vozMe
Common Sense Media says
Bare-bones text-to-audio conversion tool offers no extras.
What parents need to know
Violence & scariness
Sexy stuff
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Privacy & safety
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that vozMe is a simple, free website that allows users to convert text to speech. There aren't any distractions, but there's not much content, either. There's no way for kids to come into contact with other users; they simply type in words or chunks of text, choose a language, and hear the words spoken by a male or female voice. Kids also don't need to register or enter any personal information to use the site. There are more complex and visually pleasing text-to-speech sites, but vozMe works well enough.
What kids can learn
Subjects
Language & Reading
- phonics
- speaking
- vocabulary
Skills
Self-Direction
- personal growth
Communication
- listening
- speaking
Engagement, Approach, Support
VozMe isn't flashy, and its plain design isn't appealing to kids. However, the tool can help students who are learning another language or trying to pronounce a new word, or who want to hear their writing read out loud.
This website doesn't offer any lessons or feedback, so teachers will need to brainstorm ways to use it. VozMe could potentially provide help for ESL or visually impaired students, as well as help students edit their writing.
You can choose from six languages, but the only informational content on the site involves directions to add the text-to-speech function to a website. Kids can add a bookmarklet to their browsers.
User reviews
Parents say
Kids say
What's it about?
VozMe is a no-frills site that converts user-entered text into MP3s. You can choose a male or a female voice and listen to it or save the file to your computer. A browser bookmarklet lets you highlight text you'd like to hear on a Web page. VozMe has very little content, and the narration sounds fairly computerized, so it may not help kids understand elements such as intonation or cadence. However, ESL learners and other kids who'd benefit from simply being able to hear phrases may find the site useful.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
The site's text-to-speech function is its main selling point; vozMe doesn't provide any other information or activities. Users can key in and listen to words, phrases, and longer passages in Spanish, Italian, Hindi, Portuguese, Catalan, and English. Kids learning one of those languages may find vozMe beneficial. However, they'll need to be able to type (and spell) any words they'd like to hear; there’s no translation option. Struggling readers and other kids who would benefit from entering text or highlighting Web page content and hearing it read aloud also could potentially use the site to strengthen their reading and pronunciation skills.
Families can talk about...
What skills does it take to learn a new language? Ask your kids how it feels to hear words as opposed to simply seeing them on the page.
How could vozMe help your child edit reports, papers, and other items? Why is it a good idea to read over what you've written?
Website details
| Genre: | Educational |
| Pricing structure: | Free |
Great handpicked alternatives
For kids who love Language
Browse more websites
Top advice and articles
What parents and kids say
Write a user reviewThere aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
Poll
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
Total votes: 760
