How to Convert Text to Speech with AI Voices
Text to SpeechBeginner

How to Convert Text to Speech with AI Voices

Learn how to convert text to speech using AI. Complete guide covering TTS voices, PDF to audio, document narration, natural speech generation, and creating audiobooks with ScreenApp.

Why Convert Text to Speech?

Text-to-speech (TTS) technology transforms written content into spoken audio, making information accessible while multitasking, commuting, or when reading isn’t convenient. AI voices now sound remarkably natural, making listening as engaging as reading.

Common text-to-speech uses:

  • Accessibility: Make content available to visually impaired or dyslexic users
  • Multitasking: Listen while driving, exercising, or doing chores
  • Learning: Auditory learning style or language practice
  • Content repurposing: Turn blog posts into podcasts, articles into audiobooks
  • Productivity: Consume research papers, reports, or emails faster
  • Voiceovers: Generate narration for videos, presentations, or demos

What You’ll Need

Before converting text to speech:

  • Text content (typed, PDF, document, or URL)
  • ScreenApp account (free at screenapp.io)
  • Internet connection for AI processing
  • Headphones or speakers for playback (optional)

How ScreenApp Text-to-Speech Works

ScreenApp uses advanced AI voice generation:

  1. Text Input: Paste text, upload document, or import from URL
  2. Voice Selection: Choose from 100+ natural AI voices
  3. Language Selection: Support for 60+ languages and dialects
  4. AI Processing: Neural text-to-speech engine generates audio
  5. Customization: Adjust speed, pitch, and emphasis (optional)
  6. Export: Download as MP3, WAV, or stream online

ScreenApp TTS advantages:

  • Natural-sounding AI voices (not robotic)
  • Multiple languages and accents
  • Unlimited text length (no character limits on Pro)
  • Fast processing (real-time or faster)
  • High-quality audio output
  • Easy sharing via link

Step-by-Step: Convert Text to Speech

Step 1: Input Your Text

Navigate to ScreenApp Text-to-Speech

Option A: Paste Text Directly

  1. Click “Paste Text” tab
  2. Copy text from anywhere (article, email, notes)
  3. Paste into text box (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V)
  4. Up to 500,000 characters (Pro account)

Best for:

  • Short passages or paragraphs
  • Quick conversions
  • Custom content you’ve written

Option B: Upload Document

  1. Click “Upload Document” tab
  2. Drag and drop or click to browse
  3. Supported formats:
    • PDF: Extracts all text automatically
    • Word (DOCX): Preserves formatting and structure
    • TXT: Plain text files
    • EPUB: Ebooks
    • PowerPoint (PPTX): Slide text
    • HTML: Web pages

Best for:

  • Long documents
  • Research papers
  • Books or ebooks
  • Reports or presentations

Option C: Import from URL

  1. Click “Import from URL” tab
  2. Paste webpage or article URL
  3. ScreenApp extracts readable text (removes ads, navigation, etc.)

Supported URLs:

  • Blog posts and articles
  • News websites
  • Wikipedia pages
  • Medium posts
  • Notion pages (public)
  • Google Docs (public or with access)

Best for:

  • Online articles
  • Research content
  • Web-based documentation
  • Shared documents

Step 2: Choose AI Voice

After text input, select voice from dropdown:

Voice Categories:

Standard Voices (Free):

  • Sarah (Female, US English): Professional, clear, neutral
  • James (Male, US English): Authoritative, deep, news-anchor style
  • Emma (Female, UK English): British accent, sophisticated
  • Oliver (Male, UK English): British accent, warm

Neural Voices (Pro):

  • Aria (Female, US English): Natural, conversational, friendly
  • Davis (Male, US English): Charismatic, dynamic, podcast-style
  • Natalie (Female, French): Native French speaker
  • Liam (Male, Australian English): Australian accent, relaxed

Multilingual Voices:

  • Spanish (Spain and Latin America)
  • French (France and Canadian)
  • German
  • Italian
  • Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal)
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese)
  • And 50+ more languages

