Enabling text-to-speech on a Mac usually takes less than one minute. Here is how to do it.
Quick Setup
Step 1: Open Spoken Content Settings
- macOS Ventura and later: System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content
- macOS Monterey and earlier: System Preferences > Accessibility > Spoken Content
Step 2: Enable Speak Selection
Toggle “Speak Selection” on. This adds a “Speak” button when you select text in supported apps.
Default keyboard shortcut: Option+Esc
Step 3: Enable Speak Screen (Optional)
Toggle “Speak Screen” on. A two-finger swipe down from the trackpad reads the entire screen content aloud.
Step 4: Choose a Voice
Click “System Voice” to select from available voices. Click the play button to preview. Download additional voices by selecting “Manage Voices.”
Step 5: Adjust Speed
Use the “Speaking Rate” slider. Slower for comprehension, faster for efficiency. Most users find the middle range comfortable.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Default Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Read selected text | Option+Esc |
| Read entire screen | Two-finger swipe down (trackpad) |
| Pause/Resume | Option+Esc (toggle) |
| Stop speaking | Option+Esc (press while speaking) |
Customize shortcuts in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Accessibility.
Using TTS in Different Apps
Safari: Select text on a webpage, press Option+Esc
Pages: Select text in your document, press Option+Esc
PDFs (Preview): Select text, press Option+Esc
Mail: Select email body text, press Option+Esc
Other apps: In many apps, selected text can be read with the shortcut
Changing the Speaking Voice
- System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content
- Click “System Voice”
- Select a voice
- Click “Play” to preview
- For more voices, click “Manage Voices” and download
macOS voices vary in quality — the “Enhanced” and “Premium” voices are significantly more natural than the basic ones.
What to Do If TTS Is Not Working
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Check the shortcut: Some apps override Option+Esc. Try reassigning in Keyboard Shortcuts.
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Restart the app: Quit and reopen the app where TTS is not working.
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Check accessibility permissions: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility
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Restart your Mac: This can resolve many TTS issues.
Limitations of Built-In TTS
- Voice quality is below dedicated neural TTS apps
- No audio export — you cannot save TTS as MP3
- No sentence-by-sentence navigation
- Speed control is a basic slider
For occasional use, built-in TTS is sufficient. For daily proofreading, voice generation, or audio export, a dedicated TTS app can provide a better workflow.
If you want local voice generation and export on Mac, Spokio is powered by Chatterbox Turbo and supports local voice cloning, batch export, MP3/WAV/AIFF/M4A output, and offline generation without cloud uploads.
