Greetings Insiders,
Many people use the Read aloud feature in Microsoft Edge as a daily driver. It is super convenient to just pop in an earbud and listen to content while doing something else. Not just that, Read aloud helps auditory and visual learners to focus on content and learn more efficiently. Read aloud is currently available in Immersive Reader and for webpages—today, we are excited to announce that we are extending support to PDF files. Read aloud for PDFs is now available for everyone on the latest Canary and Dev builds and will be coming to Beta in early June.
Try it out
To access Read aloud, open any PDF file in Microsoft Edge from your computer or from the web. In the toolbar along the top, you will see “Read aloud” as an option. Click/tap on this button to start.
Microsoft Edge will start at the beginning and highlight each word as it goes along. You can control the reading speed and choose your favorite voice via the "Voice options" menu from the toolbar at the top of the page. You can also play/pause the reading and skip ahead/go back a paragraph at your own pace.
Read aloud is also available on any webpage–simply highlight a piece of text, right click, and select "Read aloud" from the menu. (For shortcut lovers out there, you can launch Read aloud with Ctrl+Shift+U).
You can access Read aloud through Immersive Reader as well. Open Immersive Reader from the address bar and select “Real aloud” from the toolbar.
Why?
Whether you're a tech insider or a casual user, Read aloud can help improve your reading experience.
Reduce reading fatigue: Do your eyes get tired from reading page after page? Read aloud lets you step away from the screen. It's like an audiobook but for emails, important documents, or webpages.
Enhanced engagement with content: Read aloud helps you read while performing other tasks. Listen to a recipe as you cook and then to your favorite blog while you eat. Do you have limited time? Increase the playback speed and hear the content at your own pace.
Catch typos and grammar mistakes: Sometimes all it takes to catch a spelling mistake or a grammar issue in your writing is to have someone else read it back to you. Read aloud is your new friend for proofreading that is available anytime, anywhere.
Education and accessibility: For people learning to read, Read aloud can help with reading comprehension. Additionally, Read aloud can help with pronunciation if you stumble across a new or unfamiliar word.
Support for more natural voices
You can customize your Read aloud experience by choosing from a variety of voice options. Powered by Text to Speech, Read aloud provides lifelike, natural-sounding voices that are easy to understand and enjoyable to listen to.
Online and offline support
Read aloud is available in both online and offline modes—if you’re in an area without an internet connection, this can be particularly handy. A basic set of voice options is made available when offline. For the full set of voice options, internet connectivity is needed.
Share your feedback
We are always looking for ways to improve this feature for you. Give it a try on a webpage, Immersive Reader, or a PDF and let us know what you think!
- The Microsoft Edge Product Team
@Aki_jp Thanks for sharing that feedback!
For 1. and 2. -- we're actively working on PDF performance, so you can look forward to improvements in these areas in the near future! If you want to be on the cutting edge, feel free to give our preview channels a try.
3. If you highlight and right-click on text, you will have the option to "Continue to read aloud from here" in the context menu. (See the below image; the reader was at the word "File," but I wanted to start from "more.") Let us know if that functionality isn't working for you, as that could indicate a bug.
4. That's good to know! Can you please submit diagnostic data through the browser if/when that happens again? (Shift+Alt+I on a PC or "..." menu > Help and feedback > Send feedback)
Fawkes (they/them)
Program Manager & Community Manager - Microsoft Edge
