Natural-sounding Read Aloud voice in Microsoft Word changed by itself to robotic default voices

Question

Natural-sounding Read Aloud voice in Microsoft Word changed by itself to robotic default voices

Lillian Folk 30

The voice my Word uses for "Read Aloud" document review changed by itself. The old voice was pleasant and natural-sounding; the new voice is monotone and robotic. The voice options within Word (Microsoft Zira, Microsoft David, Microsoft Mark) are just as awful. I'm using the Read Aloud function for hours at a time in the process of editing a novel, so this is important to me!

How can I get the old voice back, and how can I prevent this from happening again? (I had the same problem about six months ago and it just fixed itself after a few days, but this time it has persisted for over two weeks.) I am a writer, not a techie, so I would really appreciate instructions at the "For Dummies" level!

TIA.

Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

nurnen moonrunner 5 Reputation points

2025-10-14T21:48:16.9833333+00:00

I have this same issue, but this solution did not work for me. I navigated to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options but there is no "ReadAloudSignInErrorCount" that list. Help!
James D Hawkins 0 Reputation points

2025-11-24T05:15:18.2533333+00:00

Thank You that regedit worked first try.
Mysterio Hunter 0 Reputation points

2026-04-16T18:37:48.8933333+00:00

And what happens when there is no options folder at all? Because I added an Options folder and ReadAloudSignInErrorCount and it doesn't work.
Greg B 0 Reputation points

2026-04-24T20:18:48.1133333+00:00

THank you! THat fixed it. I tried all sorts of other techniques!
Charles Kenyon 167.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-24T21:54:09.46+00:00

@Mysterio Hunter

This is an old question and your question is lost among the comments. If this is still a problem for you, I suggest posting your own question with your own details. See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5677122/(article)-how-to-ask-a-question-in-the-q-a-forums. You will get the quickest and best answers to your own problem that way. You can include a link back here if you want to let people know you've seen the Regedit suggestion here.

Answer recommended by moderator

Paulo GM 65,810 Independent Advisor

Hi Lillian,

It seems there’s an issue with the latest version, and several users have reported experiencing the same problem. Many of them have suggested the following fix:

Close Microsoft Word
Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter
Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options
Look for the value ReadAloudSignInErrorCount
Right-click and rename it (e.g., add -1 to the end).
Close the editor, restart Word and test if the Read Aloud works properly

Lillian Folk 30 Reputation points

2025-10-08T21:08:59.3166667+00:00

Worked perfectly! Thank you so much! :)
Paulo GM 65,810 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-10-08T21:14:00.0333333+00:00

You're very welcome! I'm glad it worked. :)
Katherine Githens 0 Reputation points

2025-10-08T22:43:41.59+00:00

I just had the same issue. This worked perfectly! (Note for others who do not much about computers, the "Win" Key is the four squares.) Thanks so much!!!
Mark Holtebeck 0 Reputation points

2025-10-09T00:26:29.8166667+00:00

What do I rename as
Joe Ippolito 0 Reputation points

2025-10-09T20:31:42.9233333+00:00

This absolutely was the fix! Very simple and straightforward. THANKS!
NAM More 0 Reputation points

2025-10-10T10:46:16.49+00:00

Thank you so much, I am much obliged. The mechanical voices were driving me crazy.
Colin Thew 0 Reputation points

2025-10-13T09:11:28.14+00:00

Thank you for your wonderful help. This issue has also been plaguing and frustrating me of late. Hopefully my chosen read aloud voice will remain as I set it. I are also a writer and spend a lot of time using the read aloud function. Cheers, Colin
Kasey Connor 0 Reputation points

2025-10-14T18:03:11.3933333+00:00

Didn't work for me
Kasey Connor 0 Reputation points

2025-10-14T18:18:42.32+00:00

I tried it again and it worked. Doh, I never hit enter and just closed it without hitting enter. I'll stick to writing, not technology :) Thanks for the fix. Much appreciated.
Colin Thew 0 Reputation points

2025-10-14T20:42:20.0433333+00:00

Thank you for your wonderful help. This issue has also been plaguing and frustrating me of late. Hopefully my chosen read aloud voice will remain as I set it. I are also a writer and spend a lot of time using the read aloud function. Cheers, Colin
Betty Hayes (Ldy Julanna) 0 Reputation points

2025-10-15T03:17:48.89+00:00

You are awesome! Iwrite for relaxation use the read aloud function help me and it's I have gotten used to the more natural voices and so to turn on read aloud and find the more robotic monotone voice reading my documents is jarring. Thank you for the fix.
Anonymous

2025-10-16T13:59:25.66+00:00

Perfect! I wonder why the glitch happened in the first place?
Wendy Perrin-Waite (Student) 0 Reputation points

2025-10-18T04:09:30.3866667+00:00

I also noticed this problem about a week ago and thought I was imagining things! I've returned to the function today and couldn't stand the new voices. Thank you so much for the fix.
mre 5 Reputation points

2025-11-16T18:12:30.3533333+00:00

This worked - thank you so much!
Smita Manilal 10 Reputation points

2026-04-08T06:32:31.63+00:00

Voice reset to a natural sounding tone. Thanks so much.
NitaCat 0 Reputation points

2026-04-24T13:32:36.9266667+00:00

It worked for a couple days then after 4/22 it went back to the robotic voice. Everytime I place a -1 in the value it tells me it already exists. Now what?

