How to Enable and Use Emails Read Aloud in Outlook

Welcome to our guide on how to enable and use the emails read aloud feature in Outlook. In this article, we will show you how to set up and utilize this useful feature to have your unread emails read out loud. Let’s get started!

Enabling the Read Aloud Feature

Before you can use the read aloud feature, you need to make sure it is enabled in your version of Outlook. Here’s how:

1. Open the Outlook desktop app and click on the Start or Message tab.
2. Look for the Read Aloud tab in the ribbon area on the right-hand side. If you clicked on Message, you can find the Read Aloud icon (an “A” with speakers).
3. If you can’t find the Read Aloud tab, it may be hidden. To enable it manually, follow these steps:
1. Open Outlook on your desktop and click on File.
2. Scroll down and click on Options.
3. Click on Accessibility or Ease of Access (depending on your version of Outlook).
4. Check the box that says “Show Read Aloud” in the Application Display Options section.
5. Click OK to save the changes. The Read Aloud option should now be visible in the ribbon area.

Using the Read Aloud Feature

Now that you have enabled the read aloud feature, here are two methods to use it in Microsoft Outlook.

Using Read Aloud in the Email Pane

1. Open Outlook on your desktop and select the email you want to be read aloud.
2. Go to the email tab and select the text you want to be read. You can also press Ctrl + A to select all the content.
3. Click the Read Aloud button, and the narrator will read your email word by word and line by line.
4. Use the playback controls at the top of the email pane to manage the read aloud feature:
• The back and forward buttons allow you to navigate to previous or next lines.
• The play/pause button enables you to pause or resume the narration.
• The voice selector lets you choose between different narrator voices.
• The reading speed slider controls the speed of the narrator’s voice.
5. Note that Read Aloud cannot read images or email subject lines.
6. To exit the Read Aloud mode, click the X button.

Using Immersive Reader Mode

1. Open Outlook on your desktop and select the email you want to be read aloud.
2. Click on the View tab in the ribbon area.
3. Click on Immersive Reader.
4. In Immersive Reader mode, you’ll find additional tools to customize your reading experience:
• Adjust the column width to narrow, moderate, or wide based on your screen size.
• Change the page color to black or any other background color of your choice.
• Use line focus to focus on one, three, or five lines at a time.
• Increase text spacing for better readability.
• Enable syllable highlighting if desired.
5. To start the read aloud feature, click on Read Aloud.

Conclusion

With the read aloud feature in Microsoft Outlook, you can have your emails spoken out loud to help you stay productive and multitask. Whether you prefer using the Email Pane or Immersive Reader mode, Outlook provides convenient options for an improved reading experience. Try enabling and using the emails read aloud feature in Outlook today!