Can pages read text aloud?

Question

Level 1

4 points

Can pages read text aloud?

i asked this a while back and got no reply? does anyone know if pages can read text aloud. Im dyslexic and need to hear my writing to identify mistakes...
cheers
Mav

macbookpro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Nov 15, 2009 6:42 AM

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Answer 1

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Peggy

Level 8

41,601 points

Nov 15, 2009 8:39 AM in response to mavmae

I thought Pages could speak selected text, but I can't find the ability. I suggest you leave feedback for the Pages team regarding this. You can find it under the Pages menu > Provide Pages Feedback. That takes you to the same page as this link.

In the meantime, TextEdit can read text, so you could copy & paste the text into a TextEdit document, select all, then go to Edit > Speech > Start Speaking.

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Answer 2

fruhulda

Level 6

15,161 points

Nov 15, 2009 8:42 AM in response to mavmae

Pages doesn't have a setting for that. It is a system wide setting. Look in System preferences, the 4th row you have Universal Access and Speach. I am not familiar with them but if you read in the Help, Mac Help, you'll find out what to do.

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Answer 3

Nov 15, 2009 9:11 AM in response to mavmae

It is in the contextual menu (right-click/control-click) on selected text.

In Leopard and earlier, there was a Service that could read text in almost any application. I don't see it in the Snow Leopard Services Preferences, although it does exist at /System/Library/Services/SpeechService.service. Is anyone else able to use this service in Snow Leopard?

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Answer 4

fruhulda

Level 6

15,161 points

Nov 15, 2009 9:35 AM in response to Jeffrey Jones2

I Ctrl clicked on a word in Pages and can choose Speech > Start speaking. Is that what you are looking for?

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Answer 5

Nov 15, 2009 1:46 PM in response to fruhulda

It is also:

+Menu > Pages > Services > Speech > Start Speaking Text+

For a laugh get it to speak the Ipsum Facto.

Peter

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Answer 6

Peggy

Level 8

41,601 points

Nov 15, 2009 2:50 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

I do not have speech as an option in Services in Snow Leopard. It does not appear at all in the list of commands I can activate.

I'm not sure why, but I didn't try right-clicking in Pages, but Speech is available then.

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Answer 7

Nov 15, 2009 3:22 PM in response to Peggy

Peggy

Possibly part of Word Services?

I do have a couple of other Service sets installed, and it is also possible the Services came with another application.

Peter

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Answer 8

fruhulda

Level 6

15,161 points

Nov 15, 2009 9:35 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

I can't find speech in the Services either. It is a system feature.

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Answer 9

Nov 16, 2009 4:17 AM in response to mavmae

I read your post and tried it in Pages 09. Just select the text you want to hear and Right Click to get the context menu. Speech is near the bottom of the resulting menu list. Personally I was quite impressed - not too different to some narrations you get on the radio 🙂

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Answer 10

Peggy

Level 8

41,601 points

Nov 16, 2009 8:23 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

I've had WordService installed since iWork '05. I do not have it installed on my G5 iMac & I do not have speech as an option in Pages '09 in Leopard 10.5.8 on that iMac.

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