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How to Enable Text-to-Speech on iPad for Effortless Learning

Learn how to enable text-to-speech on iPad with step-by-step instructions. Turn on spoken content, use speak selection or speak screen, and adjust settings easily.

Voice.ai

September 1, 2025
12 minutes read

Tired of squinting at screens or losing focus halfway through an article? If you’ve ever wondered what is text-to-speech used for, it’s a feature with clear uses across accessibility, studying, and productivity. With tools like Speak Screen, Speak Selection, and VoiceOver acting as a screen reader to let your iPad read aloud, you can listen while working or resting your eyes. This guide shows how to enable text-to-speech on iPad and how to effortlessly turn any text on the device into spoken words, allowing you to learn, focus, and absorb information without the strain of reading.

To help with that, Voice AI’s text-to-speech tool offers easy iPad text-to-speech functionality with natural voices, adjustable speech rates, and straightforward accessibility settings, enabling you to listen to articles, e-books, and notes immediately.

How to Enable Text-to-Speech on iPad

Tap the Settings icon to open the Settings app. Scroll and tap Accessibility. Under Vision, tap Spoken Content. You will see toggles and options for Speak Selection, Speak Screen, Speech Controller, Highlight Content, Typing Feedback, Voices, Speaking Rate, and Pronunciations. Try one toggle at a time so you can feel how each change affects reading and spoken feedback.

Turn on Speak Screen and Speak Selection: Read the Whole Screen or Only What You Choose

Speak Screen reads all readable text on the current screen. Turn the toggle on in Spoken Content, then swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to start reading. Speak Selection reads only the text you highlight, select text, then tap Speak to hear it read aloud.

Use the Speech Controller and Speak on Touch: On-Screen Playback Controls

In Spoken Content, tap Speech Controller and set Show Controller to on. A round controller appears; drag it to any edge of the screen. Tap the controller to expand these buttons:

Play Pause
Forward
Back
Speak on Touch (hand icon)
Speech speed presets
Close

Tap Speak on Touch, then tap or drag your finger on text to hear it. If the controller fades, adjust Idle Opacity to make it easier to see.

Highlight Content: Follow Along as iPad Reads Aloud

Tap Highlight Content and turn it on. Choose Words, Sentences, or Words and Sentences to control what gets highlighted while speech plays. Pick Underline or Background Colour and then set Word Colour or Sentence Colour. Highlighting helps tracking and can improve comprehension when you look away and return to the screen.

Typing Feedback and Predictive Typing: Hear What You Type

Spoken Content lets the iPad speak characters, words, or whole sentences as you type. Turn on the typing options you need for on‑screen or external keyboards. To enable keyboard suggestions, go to Settings > General > Keyboards and flip Predictive on. Toggle the specific typing feedback items in Spoken Content.

Voices, Speaking Rate, and Pronunciations: Tune How the Speech Sounds

Tap Voices to select different voices and dialects; some voices require additional files for higher quality. Drag the Speaking Rate slider to slow down or speed up playback. Use Pronunciations to type or dictate how the device should say a particular name or phrase, then test the custom pronunciation.

Step-by-step: Enable and Use Speak Screen in iOS 17: Clear Numbered Actions

Open Settings and tap Accessibility.
Under Vision tap Spoken Content.
Turn Speak Screen on by tapping its toggle.
To enable on‑screen controls, tap Speech Controller, then set Show Controller to on.
Drag the controller to your preferred edge.
If the controller fades, select Idle Opacity and adjust the slider to control visibility.
To highlight text as it reads, tap Highlight Content, turn it on, then pick Words, Sentences, or both. Choose Underline or Background Colour and set colours.
Activate Speak Screen by swiping down with two fingers from the top of the screen, or by tapping the Play button on the Speech Controller.

Live Speech: Type Text and Speak During Calls or FaceTime

Live Speech allows you to type and have the text spoken aloud during FaceTime or cellular calls. If you create a Personal Voice, Live Speech can use that voice to read entered text.

Open Settings > Accessibility > Live Speech to set up options for typed output during calls and to test your chosen voice.

Listen to a webpage in Safari: Use Listen to Page for Long Articles

Open Safari, load a web article, then tap the leftmost icon in the address bar and choose Listen to Page. Playback starts with the system voice and shows basic controls for pause, skip, and rate. Some websites block the feature, but many news and longform pages work well for hands‑free reading.

Text-to-speech with Shortcuts: Two Ready-Made Automations

Open Shortcuts and search the Gallery for Turn Text Into Audio or Speak Body of Article. Add the shortcut you want. Turn Text Into Audio speaks any text you paste into it. Speak Body of Article grabs the main text from a webpage and reads it; run it from the Share sheet in Safari or Chrome. Use these to convert content to speech without needing to open Spoken Content each time.

Google Read Aloud and Pronunciation Tools: Browser and App Options

In the Google app, open an article and tap the three dots in the top right corner, then select “Read Aloud” to start playback with pause, skip, and speed controls. For single words, search for a word on Google and tap the small speaker icon in the dictionary box to hear pronunciation in the selected language.

