Text to speech in Arabic
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Learning how to speak Arabic can be difficult for an English speaker. Here is how text to speech can help.
Text to speech in Arabic
Learning how to speak Arabic can be difficult for an English speaker. Reading the text alone is hard enough. In fact, even if you’re using YouTube videos to hear an authentic Arabic voice, you may struggle. What if there was a piece of software that provided an accurate voiceover for any text you enter into it? Text to speech (TTS) readers are exactly that type of software. TTS technology turns the written word into high-quality audio files you can use for several purposes. This article looks at what TTS readers do, how they can help you learn Arabic, and some of the leading TTS readers available today.
How to learn Arabic with a TTS reader
TTS readers are simple. You copy a piece of Arabic text into the reader. Then, the software reads the text aloud using a natural-sounding voice, allowing you to hear proper pronunciation and phrasing. Consequently, TTS helps you learn Arabic because it lets you hear what you’re reading. But, of course, the technology goes beyond the Arabic language. For example, suppose you want to learn Korean, Swedish, Portuguese, or almost any other language. In that case, there’s usually a TTS reader available to assist you. TTS readers aren’t limited to helping you with the phonetics of a language. Many also use this software to create voiceovers for videos and presentations.
How can text to speech be used in Arabic education and business settings?
Let’s look at a quick use case demonstrating how Arabic TTS can serve as an excellent e-learning tool. Imagine that you’re a student who’s working through a complex workbook. You understand most of what you’re reading, but you come across a word or passage that confuses you. What does it say? And how should you pronounce what you’re reading? TTS readers can answer those questions quickly. Just copy the text into your software and it is read back to you with proper pronunciation. But what about a business use case? Imagine you’re an English speaker trying to create a partnership with an Arabic company. Instead of hiring a translator to overcome the language barrier, you can use TTS readers. Many have translation functionality, even those that don’t still allow you to “speak” in an Arabic voice.
Benefits of using text to speech software in Arabic
Text to speech software has an array of benefits. Some of these are directly related to learning or using Arabic. Others are general benefits that are common across all TTS platforms:
- TTS readers help you understand the pronunciation required for Arabic text.
- You can use TTS to create Arabic voiceovers for presentations and videos.
- Learn while you’re on the go by having a TTS reader create an audio file you can listen to while doing other tasks.
- TTS helps people who have language processing difficulties. For example, dyslexic children can use TTS to read text for them.
Specific applications or programs that offer text to speech in Arabic
You’re not short of options if you’re looking for a TTS reader to help you learn Arabic. The following five options are some of the best text to speech readers available today.
Speechify
With its array of premium voices and clever integrations, Speechify is a versatile TTS reader. It’s available as an app for iOS, macOS, and Android devices. Microsoft users can also download a Google Chrome extension to use Speechify on their devices along with the Chrome browser. Speechify allows you to turn almost any digital text into speech. Its snapshot feature will enable you to scan text from physical documents into the app, which reads it aloud in your chosen voice and language. You can try Speechify for free via the website. The software is available in 14 different languages.
Narakeet
Narakeet keeps things simple by focusing solely on the Arabic language. It’s a free TTS reader requiring no online registration or credit card payments. Instead, you visit the website and paste the text you wish to have read aloud. Narakeet features 12 male and female voices. It also allows you to download the audio files you create in m4a, mp3, and .wav formats.
Murf.ai
With five Arabic voices to choose from, Murf.ai may not be the most comprehensive Arabic TTS reader on the list. However, all of its voices are high-quality, ensuring they’re ideal for voiceover work. The software features 20 languages, most of which have testing voices in the platform’s free plan. But its standout feature is its voice cloning module. You can insert your favorite actor’s voice into the platform and let its algorithm create a new voice for you.
Micmonster
Micmonster is much like Narakeet in that it keeps things simple. You’re presented with a text box and a few options when you visit the website. Just paste your text into the box, and Micmonster reads it aloud in your chosen voice. The Pro version of the platform has hundreds of voices and can even use voice inflections to create a suitable tone.
Synthesia
Synthesia’s most significant feature is the sheer variety of Arabic accents its TTS reader offers. You can choose from Egyptian, Algerian, Emirati, and many more accents. The platform also features AI-generated presenters. You can sync an Arabic voice script to one of these presenters for your videos and presentations with a little work.
FAQ
Is there text to speech in Arabic?
Speechify offers a range of Arab text to speech voices and generates English audio with an Arabic accent. These features make it ideal for people who want to learn Arabic.
What is the best text to speech?
The top text to speech software includes Murf, Speechelo, Nuance Dragon, NaturalReader, and Notevibes. Speechify is also a leading Arabic TTS that uses speech synthesis to create natural-sounding voices.
Can I convert text to voice?
You can use Speechify to convert any text file or copied-and-pasted text into Arabic speech. You can also choose an AI voice with several available voice styles.
What is the most realistic TTS voice?
Speechify has some of the most lifelike human-sounding voices of all text to speech applications. You can choose from a male voice or female voice, with developers also having access to an API for programming more voices.
Cliff Weitzman
Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.