How to Use Text to Speech on Any Website
Learn how to use Helperbird's Text to Speech feature to have any text read aloud. Listen to articles, emails, documents, or any written content on the web.
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What is Text to Speech?
Text to Speech reads text out loud using a computer voice. Instead of reading text with your eyes, you can listen to it being spoken.
Helperbird can read an entire webpage, just the text you have highlighted, or custom text that you type or paste.
Who is This For?
This feature is helpful for:
- People with dyslexia who find listening easier than reading
- Anyone who wants to multitask while consuming content
- People with visual impairments
- Students who learn better by listening
- Anyone who prefers auditory learning
Step 1: Open Helperbird
Click the Helperbird icon in your browser toolbar. It looks like a small owl and is usually in the top-right corner of your browser.
This will open the Helperbird menu.
Step 2: Go to the All Features Section
Scroll down to the bottom of the Helperbird menu. You will see a section called All Features.
Click the arrow next to All Features to expand it and show all available features.
Step 3: Find Text to Speech
Look through the list of features until you see Text to Speech.
Click on Text to Speech to open it.
A panel will appear with a text area and playback controls.
View full-size image (opens in a new tab)Step 4: Play the Text
There are several ways to use Text to Speech:
Read the whole page - If you have not highlighted any text, click the play button. Helperbird will read all the text on the current page.
Read selected text - First, highlight the text you want to hear by clicking and dragging your mouse over it. Then click the play button. Helperbird will read only the highlighted text.
Read custom text - Type or paste text into the text box in the panel. Click the play button to hear that text read aloud.
Use Pause to pause a reading, or Stop to end it. Stop also cancels a reading that is still loading. Press Play when you want to listen again.
Step 5: Customize Settings
- Choose Text to speech settings, the sliders icon beside the speech controls.
- Open Select a voice.
- Choose a voice from its language group.
- Choose Play sample, the play button beside the sentence at the top, to hear your choice.
- Adjust Speed with the slider or the minus and plus buttons.
Your changes save as you make them. Settings saved confirms the change. Open speech players use the same voice and speed. Voices marked Pro need Helperbird Pro and an internet connection. Other voices are free. The voices you see depend on your browser and device.
See all Text to speech settings for voice search, previews and highlighting.
View full-size image (opens in a new tab)
Use Reset in settings to return to normal speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't Text to Speech working? First, check that your device volume is not muted. Also check that the browser tab isn't muted (look for a speaker icon in the tab). If it still doesn't work, try refreshing the page or restarting your browser.
Can I use Text to Speech offline? Some voices require an internet connection to work. If you're offline, only local system voices will be available.
How do I change the voice language? Open Select a voice in Text to speech settings. Use Search inside the picker to find a voice or language. Choosing a voice saves it automatically.
Does Text to Speech work on PDFs? Yes! Open the PDF in Helperbird's PDF reader and you can use Text to Speech on the document content.
How do I read selected text in Google Docs? Select the words in your document, then click Play in Helperbird's floating toolbar. You can drag over the text or hold Shift and use the arrow keys. There is no need to copy and paste.
If Helperbird cannot read the selection, refresh the Google Docs tab and select the words again. Try a shorter section that is visible on screen. Google Docs selections play without Helperbird's word-by-word highlighting. If a selection cannot be read, Helperbird asks you to select text instead of switching to the whole document.
Can I read text inside an embedded lesson? Try Read text in online lessons, an optional beta that is off by default. It works with supported selectable text inside a lesson. Support varies by platform.
Why did speech stop when I closed the floating toolbar? Closing or collapsing the toolbar stops its read-aloud and voice-typing sessions. Reopen it when you are ready to continue.
Can I use keyboard shortcuts? Yes, you can use keyboard shortcuts to control playback. Check the Helperbird settings for the available shortcuts.
Related Guides
Video Tutorial
Need Additional Help?
If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact the Helperbird support team. You can reach us at Helperbird support. We are happy to help you get the most out of Helperbird.
Printed from the Helperbird Help Center · Updated October 26th, 2026
Questions? We are happy to help — helperbird.com/support