READ OUT LOUD MODE DOESN'T WORK

Question

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO USE THE READING OUT LOID MODE FOR MONTHS AND IT JUST DOESN'T WORK.

Answer 1

Hello Lucas Borges,

I'm happy to look into this, but "Read Out Loud" exists in a few different places in Windows and the fix depends on which one you mean. Could you share a bit more so I can point you in the right direction?

• Which app are you using it in — Microsoft Edge on a normal web page, Edge on a PDF, Microsoft Word, or Outlook?
• What exactly happens when you try it — does the Read Aloud button appear but no sound comes out, is the button missing entirely, does it start and stop, or does it show an error?
• Does sound work normally otherwise (e.g. a YouTube video plays with audio on the same PC)?
• Edge version (edge://settings/help) and Windows build (Settings > System > About) would also help narrow it down.

Once I know which feature and what the failure looks like, I can give you a more targeted fix.

Answer 2

In Microsoft 365 apps, Read Aloud depends on several factors: being signed in, having audio working, and using the feature correctly in the specific app.

Try the following checks and steps, in order:

1. Confirm audio works in Windows

• Make sure speakers/headphones are connected and not muted.
• Verify other sounds (for example, a video in a browser) play correctly.

2. Sign in with a Microsoft 365 account

• In Word or Outlook, confirm that a Microsoft 365 account is signed in.
• If signed in, sign out and sign back in, then restart the app.

3. Use Read Aloud correctly in Word

• For Word on the web:
  1. Open the document.
  2. Go to View → Immersive Reader.
  3. Select the Play button at the bottom to start reading.
  4. Use Pause to stop and the arrow at top left to exit Immersive Reader.
• For Word on Android:
  1. Tap the menu icon at the top.
  2. Tap Read Aloud.
  3. Tap Play to start, Pause to stop, Previous/Next to move between paragraphs, and Stop (x) to exit.

4. Adjust Read Aloud / Immersive Reader voice settings

• In Word for the web Immersive Reader:
  1. Select the gear icon at the bottom (Voice Settings).
  2. Adjust Voice Speed and choose Female or Male voice (depending on language availability).
• In Word for Android:
  1. In Read Aloud controls, tap the gear icon.
  2. Under Audio Settings, move the Speech Rate Slider to change speed.

5. Use Speak (reads only selected text)

• In Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, or OneNote on desktop:
  1. Select the text to read.
  2. On the Quick Access Toolbar, select Speak selected text.
  3. If the icon is missing, follow Use the Speak text-to-speech feature to read text aloud to add it.

6. Check language and voices

• Read Aloud uses the proofing language set for the document. If it reads in the wrong language, see Fix text-to-speech reading in wrong language.
• Available voices depend on the platform (built-in OS voices or Microsoft service). For adding or changing voices, see Download voices for Immersive Reader, Read Mode, and Read Aloud.

7. If Read Aloud is missing or not starting

• If Read Aloud does not appear or will not start in Word or Outlook:
  • Ensure sign-in to a Microsoft 365 account.
  • Restart the app.
  • If needed, sign out and sign back in, then restart again.

8. Keyboard shortcuts (if it starts but is hard to control)

• In Outlook on Windows:
  • Ctrl + Alt + Space: Start Read Aloud.
  • Ctrl + Space: Play or pause.
  • Ctrl + Left Arrow: Previous paragraph.
  • Ctrl + Right Arrow: Next paragraph.

If Read Aloud still does not work after these steps, verify that Windows audio devices are enabled and allowed in system sound settings, then try again in Word or Outlook.

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References:

• Listen to your Word documents
• Listen to your Outlook email messages
• NO SOUND DEVICE INSTALLED - Microsoft Q&A
• I don't see an audio input device - Microsoft Q&A
• Natural-sounding Read Aloud voice in Microsoft Word changed by itself to robotic default voices - Microsoft Q&A
• READ ALOUD keeps stopping mid sentence - Microsoft Q&A
• Read Aloud internet voices aren't loading - Microsoft Q&A