Have Your iPhone Highlight And Speak Selected Text Out Loud [iOS Tips]

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Speak Selection

Another accessibility option like VoiceOver and Zoom, originally created for those with visual impairments, is Speak Selection. There are times when you may not want to turn the entire VoiceOver system on, having Siri read every button and icon on the screen, but would prefer to just have your iOS device speak text you’ve highlighted on the screen.

As an added bonus for those with print or learning disabilities, you can have your iPhone or iPad highlight the words as it speaks them for true bi-modal output (seeing and hearing the words at the same time).

Here’s how to make this happen.

To enable this great feature, tap into the Settings app, then into the General settings. Next, tap the Accessibility section, and then look near the bottom of the Vision area. Tap Speak Selection, then toggle it to ON if you want to hear your iPhone read words you select aloud. Now, when you select text in any application on your iPhone, you’ll see a Speak button next to the highlighted text.

You can choose a Dialect here, as well, with a tap on the Dialects button. I dig using the Irish English accent when I’m feeling fancy. Another great option is to have it Highlight Words as it speaks them. Simply tap on the toggle to turn this feature ON. Now when you need your iPhone to read to you, and see the words it’s reading, you’ll be all set.

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