Third-Party Text-to-Speech Apps: Extra Voices and Export Options

The App Store hosts many TTS apps that offer voice customization, file export, batch conversion, and advanced pronunciation tools. Look for apps that support audio export if you want MP3 output, and read reviews for voice quality and language support. Test a free version before buying a premium voice pack.

Speak Text in Photos and Select from Images: Read Text Inside Images

With Speak Screen enabled, you can have the iPad read text found in photos or images on the screen. Open the picture or a screenshot and use the standard two‑finger swipe or Speech Controller to start reading recognized text.

Speech Controller Buttons Explained: What Each Control Does

Play Pause starts or pauses speech. Forward moves to the following paragraph or item; Back moves to the previous one. The hand icon activates Speak on Touch, allowing you to tap any item to hear it. Tap the speed button to cycle through 1x, 1.5x, 2x, and 0.5x playback speeds. Close stops speech and removes the controller when Show Controller is off.

Troubleshooting Text-to-Speech Issues: Quick Fixes to Try

Check that Speak Selection or Speak Screen is turned on at Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content. Confirm text is selected correctly when using Speak Selection. Restart the app or update it if TTS fails in a third‑party app.

Reset Spoken Content settings if options act oddly:

Open Spoken Content and choose Reset
Reboot the iPad, reinstall the app, or update iOS if problems persist.
When none of these steps work, contact Apple Support for device‑level diagnostics.

Questions to Try While You Set Things Up

Which voice sounds most natural to you?
Want slower reading for study or faster for multitasking?

Try the Speech Controller, raise or lower the speaking rate, and toggle highlighting to see what helps you read and retain information best.

Advanced Techniques and Third-Party Tools

people using ipad - How to Enable Text to Speech on iPad

Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content is where you enable text-to-speech on iPad. Turn on Speak Selection to have any selected text read aloud, or turn on Speak Screen and swipe down with two fingers to read an entire screen. Use the Speech Controller for quick access, enable Typing Feedback to hear typed characters or words, and add Accessibility Shortcut to toggle spoken content with a triple click of the side or Home button.

Adjust the speaking rate using the slider and set highlighting options to have words or sentences highlighted as they are read. You can also download higher-quality voices for better clarity and prosody.

Customize Voices and Pronunciations to Shape How Your iPad Speaks

Open Spoken Content, tap Voices to pick language and voice, then download the enhanced version for offline use. Use the Pronunciations tool to add a word and its preferred pronunciation so proper names, acronyms, and brand terms sound correct.

Pick regional accents where available and test changes by selecting sample text. Minor pronunciation edits can make a long document sound far more natural and reduce editing time for voiceovers.

When the Built-In Options Hit Limits: What to Look for Next

Apple’s system works well for quick reads and accessibility, but you may need studio-quality voices, exportable audio files, or heavy format support. Look for apps that offer natural-sounding voices, offline playback, file export to MP3 or M4A formats, OCR scanning for paper documents, background audio, and cloud sync with iCloud or Google Drive. Ask yourself whether you need batch conversion, developer APIs, SSML support, or voice cloning before making a purchase.

Voice AI: Professional, Human-Sounding Text-to-Speech for Creators

voice ai - How to Enable Text to Speech on iPad

Stop spending hours on voiceovers or settling for robotic narration. Voice AI delivers natural, human-like voices that capture emotion and personality, suited to content creators, developers, and educators who need professional audio fast.

Choose from a library of AI voices, generate speech in multiple languages, and produce voiceovers that sound real. Use the tool to export audio, speed up production, and keep complete control of tone and delivery. Try Voice AI’s text-to-speech tool for free to compare voice quality and workflow.

Voice Dream Reader: Rich Format Support and Accessibility Features

voice dream- How to Enable Text to Speech on iPad

Voice Dream Reader reads PDFs, plain text, RTF, Google Docs, PowerPoint, web articles, EPUB eBooks, MP3 and MP4 audiobooks, and Bookshare books. It includes a built-in scanner for OCR and reading printed documents, multiple reading styles, and over 30 built-in voices in 27 languages, all at no additional cost.

More than 200 premium voices cover 30 languages and work offline, with background playback even when the screen is locked. The app syncs library, folders, bookmarks, and annotations via iCloud Drive and offers full-text search, text highlighting, auto-scrolling, and optimized VoiceOver and Braille support.

Speak – Speech Synthesizer: Flexible Accent and Recording Controls

speak - How to Enable Text to Speech on iPad

Speak converts text to speech while letting you change accent, language, pitch, and rate. Record screen and audio, then export files for sharing or editing. Background audio allows you to listen while using other apps or when the device is locked.

Save favorite phrases, set repeat counts, and use Slide Over or Split View on iPad. Speak also supports Bluetooth audio and VoiceOver for accessibility.

Speechify: Fast Audiobook-Style Reading with Cloud Sync

speechify - How to Enable Text to Speech on iPad

Speechify turns articles, PDFs, and other documents into interactive audiobooks. It supports scanning of paper documents using a camera and imports content from the web. Choose from HD voices in more than 50 languages and adjust the reading speed to suit your needs.

