Quick Start
This guide covers every Speechify feature:
- Getting Started — Create your account and finish basic setup
- How to Use AI Voice Generator — Turn any written text into natural sounding voices in seconds
- How to Use AI Voice Cloning — Build custom voices from a 30-second recording of your own voice
- How to Use AI Dubbing — Publish digital content in different languages with instant translation
- How to Use Scan & Listen — Read printed text using optical character recognition on mobile devices
- How to Use API Access — Add speech synthesis technology to your own app or workflow
- How to Use Customizable Reading Experience — Control reading speed, skip headers, and set your own playback rules
- How to Use Highlighting and Note-Taking — Follow the voice reader with active highlighting and save key lines
- How to Use Cross-Platform Syncing — Your Speechify library instantly syncs across phone, tablet, and desktop
- How to Use Wide Variety of Voices and Languages — Pick from premium voices, regional accents, and over 30 languages
Time needed: 5 minutes per feature
Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives
Why Trust This Guide
I have used the Speechify app daily for eight months across phone, laptop, and browser.
Every step below comes from my own account, not from a press kit.
Speechify is a text to speech app that reads your documents out loud.
Most people install it, press play, and never touch the rest.
This guide shows you how Speechify handles all nine of its main tools.
Step by step, with screenshots and the settings I actually keep on.
Speechify Tutorial
This How To Use Speechify tutorial walks you from a blank account to voice cloning and dubbing.
Speechify
Listen to any document instead of reading it. Speechify turns pdf files, emails, and word documents into spoken words with high quality ai voices. Start on the free plan and upgrade only if you need premium features.
Getting Started with Speechify
Setup takes about three minutes and one confirmation email.
Here is what my own first week with the tool looked like:
Now let’s walk through each step.
Step 1: Create Your Account
Go to the Speechify website and click Sign Up.
Enter your email, or use the Google login to skip password setup.
✓ Checkpoint: A confirmation email lands in your inbox within a minute.
Step 2: Download Speechify on Your Devices
Download Speechify from the App Store or Google Play for the mobile version.
Add the Chrome extension for the desktop version, which reads all your websites aloud.
The same login covers web, mobile, and browser.
Here is what you get once you are inside:
✓ Checkpoint: Your dashboard shows an empty Speechify library ready for files.
Step 3: Add Your First Document
Paste text, drop in a file, or share a link from your phone.
Speechify accepts pdf files, word documents, EPUBs, and plain Google Docs links.
Press play and pick a voice you can listen to for an hour.
✅ Done: Your account is live and you are ready for any feature below.
How to Use Speechify AI Voice Generator
AI Voice Generator lets you convert written text into a finished audio file.
This is the core voice feature and the reason most people download Speechify.
Step 1: Import Your Text
Open the Speechify app and tap the plus icon.
Paste a passage, upload a document, or point it at a web page.
Step 2: Pick a Voice and Speed
Open the voice picker and audition a few high quality ai voices.
Set reading speed anywhere from 0.5x to 4.5x playback.
Here’s what this looks like:
✓ Checkpoint: The player shows your chosen voice and the estimated reading time.
Step 3: Export the Audio
Tap the download icon to save the narration as an audio file.
Speechify exports in MP3 and WAV audio format for offline use.
✅ Result: Any written text now plays back as spoken words on demand.
💡 Pro Tip: Save MP3s before a flight so you can listen without an internet connection.
How to Use Speechify AI Voice Cloning
AI Voice Cloning lets you build custom voices from a short recording.
Thirty seconds of clean audio is enough for a usable clone.
Step 1: Open AI Voice Studio
Go to Voice Studio in the web dashboard and choose Create Voice.
Read the on-screen script at a normal pace.
Step 2: Record and Train
Record in a quiet room with no background noise or fan hum.
Training finishes in a few minutes.
Here’s what this looks like:
✓ Checkpoint: Your clone appears in the voice list beside the stock premium voices.
Step 3: Assign It to a Document
Select the cloned voice, then play any document in your own voice.
✅ Result: You have a personal narrator for scripts, courses, and drafts.
💡 Pro Tip: Record two samples, one calm and one energetic, then switch by content type.
How to Use Speechify AI Dubbing
AI Dubbing lets you republish digital content in different languages.
Speechify supports over 30 languages, including Spanish, German, and French.
Step 1: Upload Your Source File
Drop a video or audio file into the dubbing tool.
Step 2: Choose the Target Language
Pick your output language and let instant translation run.
The system keeps timing close to the original track.
