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- How to read Kindle Books with Kindle Cloud Reader. The Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader is a web app that allows you to read Kindle Books in any compatible web browser. Follow the steps below to read Kindle Books from your library using Kindle Cloud Reader. Note: Kindle Books are currently available for U.S.
- You can read Kindle books on any tablet or smartphone, using the Kindle app. However, Fire tablets have a feature called Immersion Reading, to “immerse you in a story by narrating.
Flash! Kindle for PC with Accessibility Plugin makes all books TTS enabled for the print disabled
Thanks so much to PF in the Amazon Kindle community for the heads-up on this!
As my regular readers know, I don’t like publishers blocking text-to-speech access in their Kindle store books. While it is legal from what I understand, I do think it disproportionately disadvantages the disabled.
I also think it is a bad business decision, personally. I think the publishers would sell more books by allowing it than they gain in audiobook sales by blocking it.
There has recently been a major step forward, even though it is not on the Kindles themselves.
Text-to-speech has not been available in the free Kindle reader apps. That includes on a computer with assistive technology that will normally read whatever is on the screen.
There is now a
that enables Kindle for PC to work with screen readers like JAWS (Job Access With Speech) and NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access).
What does that mean?
Many people with print disabilities have programs on their computers called “screen readers” that read out loud to them the words on the screen. These are much more sophisticated than the built-in screen readers in operating systems (like Narrator in Windows and Voiceover for Mac OS X and iOS).
Those screen readers have not worked with Kindle for PC.
If you download the plugin, they will.
That means a blind person can have a computer read a Kindle book out loud to them. That book may be shared with people on the same account who are going to sight-read it…a really nice feature.
Yes, people who certify a print disability can get many books for free from organizations like http://www.bookshare.org . However, that isn’t all books…if you might be interested in some of the books from smaller publishers that are only available in the Kindle store, this plug-in will also make those available to you.
The issue of blocking text-to-speech access on the Kindles themselves should be reviewed again by the Copyright Office in about three years. They may decide at that point that it isn’t okay to do, but we’ll find out later about that.
In the meantime, this is a very positive addition to the accessibility features of Kindle books.
By the way, you may need to certify a disability to legally use some things designed for use by the print disabled.
I don’t know yet if it is available for Kindle for Mac or other Kindle reader apps.
For more information on text-to-speech and the Kindle, see this earlier article:
This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog
Text-to-Speech (TTS) is one of the enhanced features that Kindle books have. This function allows your Kindle to read books to you. To access this feature, getting a TTS-enabled book is the first thing, and the second is to get a device supporting TTS.
Not all Kindle books support TTS, yet most of them do. If TTS is available for your Kindle book, you'll see 'Text-to-Speech: Enabled' under the 'Product details' on the product description page.
Updated: Besides use Text to Speech, there are many other better ways to listen to Kindle books. Here are all the best ways: How to Listen to Kindle Books: Turn Kindle Book into Audiobook.
Here in this post I'd like to clarify how to use Text-to-Speech on a variety of Kindle devices and apps.
Part 1. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle e-reader (older model)
Part 2. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle e-reader via VoiceView
Part 3. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle Fire
Part 4. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle for PC
Part 5. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle for iOS/Android
Part 1. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle e-reader (older model)
Text-to-Speech is accessible on those older model e-ink Kindles that Amazon has stopped producing, namely Kindle Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 2 and Kindle DX. If you don't have any of them, you can skip this part. If you do, then access the TTS as follows.
Step 1 Open the book you want Kindle to read.
Step 2 Press the 'Text' key. This key is labeled with 'Aa'. If you own a Kindle Touch, just tap the top of the screen to bring up the 'Menu'.
Step 3 Navigate down to 'Text-to-Speech', then select 'Turn On' next to it. Then your Kindle begins to read the text aloud. Alternatively, on the Kindle Touch, tap 'Turn On Text-to-Speech'. Listen with your Kindle's speaker, or through wired headphones if you prefer.
Part 2. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle e-reader via VoiceView
Technically newer Kindles do support a form of Text-to-Speech. More accurately, Amazon has brought an accessibility feature called VoiceView to Kindle e-readers; Text-to-Speech just happens to be a by-product of this feature. You can access VoiceView over Bluetooth or through the Kindle Audio Adapter.
