Online tools New Zealand
Text to Speech Reader
Hearing text read aloud helps with proofreading, long articles and accessibility. This reader uses the speech voices built into your browser and operating system, shows the Australian and New Zealand English ones first, and keeps the text on your device. Built for New Zealand users, with nothing sent to a server.
Free, no signup Runs in your browser
Status
βVoices on this device
β
Notes
How do I make my computer read text aloud?
Paste your text, choose a voice, set the speed and press Speak. Your browser uses the text-to-speech voices installed on your device, so what you hear depends on the device: Windows, macOS, iOS and Android all include English voices, and many include Australian and New Zealand accents. Nothing is sent to a server.
Why listen to text
Reading text aloud helps catch errors your eye skips, so many writers proofread by listening. It also helps people with dyslexia or low vision, lets you take in an article while doing something else, and helps people learning English connect the written and spoken word.
Browsers and operating systems also have built-in readers, but a page like this one is quicker for pasted text.
Accents and languages
Australian and New Zealand English voices are listed first when your device has them. Voices for other languages are listed too, and the pronunciation follows the voice's language, so choose a voice that matches your text. Place names and MΔori or Aboriginal words are often mispronounced by English voices.
To check the length of your text first, use the word counter.
How this is calculated
The rule, step by step, so you can check any figure by hand.
the page asks the browser's speech synthesis service for the voices installed on your deviceyour text is queued as an utterance with the voice, speed, pitch and volume you setthe device's own engine speaks it; no audio file is made or sent
The voices are not part of this website: they are installed on your device, so the choice and quality vary. Phones and recent operating systems tend to have natural-sounding neural voices, while older desktops have flatter ones. If you want an Australian or New Zealand accent, look for voices tagged en-AU or en-NZ; if none appear, your system language packs may need installing.
Because the speech comes from the device, the tool cannot produce a downloadable audio file. To record the output, use a screen or audio recorder.
A worked example
A 500-word article read at normal speed.
- Words500
- Speaking time at about 150 words a minuteabout 3 minutes 20 seconds
- At speed 1.5about 2 minutes 15 seconds
A three-minute listen.
Speed is a multiplier of the voice's normal rate.
Privacy
The text is spoken by your device and is not uploaded. Some browsers use cloud voices, though, and in that case the text may leave your device, so check your browser's settings if the text is sensitive. This matters for the Privacy Act 2020 when it contains other people's details.
What it leaves out
No download, no highlighting of the word being spoken and no pronunciation dictionary. Very long text may be cut off by some browsers, so read long documents in parts.
What this calculator does not do
- Voices depend on your device and browser
- No audio download
- Some browsers use cloud voices
- Very long text may stop early
Common questions
Is my text sent to a server?
Not by this page. Some browsers use online voices, so check yours for sensitive text.
Why are there no Australian voices?
They depend on your device. Add language voices in your system settings.
Can I download the audio?
No. The device speaks it live. Use a recorder to capture it.
Why does it stop part-way?
Some browsers limit long utterances. Read the text in sections.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, on most phones.
Where these numbers come from
- MDN β Web Speech API How browsers provide speech synthesis
- Australian Government β digital accessibility Guidance on accessible digital services
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner New Zealand's privacy regulator, for the Privacy Act 2020
Method last reviewed 2026-10-28 This calculator uses fixed rules rather than rates that change, and its method is re-checked against the sources above at least once a year. Out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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