Free text-to-speech · by Ajay Alle
Uttr reads text out loud, anywhere. Highlight words in Word, a PDF, an email or any website, and Uttr speaks them in a natural voice, at the speed you like.
How it works
Using the browser extension? Skip step 2. It starts reading as soon as you select.
Two ways to use Uttr
Works in every app on your PC
Select text in Word, a PDF, Outlook, Slack, Chrome or anything else, press Ctrl+Alt+R, and a small bar appears at the bottom of your screen and reads it to you.
Reads any website the moment you select
No shortcut needed: highlight a sentence on any web page and Uttr starts reading straight away. Perfect for articles, blogs, news and study material.
Your speed, your way
Pick any speed from 0.5× to 2× in Settings, or tap the speed button on the bar while Uttr is reading. It changes straight away, carries on from the same word, and Uttr remembers it for next time.
Features
Word, Excel, PDFs, Outlook, Gmail, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Notion, and every website.
A small bar shows what's happening, and it never steals focus from your work.
Pause and resume, and Uttr carries on from the exact word it stopped at.
Anywhere from 0.5× to 2×. Slow down to learn, or speed up to skim.
Use any voice installed on your computer, male or female, in many languages.
Don't like Ctrl + Alt + R? Record any key combination in Settings. It works instantly.
No account, no tracking, no ads. Speech is made on your own device.
Whole articles and reports are split into natural sentences and read smoothly to the end.
The Windows app quietly installs new versions, so you always have the latest.
Where you can use it
Listen to notes, textbooks, PDFs and research papers. Hearing and reading together helps things stick.
Let long emails, reports and documents read themselves while you rest your eyes or take notes.
Hear your own writing out loud. Awkward sentences and missing words jump right out.
Hear how words and sentences are really pronounced, at a slower speed if you like.
Helpful for dyslexia, low vision, ADHD, and anyone who finds listening easier than reading.
News, blogs, Wikipedia, recipes and long articles, read aloud as soon as you highlight them.
Works with apps like
How to use
Uttr-Setup.exe.
| I want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Read text | Select it, press Ctrl+Alt+R |
| Read something else | Select the new text, press the shortcut again |
| Stop | Esc, the shortcut again, or ■ on the bar |
| Pause / resume | ⏸ / ▶ on the bar, which resumes from the same word |
| Faster / slower | Click the 1× button on the bar |
| Change shortcut, voice, speed | Click the Uttr icon near the clock to open Settings |
| Start with Windows | Turn it on in Settings → General |
| Check for updates | Right-click the Uttr icon → Check for updates |
| Uninstall | Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Uttr → Uninstall |
uttr.zip and unzip it (right-click → Extract All on Windows, double-click on Mac).uttr folder somewhere permanent, like Documents. Don't delete it later, because your browser loads Uttr from it.chrome://extensions (or edge://extensions) in the address bar.uttr folder.Uttr isn't in the Chrome Web Store yet, which is why it's installed this way. One-click store versions are coming.
| I want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Read text | Select it with your mouse |
| Stop | Esc, or the Uttr icon → Stop reading |
| Pause auto-reading | Uttr icon → switch Auto-read off |
| Faster / slower | Uttr icon → Speed slider (0.5× to 2×) |
| Change voice | Uttr icon → Voice |
| Re-read the same text | Click away to deselect, then select it again |
FAQ
Yes. Both the Windows app and the browser extension are completely free, with no ads.
No. Uttr uses the voices built into your computer and browser, so your text stays on your device. There's no account, tracking or analytics. The Windows app only connects to GitHub to check for updates. (Some browser voices marked "Google" or "Online" are provided by your browser over the internet. Pick a different voice to keep everything offline.)
Windows shows that screen for any new app that isn't signed with a paid code-signing certificate. Click More info → Run anyway. Uttr's complete source code is public on GitHub for anyone to check.
When you press the shortcut, Uttr briefly copies your selection (like pressing Ctrl+C), reads it, and then puts your clipboard back exactly as it was. Nothing is stored.
Yes. Click the Uttr icon near the clock, then Change under Activation shortcut, and press any combination that includes Ctrl, Alt or the Windows key. If another app already uses it, Uttr will tell you.
On Windows, go to Settings → Time & language → Speech → Add voices. New voices then appear in Uttr's voice list.
A few places don't allow copying, such as password fields, some protected documents, and apps running "as administrator". Everything else should work.
Not yet. The browser extension works on Mac in Chrome, Edge and Brave today. A Mac app and an Android version are on the roadmap.
A Firefox version is ready and on its way to Firefox Add-ons. Safari isn't supported yet.
Windows app: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Uttr → Uninstall. Extension: open chrome://extensions, click Remove on Uttr, then delete the uttr folder.
Free. Private. Takes two minutes.