Get Your Computer to Say What You Type [How To] [Updated]

By Rich on November 15, 2012 (158 Comments)

XP, Vista, 7, and Windows 8 come with a built in voice database, which you can access via the Microsoft SAPI (Speech Application Programming Interface); in this guide, you’ll learn how to get your computer to say what you type using one of three methods.

Speak to Me!

(Method 1) The easiest way to access this feature is through the Windows speech settings. If you’d like quick access, there’s also a script you can use to access the SAPI via Visual Basic (see below)

Press Start, type speech and click change text to speech settings
Type what you want said in the preview pane and click Preview Voice
Optional: Change the voice (options vary by operating system)

Method 2: Use a Quick Access Visual Basic Script

Copy the following text and paste it into Notepad (Windows Key, type notepad, press Enter)

CreateObject("sapi.spvoice").Speak(InputBox("Speak:"))

Thanks to Jon Davis for the condensed script.

Save the file as speak.vbs
Double-click on speak.vbs, type in your message, and press Enter

Have fun and be creative; you can have your computer greet you at login, for example. Having trouble with the script? See below for help.

Method 3: Use a Tool

If you’d rather skip the script, you can download the Windows Guides text to speech tool for quick access.

Help!

If the script didn’t work:

Your browser may display quotation marks in a different character set. Go back to the Notepad file and replace all the quotes [ ” ] using your keyboard. Save the file and try again.

If the script is error free but it’s still not working, you do not have the SAPI installed on your computer. Download download the SDK and SAPI here

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

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Comments

l

for the apple fanboys, osx was released in 2001 and xp was released several months later but Microsoft’s speech API has been included since windows98 after the applefad is over and you are tired of spending 4 times what a computer is worth and tired of jobs dictating what you can and cannot use your overpriced piece of sh1t mac to do. then you will all be annoying windows fanboys again….
l

for the apple fanboys, osx was released in 2001 and xp was released several months later but Microsoft’s speech API has been included since windows98 after the applefad is over and you are tired of spending 4 times what a computer is worth and tired of jobs dictating what you can and cannot use your overpriced piece of sh1t mac to do. then you will all be annoying windows fanboys again….
l

for the apple fanboys, osx was released in 2001 and xp was released several months later but Microsoft’s speech API has been included since windows98 after the applefad is over and you are tired of spending 4 times what a computer is worth and tired of jobs dictating what you can and cannot use your overpriced piece of sh1t mac to do. then you will all be annoying windows fanboys again….
john black

I love it.
Great.
How do I add a default message?
My knowledge of VB script is not that great.

John
http://onwardoverland.com/ john black

I love it.
Great.
How do I add a default message?
My knowledge of VB script is not that great.

John
- http://www.mintywhite.com/tech/ Rich
  
  John, do the following:
  
  Dim message, sapi
  message=”This is my message”
  Set sapi=CreateObject(“sapi.spvoice”)
  sapi.Speak message
  
  I don’t have speakers on the PC I’m on right now, but I’m sure that will work.
http://onwardoverland.com john black

I love it.
Great.
How do I add a default message?
My knowledge of VB script is not that great.

John
- http://www.mintywhite.com/tech/ Rich
  
  John, do the following:
  
  Dim message, sapi
  message=”This is my message”
  Set sapi=CreateObject(“sapi.spvoice”)
  sapi.Speak message
  
  I don’t have speakers on the PC I’m on right now, but I’m sure that will work.
moidu.k.p

VERY NICE.
moidu.k.p

VERY NICE.
moidu.k.p

VERY NICE.
Rich

John, do the following:

Dim message, sapi
message=”This is my message”
Set sapi=CreateObject(“sapi.spvoice”)
sapi.Speak message

I don’t have speakers on the PC I’m on right now, but I’m sure that will work.
Jon Davis

One line of code.

CreateObject(“sapi.spvoice”).Speak(InputBox(“Speak:”))

Thanks, with this post’s inspiration now you have my Visual Studio reading my code to me as I write it.

http://tinyurl.com/bpvxs3
http://www.jondavis.net/ Jon Davis

One line of code.

CreateObject(“sapi.spvoice”).Speak(InputBox(“Speak:”))

Thanks, with this post’s inspiration now you have my Visual Studio reading my code to me as I write it.

http://tinyurl.com/bpvxs3
http://www.jondavis.net/ Jon Davis

One line of code.

