If you’ve ever typed out a long document, only to have it read back to you with text to speech in a robotic voice, you know it can be a little… strange.
But don’t knock the technology just yet.
Text-to-speech, or TTS, is one of those amazing technologies that sounds like it’s right out of science fiction but is actually something we use every day without even realizing it. It’s how Siri talks to us when we ask her questions, and how Alexa reads our shopping lists. And with the rise of ebooks and audiobooks, text-to-speech conversion is becoming more important all the time.
Text to speech (TTS) is the process of converting regular text into a synthetic voice. A TTS engine essentially converts a document into an audio file, allowing users to listen to the content instead of reading it.
Aside from a few exceptions, this is most frequently done by computer programs that can be accessed online for free.
The most common use cases are for text to speech are:
- Translation
- Audiobooks
- Easy-to-use voice assistants
- Entertainment (games and movie subtitles)
If you think that these use cases fit your needs, we recommend you try out Woord.
Woord
Woord is the most complete TTS tool currently available, in our view. It encompasses a diverse spectrum of languages, genders, and traits. This is a free TTS that you can rapidly download to your computer and use in whatever manner you like after choosing from a range of options.
Woord is a free online TTS that has a number of handy features. It’s available in over 50 languages, including several dialects of English, Portuguese, and Spanish. You may also select between male, female, or gender-neutral voices. All of these features are free to use, allowing you to evaluate the service before investing in the premium version. The free edition includes premium voices, a Chrome plugin, an SSML editor, an MP3 download, and up to 20,000 characters each month. You may also change the voice’s pace and format with this software.
Woord’s voice capabilities enable it to be employed in a variety of circumstances. You might, for example, use Woord’s Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology to create apps that assist those who have difficulty reading.
Woord has various distinguishing features, including:
- Importing PDFs, images, documents, websites, and a number of other file types is possible.
- An SSML editor that allows you to change the pace, tone, loudness, and pacing of the message.
- It is possible to convert the document into an MP3 file.
How can I use text to speech?
If you want to get an audio file, you’ll need to do the following:
- Go to www.getwoord.com, or install the Chrome extension on your computer.
- On the whiteboard, write your content, then choose a voice in the language you like, as well as gender, pace, and format.
- When you’re done, click ‘Speak It’ to double-check that everything is working properly.
- Save the outcome to your PC if you’re happy with it.