Here’s what this looks like:
✓ Checkpoint: A preview player appears with the dubbed track loaded.
Step 3: Review and Export
Listen to the full pass before you publish anything.
Fix names and technical terms by editing the source script.
✅ Result: One recording now reaches audiences in several different languages.
💡 Pro Tip: Dub your three best videos first and watch retention before doing the rest.
How to Use Speechify Scanner
Scan & Listen lets you turn printed text into audio with your camera.
It runs on optical character recognition inside the Speechify mobile app.
Step 1: Open the Scanner
Tap the camera icon in the mobile app.
Flatten the page and hold the phone steady above it.
Step 2: Capture the Page
Take the photo and wait for the text layer to appear.
Crop out page numbers and footers before you confirm.
Here’s what this looks like:
✓ Checkpoint: The scanned page opens as an editable document in your library.
Step 3: Press Play
Choose a voice and listen while the app reads the scan aloud.
✅ Result: Paperbacks, letters, and handouts become listenable on mobile devices.
💡 Pro Tip: Scan several pages in one session, since batch scans keep chapter order intact.
How to Use Speechify API Access
API Access lets you put Speechify text to speech inside your own product.
It is the same speech synthesis technology used in the consumer app.
Step 1: Generate an API Key
Open the developer console and create a key for your project.
Step 2: Send Your First Request
Post your text, voice ID, and output format to the speech endpoint.
The response returns audio files you can cache or stream.
Here’s what this looks like:
✓ Checkpoint: Your test call returns a playable clip in under two seconds.
Step 3: Set Usage Limits
Cap characters per user so a single account cannot drain your quota.
✅ Result: Your app can now read aloud without you building a voice engine.
💡 Pro Tip: Cache repeated phrases like menu prompts instead of regenerating them every session.
How to Customize Speechify Reading Experience
Customizable Reading Experience lets you shape how the voice reader behaves.
The free version caps you near 250 words per minute.
Step 1: Open Playback Settings
Tap the speed dial in the player and drag it upward.
The premium version reaches five times the average reading speed.
Step 2: Skip What You Do Not Need
Turn on skip settings for headers, footnotes, and citations.
Academic pdf files become far cleaner to follow.
✅ Result: Playback matches your comprehension instead of fighting it.
💡 Pro Tip: Raise speed by 0.25x each week rather than jumping straight to 3x.
How to Use Speechify Highlighter and Note-Taker
Highlighting and Note-Taking lets you follow the words as they play.
Active highlighting keeps your eyes locked to the sentence being read.
Step 1: Turn On Text Highlighting
Open reader settings and enable highlighting.
Pick a highlight colour that survives dark mode.
Step 2: Save the Lines That Matter
Long-press a sentence to save it as a note.
Use the recap button to summarise long documents into bullet points.
✅ Result: You finish a document with notes already collected.
💡 Pro Tip: Auditory learners retain more when highlighting and audio run together.
How to Use Speechify Cross-Platform Syncing
Cross-Platform Syncing lets you start on a laptop and finish on a phone.
Your Speechify library instantly syncs progress, notes, and voice settings.
Step 1: Sign In Everywhere
Use the same account on web, iOS, Android, and the Chrome extension.
Step 2: Check Your Position
Reopen any file and playback resumes at the exact sentence you left.
Downloads stay on the device, so commutes work without an internet connection.
✅ Result: One queue follows you across every screen you own.
💡 Pro Tip: Send long reads to the app from your browser, then listen during the drive home.
How to Use Speechify Wide Variety of Voices and Languages
Wide Variety of Voices and Languages lets you match the voice to the task.
Premium voices include celebrity voices such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Snoop Dogg.
Step 1: Browse the Voice Library
Filter by language, accent, and gender in the voice menu.
British, American, and Australian English all sit under the same tab.
Step 2: Set a Default Per Language
Assign one voice to English and another to your study language.
Language learners can hear pronunciation in context this way.
✅ Result: Every document opens with a voice that fits its purpose.
💡 Pro Tip: Use a calm voice for study material and a brighter one for news.
Speechify Pro Tips and Shortcuts
After eight months of daily use, these are the settings that earned their place.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Play or pause | Space |
| Skip forward | Right arrow |
| Speed up playback | Shift + Up arrow |
| Read selected text (Chrome) | Alt + R |
Hidden Features Most People Miss
- Recap summaries: Press Recap to compress a long report into bullet points before you listen.
- Auto-scroll: Keeps web pages moving with the voice, so you never touch the scrollbar.
