Text-to-speech conversion is a technology that converts written text into spoken audio using artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP). It can be used for various purposes, such as accessibility, education, entertainment, and communication. There are many tools and applications that offer text-to-speech conversion, but some of them stand out for their quality, features, and ease of use.
In this article, I will introduce you to the top 7 Chrome text-to-speech extensions that you can use on your browser to listen to any web page, document, or PDF with natural and realistic voices.
Best Text-To-Speech Extensions for Chrome
There are many text-to-speech extensions available in Chrome, but some of them stand out for their quality, features, and ease of use. In this article, I will introduce you to the top 7 Chrome extensions for text-to-speech conversion that you can use on your browser to listen to any web page, document, or PDF with natural and realistic voices.
The criteria for selecting the 7 best Chrome text-to-speech (tts) extensions are:
- The quality and variety of the voices
- The ease of use and customization of the settings
- The compatibility and integration with different web pages and formats
- The availability and affordability of the service
Based on these criteria, here are the 7 best Chrome text-to-speech extensions:
Natural Reader
Natural Reader is one of the most popular and powerful text-to-speech converters on the market. It has over 10 million users and offers more than 200 natural-sounding voices in 50 languages. You can choose from standard, premium, or neural voices that use AI to produce lifelike speech.
You can adjust the voice speed, pitch, and volume, add pauses and emphasis, change the font size and color, and create audio files from text. You can also sync your documents across devices and access them offline.
You can also upload or drag and drop any document or PDF file to the app and have it read aloud. You can also access your Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive files from the app.
Pros of NaturalReader:
- It has a large selection of high-quality voices in different languages and accents
- It has a user-friendly interface and a lot of customization options
Cons of NaturalReader:
- It requires an internet connection for most of the features
- It has a limit of 20 minutes per day for free users
Read Aloud
Read Aloud is a simple and lightweight text-to-speech extensions that lets you listen to any web page with a single click. It uses Google Text-to-Speech API to generate natural-sounding voices in over 40 languages.
You can adjust the voice speed, pitch, and volume, change the reading style, select different voices for different languages, and control the playback with keyboard shortcuts.
To use Read Aloud on Chrome, you need to install the Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader extension from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, you can click on the Read Aloud icon on the toolbar to start reading aloud the current web page.
Pros of Read Aloud:
- It is fast and easy to use
- It has a minimalistic design and a clear interface
Cons of Read Aloud:
- It requires an internet connection for most of the features
- It has a limit of 5000 characters per request for free users
Readme
Do you want to hear material read aloud but don’t want to install another extension to your browser bar? Readme is a straightforward text-to-speech extensions that lets you listen to text by right-clicking it.
After installing Readme, you may right-click on any text on a web page to have it read aloud. You can also adjust the text-to-speech output’s loudness, pitch, and voice gender. Readme also supports six languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Russian, and Portuguese.
Pros of Readme:
- It is fast and easy to use
- It has a minimalistic design and a clear interface
Cons of Readme:
- It requires an internet connection for most of the features
- It has a limit of 5000 characters per request for free users
Snap & Read
Snap & Read is a strong text-to-speech Chrome addon that assists students and adults with their reading. You can use Snap & Read to:
Text can be read aloud in over 100 languages. Simplify difficult vocabulary. View images of words from the dictionary. For optimal readability, adjust font size, spacing, and line length. Remove all distracting elements from web pages.
Snap & read is ideal for anyone looking to improve their reading comprehension. Whether you’re a student struggling to understand a textbook, an adult learning a new language, or someone with a learning disability, Snap & Read can help you read more easily and effectively.
Pros of Snap & Read:
- It has a large selection of high-quality voices in different languages and accents
- It has a user-friendly interface and a lot of customization options
Cons of Snap & Read:
- It requires an internet connection for some of the features.
- It has a limit of 10 minutes per day for free users
Speechify
Speechify is a smart and innovative text-to-speech extensions that lets you listen to any web page, document, or PDF with natural and realistic voices. It uses AI Neural TTS to generate human-like voices in over 50 languages.
You can adjust the voice speed, pitch, and volume, change the reading style, select different voices for different languages, and control the playback with keyboard shortcuts.
To use Speechify on Chrome, you need to install the Speechify Text To Speech Dyslexia Reading OCR extension from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, you can select any text on any web page and click on the Speechify icon on the toolbar to listen to it. You can also right-click on the text and choose “Read with Speechify”.
Pros of Speechify:
- It has a large selection of natural-sounding voices in different languages and accents
- It has a smart interface and a lot of customization options
Cons of Speechify:
- It requires an internet connection for some of the features
- It has a limit of 30 minutes per day for free users
SpeakIt!
SpeakIt! is another simple and lightweight text-to-speech extensions that lets you listen to any web page with a single click. It uses Google Text-to-Speech API to generate natural-sounding voices in over 40 languages.
SpeakIt! is easy to use and customize. You can adjust the voice speed, pitch, and volume, change the reading style, select different voices for different languages, and control the playback with keyboard shortcuts.
To use SpeakIt! on Chrome, you need to install the SpeakIt! extension from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, you can select any text on any web page and click on the SpeakIt! icon on the toolbar to listen to it. You can also right-click on the text and choose “SpeakIt!”.
Pros of SpeakIt!:
- It is fast and easy to use
- It has a minimalistic design and a clear interface
Cons of SpeakIt!:
- It requires an internet connection for most of the features
- It has a limit of 5000 characters per request for free users.
Text to Speech
Text to Speech is another simple and lightweight text-to-speech extension that lets you listen to any web page with a single click. It uses Google Text-to-Speech API to generate natural-sounding voices in over 40 languages.
Text to Speech is easy to use and customize. You can adjust the voice speed, pitch, and volume, change the reading style, select different voices for different languages, and control the playback with keyboard shortcuts.
To use Text to Speech on Chrome, you need to install the Text to Speech extension from the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, you can select any text on any web page and click on the Text to Speech icon on the toolbar to listen to it. You can also right-click on the text and choose “Text to Speech”.
Pros of Text to Speech:
- It is fast and easy to use
- It has a minimalistic design and a clear interface
Cons of Text to Speech:
- It requires an internet connection for most of the features
- It has a limit of 5000 characters per request for free users
You can also check out our blog, Top 10 ChatGPT Chrome Extensions for Better Browsing more tips and tutorials.
FAQs
Conclusion
One of the easiest ways to access text-to-speech conversion on your browser is to use Chrome extensions. They can enhance your browsing experience by adding new features, customizing web pages, or integrating with other services. In this article, I have introduced you to the 7 best Chrome text-to-speech extensions that you can use on your browser to listen to any web page, document, or PDF with natural and realistic voices.
I hope this article has helped you learn more about text-to-speech extensions and how to use it on your browser with Chrome extensions. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
7 Best Chrome Text-to-Speech Extensions