Read Speaker feature allows text content to be read aloud. The user can listen to the eBook audio of an entire page with this feature. By speech enabling text, you can better understand information and listen to it anytime and anywhere. This makes the content more accessible. The Read Speaker can be used in all the eBooks, even if they don't have audio files embedded in the ePub, as a user you don't have to download anything. MagicBox has updated the new version of the Read speaker on eReader. The new version includes the following new features in the Read speaker settings and toolbar. Enable text highlighting Select type of highlighting- words and sentences, words only, sentences only, no highlighting. Choose word color, text color, sentence color Read on hover Enlarge text Text mode Page mask Features for selected text- Read the selected text, Dictionary, Translation 1. Click on the listen button to listen to the content on the page. 2. An audio player appears (see the image below), and the web reader starts reading the text on the page out loud. In the player, you can Pause/restart redaing Stop reading Use the skip button to rewind or forward the audio Adjust the volume Adjust the reading speed Close the player 3. Features for selected text - Selecting text on a page will trigger some features. To use these features select a word, phrase then selects the desired feature from the pop-up menu that appears next to the selected text. Translation - To translate any part of the text, select the text and click on the translation button in the pop-up menu. A language picker will appear, from which you can select the target language. The translation will be shown in the dialog window. Listen- To listen to any part of the text, select the text and click the listen button in the pop-up menu. Dictionary - To lookup for a word in the dictionary, select the text and click on the dictionary button in the pop-up menu. A dialog window will open up showing the dictionary entry of the selected text. This feature works best if one word is selected. 4. Use the Features in the toolbar - Click on the expand button in the corner of the listen button to open the toolbar. The toolbar has many useful features (shown in the below image) which are explained below. Settings - From the setting window, you can personalize the read speaker according to your preference. You can choose to have the text highlighting feature enabled or disabled, choose what type of highlighting do you want (words only, text only, word and sentences) and choose the word colur, text color, sentence color. You can also turn on/off the pop-up menu when text is selected. Toggle automating scrolling on/off- When this setting is enabled the page is automatically scrolled down to follow the highlighted text Read on hover - Click on this button to enable or disable this feature. A green dot on the button means, this feature is activated. This allows listening to a text, paragraph by simply hovering over it. Enlarge Text - Click on this button to enable or disable this feature. A green dot on the button means, this feature is activated. When activated, the read speaker will display the text being read at the bottom of the page, with a large font size and simultaneous text highlighting. You can play, pause or stop the audio and increase or decrease the text size. Text mode - This tool opens a dialogue window with the current page in a text-oriented version. Click the play button to listen to the page in text format. You can play, pause or stop the audio, alter the text formatting, adjust the reading speed, and maximize the window size for easier and undistracted reading. Page Mask - This tool dims the screen except of a highlighted area that follows the mouse cursor, or finger on touch devices to make it easier to focus on a small portion of text at a time. Download Mp3 - Click to download an mp3 file, with an audio version of the page or selected text. Read Speaker Keyboard Shortcuts- Open the drop-down on the readspeaker and click on the 'Help' section to view information on Keyboard controls.NOTE: The "modifier" keys vary based on Browser, Operating Systems, etc. Access keys are activated with modifier keys, which differ depending on the browser and the operating system used (see list of modifier keys for different environments here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_key) For example, on a Windows PC with the Chrome Browser, Alt + L launches the Listen feature, the same as if you click "Listen", Alt + X stops the playback Keyboard Navigation webReader can be activated, i.e. focus can be set on the Listen button, with the access key "K". The access key "L" will set focus on the player and also start the reading. Many of the webReader tools and features also have a dedicated access key. Inside the player and menu, i.e. when the user has set focus on the player, tab/shift+tab can be used to navigate and the enter or space key to activate a certain button or option:- Put focus on Listen button: Modifier + K Put focus on player and start the reading: Modifier + L Put focus on stop button: Modifier + X Open/close menu: Modifier + 1 The access keys for the individual features are mentioned in the respective sections in the Readspeaker Help section. For the features that are accessed from the menu, the access keys will only function if the menu has been opened on the page.