2 additional answers

nurnen moonrunner 5 Reputation points

2025-10-14T21:48:16.9833333+00:00

I have this same issue, but this solution did not work for me. I navigated to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options but there is no "ReadAloudSignInErrorCount" that list. Help!
James D Hawkins 0 Reputation points

2025-11-24T05:15:18.2533333+00:00

Thank You that regedit worked first try.
Mysterio Hunter 0 Reputation points

2026-04-16T18:37:48.8933333+00:00

And what happens when there is no options folder at all? Because I added an Options folder and ReadAloudSignInErrorCount and it doesn't work.
Greg B 0 Reputation points

2026-04-24T20:18:48.1133333+00:00

THank you! THat fixed it. I tried all sorts of other techniques!
Charles Kenyon 167.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-24T21:54:09.46+00:00

@Mysterio Hunter

This is an old question and your question is lost among the comments. If this is still a problem for you, I suggest posting your own question with your own details. See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5677122/(article)-how-to-ask-a-question-in-the-q-a-forums. You will get the quickest and best answers to your own problem that way. You can include a link back here if you want to let people know you've seen the Regedit suggestion here.
Lillian Folk 30 Reputation points

2025-10-08T21:08:59.3166667+00:00

Worked perfectly! Thank you so much! :)
Paulo GM 65,810 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-10-08T21:14:00.0333333+00:00

You're very welcome! I'm glad it worked. :)
Katherine Githens 0 Reputation points

2025-10-08T22:43:41.59+00:00

I just had the same issue. This worked perfectly! (Note for others who do not much about computers, the "Win" Key is the four squares.) Thanks so much!!!
Mark Holtebeck 0 Reputation points

2025-10-09T00:26:29.8166667+00:00

What do I rename as
Joe Ippolito 0 Reputation points

2025-10-09T20:31:42.9233333+00:00

This absolutely was the fix! Very simple and straightforward. THANKS!
NAM More 0 Reputation points

2025-10-10T10:46:16.49+00:00

Thank you so much, I am much obliged. The mechanical voices were driving me crazy.
Colin Thew 0 Reputation points

2025-10-13T09:11:28.14+00:00

Thank you for your wonderful help. This issue has also been plaguing and frustrating me of late. Hopefully my chosen read aloud voice will remain as I set it. I are also a writer and spend a lot of time using the read aloud function. Cheers, Colin
Kasey Connor 0 Reputation points

2025-10-14T18:03:11.3933333+00:00

Didn't work for me
Kasey Connor 0 Reputation points

2025-10-14T18:18:42.32+00:00

I tried it again and it worked. Doh, I never hit enter and just closed it without hitting enter. I'll stick to writing, not technology :) Thanks for the fix. Much appreciated.
Colin Thew 0 Reputation points

2025-10-14T20:42:20.0433333+00:00

Thank you for your wonderful help. This issue has also been plaguing and frustrating me of late. Hopefully my chosen read aloud voice will remain as I set it. I are also a writer and spend a lot of time using the read aloud function. Cheers, Colin
Betty Hayes (Ldy Julanna) 0 Reputation points

2025-10-15T03:17:48.89+00:00

You are awesome! Iwrite for relaxation use the read aloud function help me and it's I have gotten used to the more natural voices and so to turn on read aloud and find the more robotic monotone voice reading my documents is jarring. Thank you for the fix.
Anonymous

2025-10-16T13:59:25.66+00:00

Perfect! I wonder why the glitch happened in the first place?
Wendy Perrin-Waite (Student) 0 Reputation points

2025-10-18T04:09:30.3866667+00:00

I also noticed this problem about a week ago and thought I was imagining things! I've returned to the function today and couldn't stand the new voices. Thank you so much for the fix.
mre 5 Reputation points

2025-11-16T18:12:30.3533333+00:00

This worked - thank you so much!
Smita Manilal 10 Reputation points

2026-04-08T06:32:31.63+00:00

Voice reset to a natural sounding tone. Thanks so much.
NitaCat 0 Reputation points

2026-04-24T13:32:36.9266667+00:00

It worked for a couple days then after 4/22 it went back to the robotic voice. Everytime I place a -1 in the value it tells me it already exists. Now what?

Answer 1

Lissa Renouf 5

the ReadAloudSignInErrorCount option does not exist in my system. what is the correct value for it as I need this Read Aloud option for editing a manuscript

0 comments

Answer 2

Joan Brescia 5

that option was already there. once without the -1 and once with it. I changed the one without but it remained robotic

0 comments

Share via

Natural-sounding Read Aloud voice in Microsoft Word changed by itself to robotic default voices

2 additional answers