Read any text aloud using your system's built-in voices. Choose from dozens of languages and voices, adjust speed, and listen hands-free.
Getting Started
- Launch DeskNarrator
- Select a language and voice from the dropdowns at the top
- Type or paste text into the input area
- Click the large read-aloud button — or double-press Option from anywhere
Voice Selection
- Choose a language first — the voice list filters automatically
- Voices are displayed as: Name – Gender – Language
- Available voices depend on what is installed in your system (System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content)
Speed Control
- Adjust the slider between 50 and 500 words per minute
- Click the turtle icon to slow down by 10 WPM, or the rabbit icon to speed up
- Speed can be changed during playback
History
- Past narrations are saved automatically (up to 100 entries)
- Duplicate text + voice combinations are deduplicated
- Click a history item to load it back into the input area
- Double-click to load and play immediately
- Clear individual items or the entire history
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|
| Show / Hide window | Ctrl + Cmd + F8 |
| Toggle read aloud | Double-press Option |
Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|
| Language | Voice language | System language |
| Voice | System TTS voice | System default |
| Rate | Speech speed (50–500 WPM) | 200 |
| Auto-start | Start reading automatically when text is set | On |
Privacy
- All speech synthesis runs locally using your system voices
- No text is sent to any external server
- History is stored only on your local disk