- Voice-to-text dictation: Dictate notes and replies instead of typing them on a phone keyboard.
Speechify Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake #1: Cranking the speed too early
❌ Wrong: Jumping to 4x on day one and retaining almost nothing.
✅ Right: Add 0.25x per week until comprehension starts to slip, then drop back.
Mistake #2: Judging the app on the free plan
❌ Wrong: Testing limited features, then deciding the voices sound flat.
✅ Right: Run the three-day trial so you hear the premium voices before you decide.
Mistake #3: Scanning books in bad light
❌ Wrong: Photographing a curved page under a lamp and getting scrambled text.
✅ Right: Flatten the book, use daylight, and let the scanner grab clean printed text.
Speechify Troubleshooting
Problem: Premium voices load slowly or stutter
Cause: High quality voices stream from the server and need steady bandwidth.
Fix: Download the file for offline playback, or switch to a standard voice temporarily.
Problem: The Chrome extension will not read a page
Cause: The extension cannot reach text inside iframes, canvas viewers, or locked PDF readers.
Fix: Select the text manually and press the listen button, or open the file in the app.
Problem: Your scan comes out as gibberish
Cause: Optical character recognition struggles with glare, shadows, and tilted pages.
Fix: Re-shoot the page flat in daylight and crop tight before confirming.
📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, contact Speechify support from the account menu.
What is Speechify?
Speechify is a text to speech app that converts written text into spoken words.
Think of it as an ai reader that narrates whatever you would otherwise skim.
Cliff Weitzman created Speechify after struggling with dyslexia as a student.
Speechify lets you listen to books, emails, and reports without staring at a screen.
Artificial intelligence handles pronunciation, pacing, and pauses on its own.
It runs on neural speech synthesis, so narration sounds human like rather than robotic.
Watch this quick overview:
It includes these key features:
- AI Voice Generator: Turns documents, emails, and articles into audio files.
- AI Voice Cloning: Creates custom voices from a 30-second sample of your own.
- AI Dubbing: Rebuilds your content in different languages with instant translation.
- Scan & Listen: Reads printed text captured through your phone camera.
- API Access: Puts the same speech engine inside third-party apps.
- Customizable Reading Experience: Adjusts reading speed and skips headers or citations.
- Highlighting and Note-Taking: Tracks each sentence visually while the voice reader plays.
- Cross-Platform Syncing: Keeps progress aligned across web, mobile, and browser.
- Wide Variety of Voices and Languages: Offers realistic voices across 30+ languages and accents.
Avid readers use it to double their weekly page count while walking or driving.
It is also a genuine accessibility tool for dyslexia and low vision.
For a full breakdown, see our Speechify review.
Speechify Pricing
Here is what Speechify costs in 2026:
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Limited | $0/month | Trying the limited free version with standard voices |
| Annual | $11.58/month | Daily users who want premium features at the lowest rate |
| Monthly | $29/month | Short projects, dubbing sprints, or a single busy semester |
Free trial: Yes — three days of full premium access.
Money-back guarantee: Cancel anytime, and the change applies to future charges only.
💰 Best Value: Annual — the same premium features for roughly a third of the monthly rate.
A Speechify premium subscription unlocks offline playback, faster speeds, and more advanced features.
Those additional features include full language access and the complete premium voice catalogue.
Speechify vs Alternatives
How does Speechify compare with the rest of the market?
| Tool | Best For | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speechify | Reading documents aloud daily | $11.58/mo | ⭐ 4.2 |
| ElevenLabs | Most realistic voices | $5/mo | ⭐ 4.6 |
| Murf AI | Studio voiceovers | $19/mo | ⭐ 4.5 |
| Play.ht | Developer voice API | $31/mo | ⭐ 4.4 |
| NaturalReader | Generous free plan | $9.99/mo | ⭐ 4.3 |
| Descript | Podcast and video editing | $19/mo | ⭐ 4.5 |
| Lovo | Video voiceovers | $24/mo | ⭐ 4.3 |
| Speechelo | One-time purchase | $47 once | ⭐ 3.9 |
Quick picks:
- Best overall: Speechify — nothing else reads your whole library this smoothly.
- Best budget: NaturalReader — the strongest free version for students.
- Best for beginners: Speechify — press play and it simply works.
- Best for voiceover work: ElevenLabs — closest thing to human narration on the market.
Looking for Speechify alternatives? Here are the strongest options:
- 🚀 Murf AI: Studio-grade voiceovers with timing controls that beat most speech apps for video work.
