What is Chrome?
Chrome is a web browser developed by Google. It is the default web browser for many operating systems.
Google Chrome supports various text to speech tts extensions for its users who wish to listen to written texts on websites.
How Can You Install Google Chrome?
If you want to install and use Google Chrome on macOS:
- Go to the Google Chrome website and click the “Download Chrome” button
- If the download does not start automatically after clicking the button, click the “download Chrome manually” button by right-clicking on the mouse
- Open the “googlechrome.dmg” file from the downloads list at the bottom left corner of the page
- Drag and drop Chrome to the Applications folder. You might be asked to enter the admin password
- Open the LaunchPad, type Chrome, and launch the app
- If you want to install and use Google Chrome on Windows:
- Go to the Google Chrome website and click the “Download Chrome” button
- If prompted, click Run or Save.
- If you choose Save, to start the installation, either: double-click the download or click “open file”
- If you’re asked, “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device,” click “Yes”
- Start Chrome:
- Windows 7: A Chrome window opens once everything is done.
- Windows 8 & 8.1: A welcome dialog appears. Click Next to select your default browser.
- Windows 10 & 11: A Chrome window opens after everything is done
What are the Best Text-to-Speech Chrome Extensions?
All you need is an internet connection and the right extension. Some features to look for in a TTS extension are the ability to support multiple languages, male and female voices, a wide range of speaking styles, and the ability to customize the extension to fit your needs.
The 7 most commonly used and most preferred high-quality Google Chrome extensions can be listed as:
- Natural Reader
- Read Aloud
- Talkie
- Snap&Read
- Capti Voice
- Speechify
- Readme
1. Natural Reader
Natural Reader is a free text-to-speech Chrome extension on Chrome that lets you control text-to-speech playback and manage settings from a widget, with customizable options.
What Natural Reader provides:
- The OCR function that reads texts from images and PDF files
- Option for adding background music to the text to speech
- Assistive features for dyslexic users
What Natural Reader does not provide:
- Skipping text portions or quickly jumping around
- Offline access in the free version
2. Read Aloud
Read Aloud is an open-source, AI-powered text-to-speech software with multiple capabilities, in short, a text-to-speech voice reader. There are both free and paid versions of the software. Read Aloud has around four million downloads on Chrome Web Store, so it’s definitely a popular TTS browser extension for Chrome.
What Read Aloud provides:
- Up to 40 different languages
- Support of most websites such as blogs, news, and eBooks
- Navigation via easy shortcut keys
- Option to change the reading pitch, speed, and volume
- Skipping and jumping through the texts options
- Read Aloud can read different formats like Google Docs, blog posts, PDFs, Amazon Kindle, Google Play Books, etc.
What Read Aloud does not provide:
- Version for uploading PDFs, documents, or scan books
- Option to change the default voice in the free version
3. Talkie
Talkie text-to-speech is an application for users who have difficulty understanding their own spoken words.
The Chrome extension allows for both text-to-speech and speech-to-text translation, which is useful for many people with speech and language disorders.
What Talkie provides:
- Translation of English text to speech words into other languages
- Option to create your own shortcut tiles on the dashboard to automatically read a phrase of your choosing aloud
What Talkie does not provide:
- Full access to the features in the free version
4. Snap&Read
Snap&Read is one of the best free text-to-speech Chrome extensions catering to students in schools and universities that you can use on the browser.
What Snap&Read provides:
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Screen Shot reading support that also translates into your native language
- Simply tool changes a difficult word into a simple one.
- Option to translate more than 100 languages
- Uploading PDF files to read aloud
What Snap&Read does not provide:
- Full access to the features in the free version
5. Capti Voice
Capti Voice is text-to-speech software that provides students with the best reading and writing tools for their study as its main goal.
What Capti Voice provides:
- Reading and recognizing texts in 26 languages
- The translation is available in multiple languages
- 100 languages supported in Chrome extension version
- Accent options for major languages
- Shortcuts that help you navigate quickly and enhance your productivity
What Capti Voice does not provide:
- Support exporting audio files
6. Speechify
Speechify is a text-to-speech application/plugin with a wide variety of engaging premium voices and an easy-to-navigate platform, largely due to its immersive Reader function that helps users stay on track when reading documents, papers, or more. It should be easy to install and navigate, but beginner’s tutorials are available online.
What Speechify provides:
- 30 different voice options
- OCR functionality to extract texts from images, pdfs, and eBooks
- A clear voice that increases the comprehension level of the users
- Available for Mac OS and Android and iOS/ apple devices
- Default voice options like IBM Watson, Google Wavenet, Microsoft, and Amazon Polly
- Allows to record podcasts and is most preferred for Gmail
What Speechify does not provide:
- Full access to the features in the free version
7. Readme
Readme is a Chrome extension text-to-speech that utilizes advanced deep learning techniques to read the aloud selected text on your browser with a click of a button.
You don’t have to leave the webpage you are on to utilize a text-to-speech function.
What Readme provides:
- Support of more than 40 languages
- Many different voice options
- Option to upload PDFs, epub, Docx, or any text you want to listen to.
- Option to change the reading speed, pitch, and volüme
What Readme does not provide:
- Full access to the features in the free version
