Let your Mac double check your work « The BEST Apple Hardware and Software Reviews

Written By Justin April 3rd, 2009

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A hidden gem for writers is one of the simplest applications found on your Mac.

The “text-to-speech” application is handy to have whenever proof-reading is your primary concern. Writers, both academically, casually, or professionally, will know that proof-reading your own words in your own head is the similar to not proof-reading at all. When we read something we wrote ourselves – especially recently – we tend to skips things as we know what we meant to say when we typed it in the first place.

Having an extra set of eyes from a friend isn’t always convenient, but luckily, your Mac can do it for you.

In order to set it up, bring yourself into your System Preferences. Click on Speech, followed by the Text to Speech tab. Choose your desired voice – from sultry Vicki to friendly Alex. Once you choose, place a check beside “Speak selected text when the key is pressed”, and click on “Set Key…”.

To get Bruce, Kathy, or the others to read your document, select the text you want to read in your writing,  press you chosen key command, and off they go! Press it again to stop.

This is a far cry from the robotic voices that pronounced everything incorrectly on my Commodore. Oh, technology.