Free Text to speech on Mac- Computer reads out everything

A trick I love for coping with dyslexia. "Text to speech" allows your computer to read everything out to you. Technology has advanced far enough that the built in text to speech on a Mac sounds practically like a human if you calibrate it correctly.
I use this trick when reading huge stacks of material by Marx or Niche for senior level philosophy courses at Brown. I read every textbook that does not have an in this way. I even use this feature when reading articles online and when reading my email. It allows me to go through text 3 times faster than it would take me to read conventionally.

This video will only work for Macs that run IOS 10.7 or newer.
My other videos:

[MrCapecodbear]

I am 60 and your recommendation is great for people with dyslexia recommendation slowed down and show the keys you need to push for this text to speech every dyslexia person has a different ability you better remember your skills in other fields are higher than most people but in other fields they are less. Thank you

[seancalvin]

You changed my life in 3 minutes. Thank you.

[BobbieTinker]

I know this was submitted 3 years ago but I still like to say THANK YOU. I pray that you are still in school or have graduated and like is good in spite of your dyslexia. God Bless You.

[trstenjak]

Thanks, man. This idea with higher speed reading is simply gorgeus.

[kathleenharrison]

Good for you! I am painfully Dyslexic and Dysgraphic, and I cant even tell you how much you pointing out this program has helped me! 
Best :)

[saramattia]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am literally crying. My nine year old daughter has Dyslexia and it has been very frustrating to find things that will help her. This will be transformative for her to read and research independently for reports in the fourth grade. If you have other tips, please, please, please post them. I am looking for help on a voice to text dictation for her...any ideas for writing reports?Thanks you

[JzanClaravall]

BEST! You made university readings so much easier! Thanks.

[TheGlen]

Amazing. Thanks alot. I am not dyslexic, but have learning issues and look forward to using this as well as other software to help me get through the material I have to read. BTW, I made it through university and graduate school without knowing I had a diagnosable learning challenge and struggled by myself. I'm back again 30 years later and now hope to achieve at a higher level with support from the university as well as technology!

[TrapPhoneLoveMelodiesss]

The good stuff starts @1:20. Thanks for sharing!

[carysmurphy]

Thank you, having a slue of learning disabilities and beginning my masters soon ( dissertation time :'( ) this function on the mac book helps me so much. while I am writing.  You are an intelligent young man and do not let anyone tell you different.

[Nodens]

Thank you for this great tip. I write as a hobby and was looking at phone & tablet apps to help me proof. I have had this mace for 6 years and never knew it could do this!

[salvadorcampos]

Thank you for your shortcut help. This trick wil help me by being able to stop the speach when I get interupted by a phone call. In the past I would just turn off my speaker. Listening to my mac read my books has helped me be an "A" student. I wish I knew this sooner.

[anamateo]

Thank you for sharing I am dyslexic too and this is the only way I have been able to achieved my master.

[Rubicon]

Thanks for Posting This! It's great to know that my computer is capable of this function - I had no idea! I'm not dyslexic, but I suffer from eyestrain and love a break from reading from my screen all the time. Sometimes, the strain is so great that it gets too blurry to read, even though I have a HUGE monitor and use large text. I see well in the "real world" (at 61, I don't even wear glasses), but when staring into a backlit screen I lose my vision and cannot read articles that have useful information. I can't wait to try this!

However, I am having problems with this. I followed the instructions exactly but the computer didn't respond as it does in the video. First, when I got to the part where I activate "Speak selected text when key is pressed" it didn't just activate as shown in the video, but gave me pop-up options asking questions that are not addressed here. I did my best by guessing the answers hoping for the best. Then I got to the part where you choose the "System Voice" and it simply won't download. I have the little gear that goes around and around and the text says "Downloading Samantha - About 15 minutes remaining". Then it said "about 18 minutes remaining". Then is said "about 20 minutes remaining". Then it said "about 25 minutes remaining". And so on, and so on, and so on, with the download time continually getting longer and longer and longer and the download never completing.... Sometimes the time frame goes down a it but it invariably goes back up. Do you have any suggestions to overcome this issues? Thanks for any help you can give! :-)

[phred]

Thanks you have just helped open up my reading time to a more enjoyable place

[MeelaPaloma]

Thank you for this walk through and giving me strength and optimism to overcome this with my son.

[gregorybanks]

This is a great feature, I've used for awhile. And at the end of the day its really about how you overcome. Cheers bro!!
How do you retain the information with the speech going so fast? That is amazing.

[zfla]

Thanks so much for this video. It’s very helpful! All the best with your school and life!

[erinkailing]

Thanks for the video, from one dyslexic to another! 

[DoctorZebedee]

Wow you can follow it that fast? That's amazing.