- 💰 Play.ht: Deep voice library and a solid API for developers who need bulk audio files.
- 🎨 Lovo: Genny editor pairs ai generated voices with video timelines for marketing teams.
- ⚡ Descript: Edits podcasts by editing text, with Overdub voice cloning built into the timeline.
- 🧠 ElevenLabs: The most human like speech synthesis available right now, especially for emotion.
- 🎯 Listnr: Turns blog posts into podcast feeds automatically, useful for publishers.
- 🎙️ Podcastle: Recording, editing, and cleanup of background noise in one browser tab.
- 🌟 Dupdub: Talking avatars plus voice work, handy for short-form social video.
- 🏢 WellSaid Labs: Enterprise-approved voice avatars with strict licensing for corporate training.
- 🔥 Revoicer: Emotion-based voice picker aimed at ads and sales videos.
- ♿ ReadSpeaker: Website accessibility engine used by universities and government sites.
- 👶 NaturalReader: The closest free plan rival, with a generous browser reader for students.
- 🎬 Altered: Voice-changing and dubbing tuned for film and game studios.
- 💼 Speechelo: One-time payment instead of a subscription, good for occasional projects.
- 🔧 TTS OpenAI: Pay-per-character speech synthesis for developers building their own tools.
- 📊 Hume: Reads emotional tone and replies with matching delivery, strong for research.
For the full list, see our Speechify alternatives guide.
⚔️ Speechify Compared
Here is how Speechify stacks up against each competitor:
- Speechify vs Murf AI: Murf wins on voiceover production. Speechify wins for reading long documents aloud every day.
- Speechify vs Play.ht: Play.ht has broader API pricing tiers. Speechify has the better mobile app and scanner.
- Speechify vs Lovo: Lovo suits video editors. Speechify suits readers who want text to speech everywhere.
- Speechify vs Descript: Descript edits media. Speechify consumes it, turning pdf files and articles into audio.
- Speechify vs ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs sounds more realistic. Speechify handles whole libraries, not single clips.
- Speechify vs Listnr: Listnr publishes podcasts from posts. Speechify reads all your websites on demand.
- Speechify vs Podcastle: Podcastle records audio. Speechify reads existing written text you already own.
- Speechify vs Dupdub: Dupdub focuses on avatars. Speechify focuses on reading speed and comprehension.
- Speechify vs WellSaid Labs: WellSaid serves enterprise brand voices. Speechify serves individual speechify users.
- Speechify vs Revoicer: Revoicer targets ad copy. Speechify targets books, emails, and word documents.
- Speechify vs ReadSpeaker: ReadSpeaker is bought by institutions. Speechify is bought by individual readers.
- Speechify vs NaturalReader: NaturalReader offers more in its free version. Speechify offers better premium voices.
- Speechify vs Altered: Altered is a studio tool. Speechify is a daily ai reader for commuters.
- Speechify vs Speechelo: Speechelo costs less once. Speechify updates constantly and syncs across mobile devices.
- Speechify vs TTS OpenAI: TTS OpenAI needs code. Speechify works out of the box for non-developers.
- Speechify vs Hume: Hume reads emotion. Speechify reads volume, chewing through long reading time faster.
Start Using Speechify Now
You now know how to use Speechify across every major tool it ships with:
- ✅ AI Voice Generator
- ✅ AI Voice Cloning
- ✅ AI Dubbing
- ✅ Scan & Listen
- ✅ API Access
- ✅ Customizable Reading Experience
- ✅ Highlighting and Note-Taking
- ✅ Cross-Platform Syncing
- ✅ Wide Variety of Voices and Languages
Next step: Pick one feature and try it today.
Most speechify users start with AI Voice Generator and a single PDF.
Install Speechify today and give it five minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I use Speechify?
Create an account, add text by pasting, uploading, or scanning, then press play. Pick a voice, set your reading speed, and listen on any device.
Is Speechify really free?
Yes, the Limited plan costs $0/month with standard voices and speeds near 250 words per minute. Premium voices and offline audio files need a paid plan.
How to use Speechify on PDF?
Upload the PDF into the app or open it in the Chrome extension. Speechify reads pdf files aloud and lets you skip headers, footnotes, and citations.
How to get the most out of Speechify?
Raise reading speed gradually, turn on text highlighting, and use Recap for long reports. Download audio files before travel so playback survives a lost connection.
What are the disadvantages of Speechify?
There is no human narration, premium voices sometimes load slowly, and billing runs annually rather than monthly. Very high speeds can also hurt comprehension.
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