Sync listening progress across devices and integrate with Google Drive and iCloud for file access. Speechify is strong when you want consistent playback across phone, tablet, and desktop.

Voice Aloud Reader: Broad Language Support and Adjustable Playback

voice aloud reader - How to Enable Text to Speech on iPad

Voice Aloud Reader handles e-books and web pages and offers many language voices, including English, French, Chinese, Italian, Hindi, Dutch, Czech, Turkish, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian, and Swahili.

The app allows you to customize the font and read mode, as well as adjust pitch, volume, and speed to match your listening preferences. Import documents from Files and tweak playback to suit long listening sessions.

Text to Speech: A Simple, Ad-Free Utility for Quick Conversion

Text-to-Speech provides a clean, chat-style interface where you type or paste text and tap “Speak.” It’s free and ad-free, making it ideal for short scripts or testing voice choices. Tap the cog icon to change voice, rate, and other settings. Export controls are minimal, so use this app when you need a fast spoken sample.

Text to Speech: Voice Reader: Export Audio for Projects

Text to Speech: Voice Reader speaks any pasted or imported text and can export spoken output as an MP3 file. Use it when you need audio assets for video tutorials, podcast segments, or walkthroughs. The export feature keeps the workflow simple for creators who prefer to assemble audio in a separate editor.

Text to Speech! by Gwyn Durbridge: Clean Interface and Multiple Formats

This app turns text into spoken audio and supports export in M4A, MP3, WAV, and CAF formats. Save commonly used phrases for quick replay and utilize the straightforward controls to produce audio with ease. Its simplicity makes it useful for educators and people who want repeatable prompts.

Text to Speech PDF Reader: Specialized PDF Narration

This reader focuses on PDF playback and copes with headers, footers, and complex layouts better than generic tools. Import PDFs from Files, adjust speed and pitch, and use the app to read technical documents or reports that include multiple columns or embedded images. The OCR quality and reading flow are crucial when working with scanned manuals.

Voice Aloud Reader: E-Book and Document Reader for On-Device Playback

This version of Voice Aloud Reader will read EPUB, PDF, and RTF after you import files from Files. Select voices and adjust playback speed and highlighting for a steady reading experience. It is helpful for long-form listening and for people who prefer a dedicated e-book reader with speech controls.

Honorable Mentions: Other Tools Worth Checking

honorable mentions - How to Enable Text to Speech on iPad

Speechify reappears here for its high-quality voice options and celebrity voices, available to subscribers. Peech has a polished interface and accepts URLs, PDFs, and Word files for fast conversion. Natural Reader offers very human-like voices and a friendly UI. Text To Speech Natural Voices remembers entries so you can replay long articles.

AIVoice generates audio and can assist with simple video creation. TTS provides an extensive list of classic computer voices and precise playback controls. Speak4me includes an in-app camera scanner for quick document capture.

How to Choose and How Third-Party Tools Complement Apple’s Built-In System

Decide what matters:

Natural prosody
Offline playback
File export
OCR
Cloud sync
Developer APIs

Use Apple’s Speak Selection and Speak Screen for quick accessibility reads and short tasks. Add third-party apps when you need studio-quality voices, exportable MP3s, advanced pronunciation control, or integration with Google Drive and iCloud. Check the App Store for recent reviews, update frequency, and developer responses before you download.

Try our Text-to-Speech Tool for Free Today

Voice AI ends the wait for usable narration. Stop spending hours on voiceovers or settling for robotic-sounding narration. Our text-to-speech tool delivers natural, human-like voices that capture emotion and personality, and it fits content creators, developers, and educators who need professional audio fast.

Choose from an extensive library of AI voices, produce speech in multiple languages, adjust tone and pacing, and export files ready for video editors or e learning. Try our text-to-speech tool for free today and hear the difference quality makes.

How Voice AI and iPad Work Together for Better Audio

Recordings from Voice AI integrate with iPad workflows. Export your generated speech as an MP3 or WAV file, import it into iMovie or GarageBand on your iPad, and align the voiceovers with the footage.

Use Voice AI to produce narration in multiple languages, then test the read-aloud experience on an iPad using Speak Screen to compare native-sounding voice files with built-in voices. Developers can integrate Voice AI output into their apps, and educators can embed produced audio into lesson slides or web pages for accessible listening.

Practical Tips for Content Creators and Educators Using iPad and Voice AI

Generate multiple takes with Voice AI, download them to Files on iPad, and audition them in your editor. For multilingual lessons, create separate tracks for each language and label the files clearly so you can easily swap them during video export.

If you need consistent pacing across a series, set a target speech rate and create voice presets in Voice AI, then match the iPad speech rate in Spoken Content when you proofread.

Want to Try a Real Example Right Now?

Open Settings on your iPad, enable Speak Screen, then load a web article and swipe down with two fingers. While the iPad reads, export a short script from Voice AI, import it into Files, and compare the two voices side by side to choose the right option for your project.