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Level 1

20 points

Text to Speech Not Working

Since installing Lion, I can't get Text to Speech to work. Setting a System Voice (in System Preferences > Speech) and then clicking the Play button produces nothing. Can't get the clock to announce the time either. Also, attempting to change the System Voice causes System Preferences to freeze up with the spinning pizza cursor, and Force Quit Applications confirms that System Preferences is not responding.

Has anybody else seen this problem?

Model Name: iMac

Model Identifier: iMac11,1

Processor Name: Intel Core i7

Processor Speed: 2.8 GHz

Posted on Jul 24, 2011 9:46 PM

42 replies

May 8, 2013 6:16 PM in response to bricknell

I tried closing all my browsers and emails and it worked. Probably due to either safari or mozilla. After closing those programs I was able to use my original option + esc setting for TTS.

renski

Level 1

5 points

Oct 23, 2013 6:06 AM in response to jean_h

Wonderful, thank you so much for this work around. I just updated to Mavericks and am editing a document which I prefer to listen to, rather than read. Having to go to Edit > Speech and then selecting Start Speaking or Stop Speaking was driving me insane. This fix has saved the day!!! Thanks again.... Brilliant!

Sep 1, 2015 8:17 PM in response to James Douglas8

Yep, that was the missing piece that must be checked to work. It worked both with the pull down menu as well as the AppleScript.

OS X 10.10.5.

xser

Level 1

87 points

Jan 30, 2016 10:39 AM in response to bricknell

Changing the System Voice fixed it for me, more or less immediately (System Preferences > Dictation & Speech > Text to Speech > System Voice).

I had a voice selected that apparently doesn't exist anymore (Alex), so whenever I hit the text-to-speech command, I just got an error sound. Choosing any other available voice fixed it for me.

But if you cannot change the voice due to freezing, then you are stuck. I wonder if there is a plist that could be dragged to the trash to reset the voice setting.

I wish you the best!

Jun 30, 2016 9:35 AM in response to bkellogg

Thanks

Nov 27, 2016 12:33 PM in response to xser

I had the opposite situation. I'd decided to give Alex a rest for awhile :-) and downloaded Allison and Samantha. After that, nothing I did would get me text to speech. However, Speech returned to normal when I once again chose good old Alex.

Dec 12, 2016 7:55 AM in response to bricknell

all y'all are about to owe me a drink. Leffe please.

System Preferences>Accessibility>Speech>System Voice>Customise...

and then untick all the voices. It will ask if you want you delete them. Do so.

Voila

Bingo

Check mate

👿

Dec 15, 2016 8:44 AM in response to ericcartman

Definitely sending one virtual drink your way ericcartman. Thank you SO much. My Siri suddenly stopped talking, and when I tried to select other voices in the accessibility, they always cause the system preferences to freeze. With your trick I can finally delete all my old files and redownload them. Now the voices are back!!!

Apr 27, 2017 10:45 AM in response to DrFin

Thanks! it works!

May 14, 2017 12:44 AM in response to AstroMatt

Thank you AstroMatt

Jun 6, 2017 3:29 PM in response to bricknell

That's strange. My iMac just started the same no speak after the most recent update and also on the Macbook Air 2011. This is Apple's issue, not ours to fix.

Oct 18, 2017 11:24 PM in response to AstroMatt

It is not working in preview in pdf file. help😐

Text to Speech Not Working