any browser plugin that reads out web pages?

Question

is there any plugin available for Firefox 3.5 or IE 8 that allows you to read out web pages?

Answer 1

If you switch to Opera, you can get the browser to read out pages to you by installing the voice add-on.

It's an add-on that will read aloud highlighted passages of the page as well as follow your voice commands. But you will still need to touch the keyboard, unless you try the option of without. Either way, your voice will have to be very clear English.

After downloading Opera (or if you have it already installed), you will need to go to:

Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Voice

And check the "Enable voice-controlled browsing" option. It will prompt you to download a library (of about 10MB).

Right-click menu

After it's downloaded, you can just right-click on selected text and choose "Speak" from the context menu and it will read out the text to you.

Quick keyboard shortcut

As above, you select text, but tap the letter V to have it read.

On voice commands

Alternatively, you can set the trigger options for when it will listen to your own voice commands on the Key to talk and Talk key mode options of the preferences.

Default method with voice

1. Select some part of the page
2. Hold the voice command key (e.g. Scroll Lock is chosen by default)
3. Say in a clear voice, "Opera speak"
4. Release the command key
5. Opera will read out the selected text.

You can even browse sites using the Voice command using other triggers, but that's the start to have it read pages to you.