CreateObject(“sapi.spvoice”).Speak(InputBox(“Speak:”))

Thanks, with this post’s inspiration now you have my Visual Studio reading my code to me as I write it.

http://tinyurl.com/bpvxs3
fatt1

funziona…!!!!
grande…..
http://fatt1sblog.blogspot.com/ fatt1

funziona…!!!!
grande…..
http://fatt1sblog.blogspot.com/ fatt1

funziona…!!!!
grande…..
GuyMcDowell

Awesome, now I just need to tweak that to feed a text file through it and generate an mp3.
GuyMcDowell

Awesome, now I just need to tweak that to feed a text file through it and generate an mp3.
GuyMcDowell

Awesome, now I just need to tweak that to feed a text file through it and generate an mp3.
http://www.guymcdowell.com/ GuyMcDowell

Awesome, now I just need to tweak that to feed a text file through it and generate an mp3.
cjsavvy

Man, that’s the coolest tweak I’ve come across in years. Thanks a lot.
cjsavvy

Man, that’s the coolest tweak I’ve come across in years. Thanks a lot.
cjsavvy

Man, that’s the coolest tweak I’ve come across in years. Thanks a lot.
AndrewS

Just use message=(“some embarrassing message”) and set it to run as a scheduled task on a work colleague’s PC for everyone’s amusement. Make sure their speakers are turned way up and enjoy.
Puerile, childish and probably unethical in some small way. But who cares these days?
AndrewS

Just use message=(“some embarrassing message”) and set it to run as a scheduled task on a work colleague’s PC for everyone’s amusement. Make sure their speakers are turned way up and enjoy.
Puerile, childish and probably unethical in some small way. But who cares these days?
AndrewS

Just use message=(“some embarrassing message”) and set it to run as a scheduled task on a work colleague’s PC for everyone’s amusement. Make sure their speakers are turned way up and enjoy.
Puerile, childish and probably unethical in some small way. But who cares these days?
joyycheng

great tips, thanks
http://www.exp-flv.com/ joyycheng

great tips, thanks
http://www.exp-flv.com joyycheng

great tips, thanks
Kikolani

That’s fun. That would be great to attach it to a program icon and have it say certain funny things to someone trying to open the internet browser.

~ Kristi
Kikolani

That’s fun. That would be great to attach it to a program icon and have it say certain funny things to someone trying to open the internet browser.

~ Kristi
Kikolani

That’s fun. That would be great to attach it to a program icon and have it say certain funny things to someone trying to open the internet browser.

~ Kristi
Jay

Anyone who was entertained by this is a noob. Go to your control panel, click Speech, then use Text to Speech tab. You don’t need a stupid VBS script to do that.
Jay

Anyone who was entertained by this is a noob. Go to your control panel, click Speech, then use Text to Speech tab. You don’t need a stupid VBS script to do that.
Jay

Anyone who was entertained by this is a noob. Go to your control panel, click Speech, then use Text to Speech tab. You don’t need a stupid VBS script to do that.
Greg

“oh would you look at that, I shat myself… hee hee hee hee”

that’s what I put, try it.
Greg

“oh would you look at that, I shat myself… hee hee hee hee”

that’s what I put, try it.
Greg

“oh would you look at that, I shat myself… hee hee hee hee”

that’s what I put, try it.
Paul

“1. Your browser displays the quotation marks differently. Go back to the Notepad file and replace all the quotes (”). Save the file and try again.”

Replace all the quotes (”) with WHAT you stupid jack***???
Paul

“1. Your browser displays the quotation marks differently. Go back to the Notepad file and replace all the quotes (”). Save the file and try again.”

Replace all the quotes (”) with WHAT you stupid jack***???
Paul

“1. Your browser displays the quotation marks differently. Go back to the Notepad file and replace all the quotes (”). Save the file and try again.”

Replace all the quotes (”) with WHAT you stupid jack***???
Rich

@Paul – Replace all the quotes with quotes :)
Allow me to share an analogy:

Child: “Mum I broke my shoelace”
Parent: “OK son, we’ll replace it”
Child: “With what?”
Parent: “With a cheeseburger… of course”

Have a great day.
Rich

@Paul – Replace all the quotes with quotes :)
Allow me to share an analogy:

Child: “Mum I broke my shoelace”
Parent: “OK son, we’ll replace it”
Child: “With what?”
Parent: “With a cheeseburger… of course”

Have a great day.
Rich

@Paul – Replace all the quotes with quotes :)
Allow me to share an analogy:

Child: “Mum I broke my shoelace”
Parent: “OK son, we’ll replace it”
Child: “With what?”
Parent: “With a cheeseburger… of course”

Have a great day.
Paul

Your assumption that what you say should be obvious to everyone, and your analogy that shows precisely why your assumption was incorrect, is what makes you a jackass… My pointing it out is what makes me an asshole, but that’s beside the point.
Paul

Ah, I see. So if I remove the existing double quotes (”) and replace them with new instances of the double quotes (”) it will work? I don’t think so.
Paul

Ah, I see. So if I remove the existing double quotes (”) and replace them with new instances of the double quotes (”) it will work? I don’t think so.
Paul

Your assumption that what you say should be obvious to everyone, and your analogy that shows precisely why your assumption was incorrect, is what makes you a jackass… My pointing it out is what makes me an asshole, but that’s beside the point.
Paul

Ah, I see. So if I remove the existing double quotes (”) and replace them with new instances of the double quotes (”) it will work? I don’t think so.
Paul

Your assumption that what you say should be obvious to everyone, and your analogy that shows precisely why your assumption was incorrect, is what makes you a jackass… My pointing it out is what makes me an asshole, but that’s beside the point.

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