The Macintosh computer can generate an artifical speaking voice. This can be used to read words out loud. Here's how:
- Open a text document, e-mail message, or webpage (that is, any document that contains words )
- Select/highlight* a phrase, sentence, paragraph, or the complete text
- Click on the menu to the left of the File menu (it will be the name of the application used to produce that document)
- Click Services
- Click Speech
- Click Start Speaking Text
- Wait. (This could take up to 30 seconds)
- The computer will speak, out loud, the words you have highlighted.
*If you are not sure how to select/highlight, see our Short Stuff Presentation How to select
It does not work this way in Appleworks. However, you can can set up Appleworks to read by adding the speech button to the Button Bar, as follows:
Open Appleworks
- In the Appleworks menu, select Preferences, and then Button Bar
- A list of possible "buttons" is shown; some of these are illustrated in the next picture:
- Move down to "Word Processing" and click on small triangle to the left
- Then click on Speak Text (Red Lips)
- Drag the red lips icon to the Appleworks Button Bar (shown faintly above because already moved)
- Open a (word processing) document in Appleworks
- Select all of the words, or only that portion you want read, and press the red lips button
- The computer's synthetic voice will read the words out loud
