Read aloud in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge reads web pages and PDFs aloud for free, highlighting the text as it reads. On Windows, it's one of the best free options, with nothing more to install. Here's how to start it, set it up, and its few limits.
How do you start Read aloud in Microsoft Edge?
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, or right-click anywhere on the page and choose Read aloud. On a Mac, the shortcut is Command+Shift+U.
The option is also in the Settings and more menu; if you don't see it there, Microsoft's help says to select More tools, then Read aloud. The same shortcut stops reading.
Does Edge read PDFs too?
Yes: Microsoft's documentation lists Read aloud among the features of the PDF reader built into Edge, with the text being read highlighted. Just open the PDF in Edge, then start reading as you would on a web page.
Edge opens local PDFs, online PDFs and PDFs embedded in web pages. As with any reader, the PDF must contain text: a scanned document stays silent, see why won't my PDF read aloud.
How do you change the voice and speed in Edge?
While it's reading, a toolbar appears at the top of the page: its voice options let you pick another voice and adjust the speed. Edge offers several voices, including online voices.
The number of voices and languages available depends on your device and region, and features can vary with the version of the browser.
How is it different from Edge's Reading mode?
Reading mode, called Immersive Reader on older Microsoft pages, shows a simplified version of a web page, hiding distracting pop-ups and buttons, with adjustable font size and page themes; you open it with F9 or the icon in the address bar, on supported pages. It's mainly for reading more comfortably on screen.
For an article packed with sidebars, Reading mode makes listening cleaner too. Readotte does a similar cleanup when you want to read an article aloud from its link.
What are the limits of Edge's Read aloud?
In a PDF, Edge reads what's there, including repeated headers, footers and page numbers. It doesn't remember where you stopped when you close the document.
Reading only works in Edge: if you read on an iPhone or switch between devices, you need another solution. Online voices require a connection.
Edge or Readotte: which should you choose?
If you're on Windows with Edge, start with Edge: it's free, with no time limit, multilingual and already installed. For an article or a short PDF, you often don't need anything else.
Readotte adds resume-at-the-sentence for each document, removal of headers, page numbers, notes and citation marks, a library you find on your phone with an account, and MP3 download for personal use with Readotte Plus (€3.99 a month). It reads only French and English, doesn't read scanned PDFs and stays free for about 10 minutes a day.
| Edge Read aloud | Readotte | |
|---|---|---|
| Web pages | yes | yes, from a link |
| yes, in Edge's reader | yes, with text, 25 MB maximum | |
| Languages | many | French and English |
| Resume at the sentence | no | yes |
| MP3 file | no | with Readotte Plus, personal use |
| Price | free | free for about 10 min a day, Plus €3.99 a month |
Listen to your document
PDF with selectable text, 25 MB max. Scanned PDFs (images only) are not read yet.
Free, no account: about 10 minutes of listening a day. The text is extracted and read by our servers in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Does Edge's Read aloud work on Mac?
Yes, Edge is available on macOS; the shortcut there is Command+Shift+U.
Why won't Edge read a PDF open in another program?
Edge's Read aloud only works for documents displayed in Edge. Open the PDF with Edge (right-click the file, Open with).
Can I download the audio Edge reads?
Edge reads the text live and doesn't offer an audio file. Readotte Plus lets you get an MP3 of the document, for personal use only.