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Text to speech using Microsoft Word


Enable text to speech using Microsoft Word 2010 and newer version.

This guide below will enable text to speech of Microsoft Word which is partly hidden deep on the Word options.

This guide will be the same procedure on how to enable this option on Outlook, Power Point and Excel.

If you feel tired of reading, but need to read a particular document.

Well, let the Word read it for you. 

Sometimes listening is much better than reading.

If you disagree, then just keep it to yourself. As ice cream has many flavors, different persons from different walk of life have also its own set of liking.

Anyway, once you purchase a Microsoft Office. It would be better to make use this feature since you had paid for it.

Screen shot below was taken using Microsoft Word 2010.

Click on “File” and on the drop down menu, click on “options”.



 Then a new window will open. 

Click on "Customize Ribbon".



Click on the small "drop down arrow",  VBA programmers call it combo box. Android programmers call it spinner. Anyway, whatever its called just click on it and select "All Commands".



After selecting "All Commands" drag the small "rectangle" until you find the word "Speak".



When you find the word "Speak", click on it. And upon clicking on it, the "Add" button will be enabled.


Don't click the  "Add" button first, if you click on it Word will throw an error "Commands can only be added to custom groups".

The error has already given a clue that to add a custom ribbon, you need to add a custom group.

Select the "Main User" tab and click on "New Group".



After clicking on "New Group" right click on the newly added group. To rename the group to something else. Name the group according to its function, it would make sense to name it according to its usage.



A new window will pop up, type the name of the group and click on "OK".


After clicking "OK", click the "OK" button once more and the  "Speak" option is already added.



Click on "OK" button to exit from the Word options.

And now the moment of truth, type anything on the word document .

After typing highlight what you type and click on the "Speak" button on the upper left corner.

But of course make sure speaker is ON and volume is not muted.

If everything is setup properly then you will be able to hear that Microsoft Word is reading aloud what has been highlighted.


Well, hope it helps. You can use this feature if you're tired of staring at the screen of your computer and you just want to hear or listen to the document.

Cheers!! If you find it useful..please drop a comment. :)


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