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How Do I Add Voices to Adobe Reader?

Published in Adobe Reader 2 mins read

To add or, more accurately, choose the voice Adobe Reader uses for its "Read Out Loud" feature, you need to adjust your preferences. Adobe Reader doesn't allow you to "add" a new voice in the sense of installing one; you can only select from the voices already installed on your operating system. Here's how:

  1. Open Adobe Reader.

  2. Access Preferences: Go to the top-right menu (usually indicated by three horizontal lines or the word "Edit") and click on it. From the dropdown menu, select Preferences.

  3. Navigate to Reading Options: In the Preferences dialog box, choose Reading from the categories on the left-hand side.

  4. Voice Selection:

    • Disable Default Voice: Locate the "Read Out Loud Options" section. If "Use Default Voice" is checked, uncheck it.

    • Choose a Voice: A dropdown menu should now be active, allowing you to choose your preferred narration voice. Select the voice you want from the list. The available voices are determined by what's installed on your computer's operating system (Windows or macOS).

  5. Adjust Volume and Speed (Optional): You can also adjust the volume and words-per-minute speed to customize the reading experience.

  6. Click OK: Click OK to save your changes.

Now, when you use the "Read Out Loud" feature (usually found under View > Read Out Loud), Adobe Reader will use the voice you selected.

Troubleshooting:

  • No voices available: If the dropdown menu is empty or only shows one option, it means you don't have any other text-to-speech voices installed on your computer. You'll need to install additional voices through your operating system's settings. Search online for instructions on "installing text-to-speech voices" for your specific operating system (e.g., "install text-to-speech voices Windows 10" or "install text-to-speech voices macOS"). These voices will then become available in Adobe Reader's settings.

  • Voice sounds robotic: The quality of the voice depends on the text-to-speech engine and the voice itself. Some voices naturally sound more realistic than others. Experiment with different voices if available.

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