings: Customize speech rate, pitch, and language settings to enhance the listening experience.

Read Aloud Chrome Extension

For users who prefer to consume content directly from their web browsers, Google offers a free Read Aloud Chrome extension. Read Aloud brings text to speech functionality from various TTS API providers, such as Google Cloud Text to Speech, to the Chrome browser, allowing users to listen to website content with ease. With a simple installation process, users can transform written content on web pages into audio, enhancing accessibility and convenience while browsing the internet.

How to use the Read Aloud Chrome extension

The Read Aloud extension offers a seamless text to speech solution for listening to website articles, emails, documents, and more while using the Google Chrome browser. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the Read Aloud Chrome extension:

  1. Install the extension: Visit the Chrome Web Store and install the Read Aloud extension to your browser.
  2. Activate Read Aloud: Select text on web pages, right-click, and choose the "Read Aloud" option to convert text to speech.
  3. Customize settings: Adjust playback speed, voice selection, and other settings through the extension's intuitive interface.
  4. Enjoy seamless reading: Sit back and relax as the extension converts text on web pages into spoken words, enhancing accessibility and convenience.

Google Docs text to speech

Google Docs offers a convenient and free native text to speech feature that allows users to listen to their documents being read aloud in a natural-sounding voice. This functionality is particularly beneficial for proofreading, reviewing content, or accessing documents hands-free. By integrating text to speech directly into the Google Docs platform, users can enhance their productivity and accessibility, ensuring that their written content meets their desired standards.

Option 1: How to use Google Docs text to speech with a screen reader

One way to enable text to speech on Google Docs is to use the built-in screen reader function. Simply follow the steps below to turn on TTS using this option:

  1. Open Your Document: Navigate to Google Docs and open the document you wish to listen to.
  2. Access the Tools Menu: Click on the "Tools" menu at the top of the screen.
  3. Go to accessibility settings: From the dropdown menu, select "Accessibility settings."
  4. Enable Screen Reader: Toggle the "Screen Reader" option to enable text to speech functionality and permissions.
  5. Choose Your Options: Customize the speech settings according to your preferences, such as the reading speed and voice selection.
  6. Start Text to Speech: Once configured, select the text you want to hear and click on the "Play" button that appears next to it. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + X (Cmd + Option + X on Mac) to start or stop the text to speech playback.

Option 2: How to use Google Docs text to speech with an add-on

In lieu of a screen reader, users can also use add-ons to give Google Docs a text to speech feature. Simply follow this tutorial to install your add-on:

  1. Launch Google Docs: Open your Google Doc document using the Google Chrome browser.
  2. Enable extensions: Navigate to the top menu and click on “Extensions.”
  3. Select an add-on: Select “Add-ons,” “Get Add-ons,” and then search for “Text to speech” and choose a text to speech option, such as “Speak.”
  4. Use text to speech: Once installed, you can simply highlight the text and it will be read aloud in your desired text to speech voice.

Speechify: The best text to speech for Google

Speechify is the unparalleled text to speech solution for Google and beyond. Speechify seamlessly converts not just Google web content but any web page, text, or physical document into text to speech voices that are indistinguishable from human speech. This innovative platform redefines accessibility and convenience, empowering users to absorb information effortlessly through the power of auditory engagement. Here’s a breakdown of more reasons why Speechify is the best text to speech platform:

  • Wide language support: Speechify supports 30+ languages, including English, Spanish, Russian, French, and so many more, ensuring that users around the world can access content in their preferred language.
  • Offline access: Speechify offers offline functionality, allowing you to listen to your Google Docs documents even without an internet connection.
  • Customization: Tailor your text to speech experience with customizable options, including voice selection, reading speed adjustment, and more.
  • Text highlighting: Speechify visually highlights each word or phrase as it’s spoken, enhancing comprehension and engagement for the listener.
  • Celebrity voices: In addition to its wide range of narrator options, premium users can also choose from celebrity voice options and have their text read aloud by familiar voices such as Gwyneth Paltrow or Snoop Dogg.
  • Accessibility: Speechify offers dedicated Android and iOS apps, a website, and extensions for Microsoft Edge and Chrome browsers. This wide array of options ensures that superior text to speech conversion is readily available with just a click, regardless of the device or platform you're using.
  • Cross-platform compatibility and bookmarking: Speechify's bookmarking feature ensures users can seamlessly transition between devices without losing their place in the text, enabling them to start listening to an article on one device, such as their Windows laptop, and continue on another, like their iPhone, providing a seamless cross-platform experience.
  • Vast array of voice options: Users can choose from a diverse range of 200+ AI voices, each meticulously crafted to sound remarkably human-like.

Try Speechify for free today to improve your reading experience.

FAQ

How can I use text to speech in Google Workspace?

You can use Speechify to transform any text in Google Workspace into speech for easy listening.

What is the best AI voice generator?

Speechify Voice Over Studio uses generative AI and speech synthesis technology to create lifelike AI voice overs.

How can I have Google Maps read aloud to me?

You can have Google Maps read aloud to you by enabling the "Voice Guidance" feature, which provides turn-by-turn directions audibly while navigating.

How can I have Amazon listings read aloud to me?

You can have Amazon listings read aloud to you using the Speechify app or extension, allowing for effortless conversion into speech.

Does Google Cloud service offer text to speech?

Yes, Google Cloud offers text to speech capabilities through its Cloud Text to Speech API, providing high-quality, natural-sounding synthesized speech from text in multiple languages and voices.

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.