2.1 Use VoiceView Over Bluetooth
You can use VoiceView with current e-reader models (Paperwhite 4, Oasis 2 and Kindle 8) when you connect to a Bluetooth audio device (like headphones).
Step 1 Turn on your Bluetooth device and set it to pairing mode.
Step 2 On your Kindle, navigate to 'Settings', 'Accessibility' and then 'VoiceView Screen Reader'.
Step 3 Toggle 'VoiceView Screen Reader' on. Wait for a few seconds to hear audio VoiceView instructions to 'Hold two fingers on the screen to use this audio device with VoiceView screen reader on Kindle.' Once enabled, there's a tutorial and some settings become accessible.
2.2 Use VoiceView through Kindle Audio Adapter
VoiceView also works with some old Kindle (Kindle Paperwhite 3, Kindle Oasis and Kindle Voyage), but you have to use the Kindle Audio Adapter since they don't have Bluetooth.
Step 1 Plug the Micro-USB end of the adapter into your Kindle.
Step 2 Connect the other end to your audio device like headphones (which you should already have).
Step 3 Get Started with the VoiceView tutorial.
Voyage requires one additional step to use the adapter, but it's quite simple. That is, you have to download the audio files.
To be frank, for regular folks who just want to have TTS support on their Kindles, VoiceView is really cumbersome to use. You have to navigate the Kindle with a series of swipes at double-taps. After all, VoiceView is really aimed at visually impaired users, not for regular TTS function.
Part 3. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle Fire
Kindle Fire tablets get far better Text-to-Speech support than any e-ink Kindle has ever got, with surprisingly pleasant voices and more adjustable settings. Almost all Kindle Fire models support TTS, except the Kindle Fire 1st Generation. Here let me illustrate how to activate TTS on current models.
Step 1 Open the e-book you want to read to you.
Step 2 Tap the center of the screen, and then the menu icon in the top right corner.
Step 3 Tap 'Additional Settings', and then toggle 'Text-to-Speech' on.
Step 4 In your Kindle book, tap the screen to show the progress bar, and then tap the 'Play' icon to hear the content read aloud. You can also adjust reading speed by tapping the 'NarrationSpeed' icon.
Tip: A number of extra voices can be installed to meet your preferences, including some foreign language voices. To get some of them, go to 'Language' under 'Settings'.
Part 4. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle for PC
Text-to-Speech is also accessible on Kindle app for Windows and Mac (OSX 10.10 or above). This can easily read out text from speech-enabled books.
Step 1 Click on the book you wish to read.
Step 2 Navigate to 'Tools', and 'Start Text-to-Speech'. Then the voice begins to talk.
The Windows and Mac version of this app are similar, yet the screenshots below are taken from the former.
Part 5. Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle for iOS/Android
The native Kindle app for iOS or Android doesn't have Text-to-Speech feature normally. Still, you can use workarounds to read aloud the screen content.
5.1 Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle iOS
For an iOS device like iPhone or iPad, you can use a screen reading feature called Speak Screen, which works well with the Kindle app.
Step 1 Open 'Settings' app.
Step 2 Select 'General', 'Accessibility', 'Speech ' and toggle 'Speak Screen' on.
Step 3 Open the e-book you want read to you.
Step 4 Activate 'Speak Screen' by swiping down with two fingers from the top of the screen. Once you device recognizes this gesture, it'll start reading.
5.2 Use Text-to-Speech on Kindle Android
With the Kindle app for Android, you can use Google Text-to-Speech designed to read the screen content aloud.
Step 1 Download and install the app.
Step 2 Navigate to 'Settings', 'Language & Input' and then 'Text-to-Speech output'.
Step 3 Select 'Google Text-to-Speech Engine' as your default engine.
Step 4 Open the e-book you want read to you.
Can Amazon Kindle Read Aloud
Step 5 Press the 'Menu' button, then select 'Start Text-to-Speech'. Your device will start to read the text aloud.
Though Text-to-Speech enables your Kindle to read to you, some users prefer to listen to audiobooks from Audible. Audible books brings a more immersive listening experience, for they are professionally narrated by actors, authors or well-known public figures. While Audible has its own file format with DRM protection, don't despair. Audible books can be converted to other common formats like MP3 with Audible Converter, then you can play them on almost any audio device.
Can Kindle Read Out Loud On Pc
Sophie works for Epubor and writes articles about ebooks, audiobooks and ereaders. She enjoys reading and wants to share everything new about reading.