English pronunciation practice
Type or paste English sentences and hear them read aloud at a slower, adjustable speed, as often as you like.
Learners often know a word on paper but have never heard it said in a full sentence, where stress, rhythm and linked sounds change how it comes out. Dictionary audio covers single words; your own study material, such as a presentation, a job interview answer or a dialogue from class, usually has no audio at all. This page shows how to use text to speech as a listening aid: hear your own sentences read slowly, repeat them, and compare accents. It is important to be clear about one thing: the tool reads to you, but it does not listen to you or grade your pronunciation.
Open the tool → Opens the tool with the voice Heart at 0.85× speed and fills in a few sample learner sentences if the box is empty.- Free, no limitNo account, no character cap, no watermark.
- Nothing is uploadedYour text is turned into speech on your device and never reaches a server.
- Works offlineAfter the first use the tool keeps working with no connection.
- Audio and subtitlesDownload MP3, WAV, or an SRT file timed to the speech.
What this can and cannot do for you
The tool gives you a clear, repeatable example of how a sentence can sound in American or British English. You can slow it down, replay it, and hear it as many times as you need, which is exactly what shadowing and listen-and-repeat practice require.
It does not use a microphone, it cannot hear you, and it does not score or correct your pronunciation. It is also a synthetic voice, so it may occasionally stress a word oddly or mispronounce an unusual name. For words that really matter, such as your own name, a job title or a technical term, check a dictionary's audio or ask a teacher. Treat the tool as a patient reading partner, not an examiner.
A simple shadowing routine
Paste five to ten sentences you actually need, for example the opening of a presentation. Set the speed to 0.8× or 0.85×, generate, and listen once while reading along. Then play one sentence at a time from the parts list and repeat it aloud straight after, copying the rhythm rather than each individual sound.
To build in time to repeat, put [pause 3s] after each sentence, or use the Pause button to insert 3 seconds at the cursor. Now the audio leaves a gap for you to speak, and you can practice hands-free. When the slower version feels easy, move up to 1× so you get used to natural speed.
It helps to record yourself with your phone's voice recorder and listen back next to the generated audio. The tool will not compare them for you, but your own ears will notice differences in stress and pacing that are hard to feel while speaking.
Practicing words in context
Single words often sound different inside a sentence. Instead of typing only ship and sheep, write I saw a ship in the harbor and The sheep are in the field, so you hear each word with the rhythm around it. The same goes for weak forms: can, to and of are usually short and unstressed in natural speech, and hearing full sentences at a slower speed makes that easier to notice.
Numbers, dates, times and amounts are read in their spoken form automatically, so you can type 3:45 pm or 15 March 2024 and hear how they are normally said aloud. This is useful practice for phone calls, appointments and amounts of money in conversation.
Comparing American and British English
Switch the voice to hear the same sentence in both accents. Heart is American and Emma is British, for example. Words like water, schedule, tomato and can't are good places to start, and hearing them in the same sentence side by side makes the differences easier to catch than reading a list. If you are preparing for a particular exam or moving to a particular country, pick one accent and stay with it for your main practice; the British text to speech page describes the four British voices.
Taking your practice with you
Download the audio as an MP3 and play it on your commute or during a walk. A short daily file of the sentences you are working on is often more useful than a long general recording. Your draft text is kept in the browser on this device between visits, so your practice list is still there next time. For turning a whole article into listening material, see read text aloud.
Frequently asked questions
Will the tool tell me if my pronunciation is correct?
No. It reads text aloud but does not listen to you or give feedback. Use it to hear sentences, then compare with a recording of yourself or ask a teacher.
What speed is best for learners?
Start around 0.8× to 0.85× for new material, then move to 1× as it becomes familiar. The slowest setting is 0.7×.
Can I hear both American and British pronunciation?
Yes. Choose an American voice such as Heart or a British voice such as Emma and generate the same text with each.
Is the pronunciation always right?
It is usually natural for everyday English, but unusual names and some brand names may be mispronounced. Check important words against a dictionary.
Can it read other languages?
No, English only. If your text mixes in words from another language, expect them to be read as if they were English words.
Is it free for students and teachers?
Yes. The tool is free with no sign-up, no character limit and no watermark, so teachers can make listening files for a class.