Voice Selection Tips:

For audiobooks:

  • Choose expressive, storytelling voices (Aria, Davis)
  • Match voice to content tone (professional vs. casual)
  • Consider multi-voice for dialogue (different characters)

For learning content:

  • Clear, neutral voices (Sarah, James)
  • Slower speech rate for complex topics
  • Native language voices for pronunciation

For podcasts:

  • Conversational, energetic voices
  • Dynamic tone with emphasis
  • Professional but approachable

Preview voices:

  • Click “Preview” button next to each voice
  • Hear sample reading of your text
  • Compare multiple voices before choosing

Step 3: Adjust Voice Settings (Optional)

Fine-tune audio output:

Speech Speed:

  • Slider: 0.5x (slow) to 2.0x (fast)
  • 0.75x: Slow and clear (learning, complex content)
  • 1.0x: Normal speaking pace (default, most natural)
  • 1.25x: Slightly faster (saves time, still clear)
  • 1.5x-2.0x: Speed listening (comprehension practice, time-saving)

Pitch Adjustment:

  • Lower: Deeper, more authoritative voice
  • Normal: Natural voice pitch (recommended)
  • Higher: Lighter, more energetic tone

Emphasis and Pauses:

  • Auto-detect: AI adds natural emphasis based on punctuation
  • Custom: Add SSML tags for specific control (advanced)
  • Breathing: AI inserts natural breaths between sentences

Background Music (Pro):

  • Add subtle music behind narration
  • Choose from ambient, focus, or energetic tracks
  • Adjust music volume relative to voice

Step 4: Generate Speech

  1. Review text preview (ensure formatting correct)
  2. Click “Generate Speech” button
  3. AI processing begins (progress bar appears)

Processing time:

  • 1,000 words: ~10-20 seconds
  • 10,000 words (article): ~1-2 minutes
  • 50,000 words (book): ~5-10 minutes

What happens during processing:

  • Text analysis (structure, punctuation, emphasis)
  • Pronunciation dictionary lookup (names, acronyms, technical terms)
  • Neural voice synthesis
  • Audio encoding (MP3 or WAV)
  • Quality optimization

Real-time preview:

  • Some voices support instant playback
  • Start listening while rest processes
  • Skip ahead to later sections if needed

Step 5: Listen and Review

Built-in Audio Player:

After generation completes:

  1. Audio player appears with controls
  2. Play/Pause: Listen to generated audio
  3. Skip forward/back: 10-second increments
  4. Speed control: Adjust on-the-fly during playback
  5. Volume: Independent of system volume

Review for quality:

Check these elements:

Pronunciation:

  • Proper names pronounced correctly?
  • Technical terms or acronyms accurate?
  • Foreign words or phrases natural?

Pacing:

  • Natural pauses between sentences?
  • Not too rushed or too slow?
  • Emphasis on important words?

Clarity:

  • Words clearly distinguishable?
  • No audio artifacts or glitches?
  • Consistent volume throughout?

If issues found:

  • Edit text (fix spelling or add phonetic hints)
  • Try different voice
  • Adjust speed or pitch
  • Regenerate audio

Step 6: Download or Share Audio

Download Audio File:

  1. Click “Download” button
  2. Choose format:
    • MP3 (Recommended): Compressed, small file size, universal compatibility
    • WAV: Uncompressed, highest quality, large file size
    • M4A: Apple format, good compression
    • OGG: Open-source format, web-optimized

File naming:

  • Auto-names based on text title or first line
  • Customize filename before download
  • Includes date and voice used

Share Online:

  1. Click “Share” button
  2. Copy shareable link
  3. Recipients:
    • Listen in browser (no download needed)
    • View synchronized text while listening
    • Adjust playback speed themselves
    • Option to download

Integration exports:

  • Podcast platforms: Generate RSS feed for distribution
  • Google Drive: Save directly to cloud
  • Dropbox: Auto-sync to folder
  • Notion: Embed audio player in pages

Advanced Text-to-Speech Features

SSML for Precise Control

Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) gives precise control:

Basic SSML examples:

Pauses:

Welcome to this tutorial.<break time="1s"/> Let's begin.

