It is good to know that text can be generated from voice regardless of language differences. The Text-to-Speech tool is the easiest way to get your hands on speaking text by using software that you download or by using a website that can generate audio files which you then save into a computer program, edit, convert into mp3, etc.
Basically these softwares are FREE while some are “almost free”. But it depends on what you want and the quality of what you want. Beloware selected best quality softwares that are FREE and “almost free”. Let us dive right in!
Native Text-to-Speech Feature
This first entry on our list is powered by Google and it comes with a 4.3-star Play Store rating. It is undoubtedly one of the best text to speech apps anyone can use to read out text displayed on a smartphone screen.
TK Solution – Text to Speech (TTS)
Moreover, it works quite well with other Google-owned apps you can find on most people’s smartphones such as Google Maps, Chrome, etc. Note, however, that when you lock your smartphone screen, the Native text-to-speech feature will be automatically disabled.
So you want to download the best text to speech apps?! Then you should know that with this latest Text to Speech app version, you can convert text into speech quite effortlessly. All you have to do is input the text and allow the TK Solution app to read it aloud for you.
You can expect all your text to be converted into audible & clear speech formats that you won’t have any problems with understanding. Moreover, this handy tool can function in offline mode.
Talk FREE
Once you have installed the Talk FREE app, you can make your smartphone say anything you type out in multiple major languages. With a 4.4 out of 5-star Google Play rating, it is yet another strong contender for the best text to speech app Android users must have in 2020.
Moreover, this brilliant application will read web pages aloud and save your preferred audio files in a secure location on your device so you can always listen to them later. You can also use the app’s interface to access other trendy text formats on the internet.
Narrator’s Voice
Let’s now introduce you to Narrator’s Voice; one of the best text to speech apps we’ve sampled recently. This brilliant app will enable you to create & share creative and fun audio messages using any of the preset voices available on the software program.
You can expect to find lots of pleasant narrative voices done in multiple languages. Narrator’s Voice is already popular for being a top TTP app without any default regular voice settings since its reading voices can be manipulated easily.
iSpeech Translator
The human quality that comes with the iSpeech Translator tool has helped it to rank among the best text to speech apps that are currently available on cyberspace. This handy tool is a must-have if you’re looking to hear and translate digital words, phrases, or sentences including SMS or emails into multiple languages.
You can expect to find sponsored ads on this free software but you could always upgrade to the premium app version if you wish to remove them. You can even copy and paste translated text from the iSpeech app for use on other digital platforms.
T2S: Text to Voice
A PDF/text file opener, a converter for text files into audio versions, along with an inbuilt web browser are some of the features you can expect to find on T2S Text to Voice; one of the best text to speech apps developed for mobile systems.
This remarkable TTS app will automatically convert and read out any text you input. It’s also highly customizable so you can choose to adjust the speech output to your taste.
This is Pocket; a brilliant app that can best be described as one of the best text-to-speech apps for foremost Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac systems. More than fourteen million people around the world already use the Pocket app to capture and read website articles aloud.
You can also use Pocket to adjust the speech speed, enable sleep or night modes for nocturnal users, and even have your documents read aloud to you in offline mode.
Google’s Voice Access
With this latest Voice Access apk, you have yet another one of the best text-to-speech apps for Android devices on this list that’s powered by Google. It can also be enabled via voice commands.
You only have to speak the following voice command “Ok Google”, “Start Voice Access” to prompt the Voice Access program to begin listening for your translation commands.
Google Docs Voice Typing
Most writers rely on Google Docs everyday, so if you need a free yet powerful dictation tool, consider using Google’s Voice Typing tool. Not only does it let you type with your voice on Google Docs, but you can also leverage over 100 voice commands to edit and format your document in almost every way possible, like making bullet points, italicizing or bolding text, and moving your cursor to different parts of your document.
To use Voice Typing on Google Docs, all you have to do is click on “Tools”, “Voice Typing”, and let Google access your laptop’s microphone.
Available On: The Internet
Price: Free
Dragon Professional Individual
As the most popular dictation software in its space, Dragon Professional Individual allows you to do the majority of your job without even touching a keyboard.
By leveraging its Deep Learning technology that adapts to your specific voice, jargon, and work environment, you can create and edit documents with 99% accuracy, quickly and accurately transcribe recordings into text, and use voice commands to control your computer’s actions on programs and web browsers, like sending an email or creating a report.
Dragon also integrates with Microsoft Office, iWork, and other popular business applications, so you can do hands-free work without leaving your favorite programs.
Available On: Mac and Windows
Price: $300
Braina Pro
Braina Pro is more than speech recognition software — it’s a personal virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence. Other than its ability to dictate over 100 languages, Braina Pro can automate various computer tasks, set alarms and reminders, give you updates on current events, serve as dictionary and thesaurus, play songs and videos, read eBooks out loud, search files on folders on your computer, and more.
Braina Pro also supports most laptops’ built in microphones and has a mobile app, so you can work headset free and away from your computer.
Available On: Windows
Price: $239
Speechnotes
Built on Google’s speech-recognition engines, Speechnotes is a simple, clean, online dictation tool that helps users transcribe their speech into text with over 90% accuracy. And since you don’t have to download, install, or register for Speechnotes, it’s one of the most accessible dictation tools out there.
Speechnotes is incredibly user-friendly too — it automatically capitalizes the beginning of your sentences, autosave your documents, and allows you to dictate and type at the same time. When you’re finished dictating on Speechnotes, you can email or print your documents, export them to Google Drive, or download them onto your computer.
Available On: Google Chrome
Price: Free
e-Speaking
Picture Credit: e-Speaking
Using Microsoft’s Speech Application Program Interface and .Net Framework, e-Speaking lets you use your voice to control your computer’s actions, dictate documents and emails, and make your computer read text out loud. The software has over 100 built-in commands, like “open internet” or “open excel”. You can also train words and add more commands on e-Speaking to take even more control of your computer.
Available On: Windows
Price: $14
Voice Finger
Picture Credit: Business.com
Engineered for people with disabilities or injuries and competitive video game players, Voice Finger is one of the fastest ways to control your mouse and keyboard without your hands. Using just your voice, you can click the left, middle, or right buttons on your mouse, drag and drop items on your computer, and repeatedly click items. You can also use commands to type, hold, and hit keys on your keyboard.
Available On: Windows
Price: $9.99
Apple Dictation
Picture Credit: Apple
All Apple devices have a built-in dictation software that uses Siri’s servers to dictate up to 30 seconds of speech at a time, if you’re connected to the internet. Dictate is ideal for quickly getting your thoughts down on paper, but if you want to create longer form content with just your voice and you’ve updated your Mac’s operating system to OS X 10.9 or later, Enhanced Dictation is the better option.
This voice-to-text tool can help you dictate without any internet connection or time constraints on Apple Pages. And with over 70 voice commands, you can control your Mac’s actions, allowing you to type, edit, and format almost any type of document.
To enable Enhanced Dictation on your Mac, click on the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation. Then, turn Dictation on and choose the Enhanced Dictation option.
Windows Speech Recognition
Conclusion
Speech recognition is a technique of receiving spoken or audio signals from people and transforming them into written text. It is a technology that has been around for a while now, with the first speech recognition devices appearing in the seventies. The theory behind speech recognition is that it converts acoustic information into data that can be manipulated by a computer. This makes speech recognition software very useful for people who have no alternative form of communication, as it allows for greater independence and easier communication with family and friends.