Read Speaker Feature

Last updated on February 17, 2022 at 6:55 AM

Read Speaker feature allows text content to be read aloud. The user can listen to the eBook audio of an entire page with this feature. By speech enabling text, you can better understand information and listen to it anytime and anywhere. This makes the content more accessible. The Read Speaker can be used in all the eBooks, even if they don't have audio files embedded in the ePub, as a user you don't have to download anything.

MagicBox has updated the new version of the Read speaker on eReader. The new version includes the following new features in the Read speaker settings and toolbar.

Enable text highlighting
Select type of highlighting- words and sentences, words only, sentences only, no highlighting.
Choose word color, text color, sentence color
Read on hover
Enlarge text
Text mode
Page mask
Features for selected text- Read the selected text, Dictionary, Translation

1. Click on the listen button to listen to the content on the page.

2. An audio player appears (see the image below), and the web reader starts reading the text on the page out loud.

In the player, you can

Pause/restart redaing
Stop reading
Use the skip button to rewind or forward the audio
Adjust the volume
Adjust the reading speed
Close the player

3. Features for selected text - Selecting text on a page will trigger some features. To use these features select a word, phrase then selects the desired feature from the pop-up menu that appears next to the selected text.

Translation - To translate any part of the text, select the text and click on the translation button in the pop-up menu. A language picker will appear, from which you can select the target language. The translation will be shown in the dialog window.
Listen- To listen to any part of the text, select the text and click the listen button in the pop-up menu.
Dictionary - To lookup for a word in the dictionary, select the text and click on the dictionary button in the pop-up menu. A dialog window will open up showing the dictionary entry of the selected text. This feature works best if one word is selected.

4. Use the Features in the toolbar - Click on the expand button in the corner of the listen button to open the toolbar. The toolbar has many useful features (shown in the below image) which are explained below.
Settings - From the setting window, you can personalize the read speaker according to your preference. You can choose to have the text highlighting feature enabled or disabled, choose what type of highlighting do you want (words only, text only, word and sentences) and choose the word colur, text color, sentence color.

You can also turn on/off the pop-up menu when text is selected.

Toggle automating scrolling on/off- When this setting is enabled the page is automatically scrolled down to follow the highlighted text
Read on hover - Click on this button to enable or disable this feature. A green dot on the button means, this feature is activated. This allows listening to a text, paragraph by simply hovering over it.

Enlarge Text - Click on this button to enable or disable this feature. A green dot on the button means, this feature is activated. When activated, the read speaker will display the text being read at the bottom of the page, with a large font size and simultaneous text highlighting. You can play, pause or stop the audio and increase or decrease the text size.

Text mode - This tool opens a dialogue window with the current page in a text-oriented version. Click the play button to listen to the page in text format. You can play, pause or stop the audio, alter the text formatting, adjust the reading speed, and maximize the window size for easier and undistracted reading.

Page Mask - This tool dims the screen except of a highlighted area that follows the mouse cursor, or finger on touch devices to make it easier to focus on a small portion of text at a time.

Download Mp3 - Click to download an mp3 file, with an audio version of the page or selected text.

Read Speaker Keyboard Shortcuts- Open the drop-down on the readspeaker and click on the 'Help' section to view information on Keyboard controls.

NOTE: The "modifier" keys vary based on Browser, Operating Systems, etc. Access keys are activated with modifier keys, which differ depending on the browser and the operating system used (see list of modifier keys for different environments here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_key)
For example, on a Windows PC with the Chrome Browser, Alt + L launches the Listen feature, the same as if you click "Listen", Alt + X stops the playback

Keyboard Navigation

webReader can be activated, i.e. focus can be set on the Listen button, with the access key "K". The access key "L" will set focus on the player and also start the reading. Many of the webReader tools and features also have a dedicated access key.

Inside the player and menu, i.e. when the user has set focus on the player, tab/shift+tab can be used to navigate and the enter or space key to activate a certain button or option:-

Put focus on Listen button: Modifier + K
Put focus on player and start the reading: Modifier + L
Put focus on stop button: Modifier + X
Open/close menu: Modifier + 1

The access keys for the individual features are mentioned in the respective sections in the Readspeaker Help section. For the features that are accessed from the menu, the access keys will only function if the menu has been opened on the page.

Was this article helpful?