Parents' Guide to

Speechify - Text to Audiobook

By Keri Wilmot, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Solid text-to-speech converter may be pricey for some.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad Free to try Education
Speechify - Text to Audiobook Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Speechify App: Screenshot #1
  • Speechify App: Screenshot #2
  • Speechify App: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 54 parent reviews

obregongm
obregongm Adult
June 7, 2022
age 18+

DO NOT PURCHASE THISPRODUCT!

This app is not worth the price. There is a trial period, but I was charged a full year subscription before midnight on the day the trial period was due to expire. I am a graduate student, and I figured I would continue to use it, however I am dissatisfied with their service. Customer support is one of the worst. They don't get back to you for days. There are settings where you choose your reading speed and reading voice. Every few weeks, the app defaults to its original settings with a Robot-like voice that is difficult to follow or listen to. You try to adjust the settings to your preferences, but ultimately it defaults to the original settings. Every time I have this issue, I have to contact app support, they take days to get back to me, and a few more days to resolve my issue. As a graduate student, I have a strict reading schedule and I can't afford to deviate from it. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT!
4 people found this helpful.
Liza A.
Liza A. Adult
April 7, 2023
age 10+

Horrible experience

I am stuck in a yearly subscription with speechify inc. and it does not work properly at all and it is very expensive. I have tried to contact the company and recived no help. I feel scammed. Highly advise people to avoid this service
3 people found this helpful.
See all 54 parent reviews

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

In SPEECHIFY - TEXT TO AUDIOBOOK users upload content into the app from websites, internet images, documents, or photos of worksheets. Once the content is uploaded into the app, the text is read out loud. Words are highlighted so that users can follow along at the same time. It's easy to change between different voices, like American male, American female, British male, British female, Australian, or a child. Sliding the dot at the bottom of the page easily adjusts the speed of the words spoken, from 100 up to 780 words per minute. You can organize the content you upload into different collections. There are 14 available languages for translation; they include Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese (male and female), Dutch (male and female), Hindi, Arabic, Japanese, German, Italian, Hebrew, and Russian. Note that it only works in a vertical orientation on the device.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (54 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This reading tool provides users -- especially those with reading and learning disabilities -- with an option to hear written text spoken out loud. For those who have difficulty reading, Speechify - Text to Audiobook might help them learn new information and reduce the likelihood of frustration. Uploading content is simple, and the option to snap a photo of documents is very useful, especially for kids who might be given information from a variety of curricula, in different formats. Acclimating to the in-app voices can take some time, because they don't sound totally natural, but choosing the option for the child's voice definitely makes the content sound friendlier for younger users. For those who require translation of documents into various languages, it's easy to convert information from one language to another. At $7.99 per month for the Pro version (about $100 annually), it's expensive. Users should plan to make a dedicated effort to prepare to upload as much content as possible during the trial period to determine whether this strategy is helpful, so they have as much time as possible to experience the features before deciding whether to upgrade.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Speechify - Text to Audiobook may benefit their ability to improve their comprehension or understanding of what they are reading and learning. Does it help to have text read out loud?

  • Talk about organization. For kids who are prone to losing their papers, would taking a picture and uploading the document into Speechify help kids keep their information in one place?

  • Discuss learning styles. Finding time to complete all of the steps needed for homework and studying can be hard with a lot of reading assignments, especially for those who struggle with reading. Does listening to content help your kid complete work faster? Or is it a distraction?

App Details

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