Important: Read Aloud requires a stable internet connection. 🛜
How to
Before opening the book you've selected, make sure it comes with Read Aloud by looking for the book icon with a small speaker pictured below.
Still unsure? Check out this article.
1. Skip past the cover to begin using Read Aloud
2. Click on the Read Aloud button to open the Read Aloud panel or use the keyboard shortcut ⌥ + R
3. ▶️ Press the "Play" button to begin reading!
You should then hear the audio playback. Press play, pause, or stop in the panel anytime.
*Now available on select PDFs! See differences detailed below.
ePUB | |
Reads text aloud paragraph-by-paragraph until the end of the chapter | Reads text aloud in 30-minute increments |
Pause ⏸️
Pause the audio by clicking the "Pause" button and play again to resume.
Stop ⏹️
If you want to listen to a different section, click the "Stop" button. This will reset the Read Aloud tool and stop the audio playback for the current section.
Scroll to the section of the book you would like to be read aloud and click the play button again.
Skip ⏮️ ⏭️
To skip to the next or go back to the previous paragraph, you can click the "Next" or "Previous" buttons.
Select starting point ▶️
You can also hover next to the paragraph where you wish to begin reading and select the Read Aloud icon to play from there.
Adjust speed 🐢 → 🐇
You can change how quickly the text is read aloud.
Click the speed control button in the Read Aloud panel and adjust the slider to either slow down or speed up the audio playback to your preferred speed.
Skip footnotes and superscripts
To help with focus and flow, Read Aloud will skip footnotes by default.
You can change this anytime - tap the gear icon ⚙️ and uncheck the box next to "Skip footnotes".
*Note: only in ePUBs at the moment.
Voice options ➕
Limitations
While voice options are in beta, they’re only available to Complete plan subscribers on books that already support Read Aloud.
Premium voice options are not yet available on the Essential plan or subscriptions being provided by a partnered organisation.
Using voices on Read Aloud
Make sure the book you're reading is already equipped with Read Aloud
Go to the first page of the book, past the cover
Tap the Read Aloud icon to open the panel, or use the keyboard shortcut ⌥ + R
Select the Voice options dropdown to view voice options
Select a voice and press Play to start listening
Frequently Asked Questions
What are voice options?
Voice options are higher-quality, more natural-sounding voices designed to improve your listening experience.
Note: availability of voice options may be refined over time as features are updated and vary by language.
Is there an extra cost to use it?
It depends on your subscription plan. Read the limitations detailed above.
Can I switch back to the default voice?
Yes, you can switch back at any time from your settings in-book ⚙️
Feedback?
Yes, please! Click the blue "Share feedback on Read Aloud" link at the bottom of the Read Aloud settings panel, as shown below, to share your experience.
If you have a more urgent request related to the library, please contact customer support via live chat or email [email protected]