Result: 1-second pause after “tutorial”

Emphasis:

This is <emphasis level="strong">very important</emphasis>.

Result: “very important” spoken with extra emphasis

Pronunciation:

The company <phoneme ph="ah-mey-zawn">Amazon</phoneme> announced...

Result: Controls exact pronunciation

Speed changes:

<prosody rate="slow">Speak this slowly</prosody> but this at normal speed.

Result: First phrase slower, then normal

Pitch variation:

<prosody pitch="high">This sounds excited!</prosody>

Result: Higher pitched voice

Say-as (numbers, dates, etc.):

Call me at <say-as interpret-as="telephone">555-1234</say-as>

Result: Reads as phone number (five five five, one two three four)

Multi-Voice Audiobooks

Create audiobooks with different voices for characters:

Setup:

  1. Upload book or story
  2. Identify dialogue sections
  3. Assign different voices to characters
  4. ScreenApp generates with voice switching

Example:

Narrator (Sarah): The detective walked into the room.
Detective (James): "Where were you last night?"
Suspect (Emma): "I was home alone."
Narrator (Sarah): She looked away nervously.

Result:

  • Professional audiobook with character voices
  • Natural dialogue delivery
  • Narrator voice for descriptions
  • Seamless voice transitions

Podcast Creation from Blog Posts

Transform written content into podcast episodes:

Process:

  1. Paste blog post text
  2. Add intro/outro music
  3. Choose podcast-style voice (conversational)
  4. Generate episode audio
  5. Export as MP3 with metadata

Automatic enhancements:

  • AI removes “web language” (click here, see below, etc.)
  • Converts URLs to spoken form (“visit example dot com”)
  • Adds natural pauses for emphasis
  • Optimizes for audio-first consumption

Podcast metadata:

  • Episode title from article headline
  • Description from article excerpt
  • Auto-generated show notes
  • Timestamp chapters for topics

Batch Processing

Convert multiple documents at once:

Use case: Turn entire book series or course materials into audio

Process:

  1. Upload multiple files (up to 50)
  2. Apply same voice settings to all
  3. ScreenApp processes in sequence
  4. Download as individual files or combined audiobook

Benefits:

  • Consistent voice across all files
  • Time-saving automation
  • Bulk export options
  • Organized library

Text-to-Speech Use Cases

PDF to Audio for Learning

Goal: Listen to research papers or textbooks while commuting

Process:

  1. Upload PDF (research paper, textbook chapter)
  2. ScreenApp extracts text (ignores headers, footers, page numbers)
  3. Choose clear, professional voice (Sarah or James)
  4. Speed: 1.0x or 1.25x for comprehension
  5. Download MP3 to phone

Benefits:

  • Utilize commute time for learning
  • Review material while exercising
  • Auditory learning reinforcement
  • Hands-free studying

Blog to Podcast Conversion

Goal: Repurpose blog content as podcast episodes

Process:

  1. Paste blog post URL
  2. ScreenApp extracts article text
  3. Remove non-audio elements (images, links, captions)
  4. Choose conversational voice (Aria or Davis)
  5. Add intro/outro music
  6. Generate episode audio
  7. Upload to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.

Content optimization:

  • AI converts written content to spoken style
  • Removes visual references (“as shown above”)
  • Adds natural transitions between sections
  • Optimal pacing for audio consumption

Ebook to Audiobook

Goal: Create personal audiobooks from purchased ebooks

Process:

  1. Upload EPUB or PDF ebook file
  2. ScreenApp detects chapters automatically
  3. Choose expressive narrator voice
  4. Optional: Different voices for dialogue characters
  5. Generate chapter by chapter
  6. Combine into full audiobook or keep separate

Audiobook features:

  • Chapter markers for easy navigation
  • Bookmarks for resuming later
  • Speed control for personal preference
  • Sync across devices

