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Read Aloud internet voices aren't loading

Dusty Travis 0 Reputation points
2026-04-28T23:35:13.1966667+00:00

The internet voices on Microsoft Read Aloud have stopped working. How do I get them back?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Dusty Travis 0 Reputation points
2026-05-03T07:21:25.0066667+00:00

After two techs spent five hours unable to fix the problem, I contacted a 3rd tech. She solved the problem in 30 seconds and provided notes in case it happens again. Over the last few days, the voices have been working fine and I'm getting a lot of editing done. I appreciate the problem getting solved.

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  1. Kai-H 17,760 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-01T10:05:17.28+00:00

    Hi, Dusty Travis

    This can happen after a Word or Office update when Word gets stuck using the older built-in Windows voices instead of the online natural voices. Since you are already signed in and have restarted, it may be a local Word voice setting rather than your account.

    Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

    First, open Word and go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now, then test Read Aloud again.

    If that does not help, it is suggested that you check Windows Settings > Time & language > Language & region, open your language options, and make sure Text-to-speech is installed.

    It is also recommended that you try Word for the web or open the document in Microsoft Edge and use Edge’s Read Aloud as a workaround.

    If you are comfortable with advanced steps, back up the Registry first, then rename this value if it exists:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word\Options\ReadAloudSignInErrorCount

    Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article.  

    Reopen Word afterward. This can force Word to rebuild the Read Aloud voice setting.

    Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment."    

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-28T23:35:24.3866667+00:00

    Internet (Neural/Online) voices in Word Read Aloud depend on both a Microsoft 365 sign-in and an active connection to Microsoft’s online speech service. If they stop working or disappear, use these steps:

    1. Confirm Microsoft 365 sign-in
      • In Word, check the top-right corner and make sure the account is signed in with a Microsoft 365 subscription account.
      • If already signed in, sign out, close Word, reopen it, and sign in again.
    2. Check internet connection
      • Make sure the device is online and not blocked by a firewall, VPN, or proxy that might prevent access to Microsoft services.
      • Neural/online voices require a stable internet connection; if offline, Word falls back to local system voices, which sound more robotic.
    3. Restart Word
      • Close all Word windows.
      • Reopen Word and try Read Aloud again from the Review tab.
    4. Verify Read Aloud is available
      • If Read Aloud itself is missing or grayed out, it is usually fixed by:
        • Ensuring the Microsoft 365 account is signed in, then
        • Restarting Word or signing out and back in.
    5. Check language/proofing settings
      • Read Aloud uses the proofing language of the document. If the language is misdetected, voices may not behave as expected.
      • To correct this, follow the guidance in “Fix text-to-speech reading in wrong language” (linked in the references) and ensure the document language is set correctly.

    If Neural/Online voices are still unavailable after these steps, wait a bit and try again, as the online service may be temporarily unavailable. Local system voices (e.g., Microsoft David/Zira/Mark) will continue to work even when online voices are not reachable.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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