What is Browsealoud?

Browsealoud is a speech tool that you can download and use on OU websites. It converts online text to audio, so you can have the content of OU websites read to you. It is available for anyone who uses OU websites.

What can it do?

• Read aloud selected text or a whole web page
• Read from online pdfs and Word documents
• Highlight text as it is read, or show it in a separate window in a choice of fonts and colours
• Find a dictionary definition of a selected word
• Read in a range of voices and accents
• Save audio to an mp3 file, for listening away from the computer.

Who is it for?

• Anyone who has difficulty reading text on websites or who finds it tiring – for example, students with dyslexia or those who just don’t want to read online for longer than they have to.
• It is great for people with mild visual difficulties – but it does not replace the screen readers used by blind students.
• Students with English as a second language often find it helpful as they can listen to pronunciation and read the text at the same time.
• It is also a handy revision tool. Course material available online as a pdf, for example a glossary, can be saved to mp3 to give you a break from reading.

What do I need to know?

• Browsealoud uses mostly streamed voices – they play at the same time as they are downloading. To safeguard your security this transfer is automatically disabled while you visit secure sites (those whose address contains https://)
• Once installed, you can use Browsealoud to listen to content from other organisations who subscribe to the service, such as the Met Office
• Comprehensive help and technical support is available from Browsealoud at www.browsealoud.com.

How do I get it?

You can download Browsealoud and read more about it from the Browsealoud support page. Downloading and Installing Browsealoud