Video Voiceovers

Goal: Add narration to videos without recording yourself

Process:

  1. Write script for video narration
  2. Choose voice that matches video tone
  3. Generate audio
  4. Download and import to video editor
  5. Sync with video timeline

Video types:

  • Product demos
  • Tutorial videos
  • Explainer animations
  • Presentation narration
  • Course content

Accessibility Enhancement

Goal: Make written content accessible to all users

Process:

  1. Upload website pages, PDFs, or documents
  2. Generate audio versions
  3. Embed audio player on website or share links
  4. Visitors can listen instead of (or in addition to) reading

Accessibility benefits:

  • Visually impaired users access content
  • Dyslexic readers have audio alternative
  • Non-native speakers hear pronunciation
  • Multilingual content in native voices
  • Compliance with ADA and WCAG standards

Optimizing Text for Speech

Formatting Tips

Prepare text for best audio output:

Good formatting:

Welcome to this tutorial. Today we'll cover three topics.

First: setting up your environment.
Second: installing dependencies.
Third: running your first example.

Let's begin with setup.

Bad formatting:

Welcome to this tutorial today we'll cover three topics first setting up your environment second installing dependencies third running your first example let's begin with setup

Formatting rules:

  • Use proper punctuation (periods, commas, question marks)
  • One sentence per line for clear pauses
  • Short paragraphs (easier to listen to)
  • Numbered or bulleted lists work well
  • Avoid ALL CAPS (reads as individual letters)

Pronunciation Guides

Common pronunciation issues:

Acronyms:

  • NASA, FBI, CEO: Usually read as letters (N-A-S-A)
  • NASA (preferred): Add as “the N-A-S-A mission” or write “National Aeronautics and Space Administration”

Names:

  • If AI mispronounces, add phonetic spelling in parentheses:
  • “Dr. Yitzhak Rabin (Itsahk Rah-bean)”
  • “The CEO, Satya Nadella (Sutya Nuh-della)”

Numbers:

  • “1995” reads as “one thousand nine hundred ninety-five” (long)
  • Write “in nineteen ninety-five” for natural sound

URLs:

  • “Visit example.com” better than “Visit h-t-t-p-s colon slash slash example dot com”

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Voice Sounds Robotic

Causes:

  • Using older TTS engine (standard vs. neural voices)
  • Improper punctuation in text
  • Text not written in natural conversational style

Solutions:

  1. Switch to neural AI voices (Pro feature)
  2. Add proper punctuation and sentence breaks
  3. Rewrite text in conversational tone (how you’d say it aloud)
  4. Use SSML for natural pauses and emphasis

Mispronounced Words

Causes:

  • Uncommon names or technical terms
  • Acronyms without context
  • Foreign words or phrases

Solutions:

  1. Add phonetic spellings in parentheses after word
  2. Use SSML <phoneme> tags for precise control
  3. Replace with simpler alternative (“machine learning” instead of “ML”)
  4. Submit word to custom pronunciation dictionary (Pro)

Audio Cuts Off or Skips

Causes:

  • Network interruption during processing
  • Corrupted text file upload
  • File size too large for free account

Solutions:

  1. Check internet connection and retry
  2. Split large documents into smaller sections
  3. Remove any special characters or formatting
  4. Upgrade to Pro for larger file limits

Export File Too Large

Causes:

  • WAV format (uncompressed)
  • Long document (hours of audio)
  • High quality settings

Solutions:

  1. Export as MP3 instead (much smaller, same quality)
  2. Split into multiple shorter files
  3. Reduce bitrate in export settings (128kbps sufficient for voice)

Next Steps

Now that you know how to convert text to speech, explore these related guides:

Start Converting Text to Speech Today

ScreenApp makes text-to-speech effortless with natural AI voices, support for 60+ languages, unlimited text length, and instant audio generation. Transform any written content into engaging audio in minutes.

Ready to convert your first text to speech? Start using ScreenApp for free and make your content accessible to everyone.