Text to speech for deaf and hard of hearing people
Many deaf and hard of hearing people communicate in sign language, by writing, with captions or with their own voice, and choose what suits each situation. Text to speech adds one more option: you type, and your phone says it out loud, to a person in front of you or to someone on a call. Captions do the opposite and turn the other person’s speech into text.
This guide sums up the type-to-speak tools built into phones, from Apple’s and Google’s own help pages, and shows how to prepare everyday phrases as audio in a voice you like.
Live Speech on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
Apple’s Live Speech is turned on in Settings, Accessibility, Live Speech. On iPhone and iPad you open it by triple-clicking the side button, or through the Accessibility Shortcut; on a Mac it lives in the menu bar. What you type is spoken from your device in person, and in phone and FaceTime calls the other people hear it on their side. You can save Favorite Phrases, choose a system voice or a Personal Voice you made, and on iPhone and iPad adjust pitch and speed. Apple lists iOS 17 or later and iPhone XS or later.
Live Transcribe on Android
Google’s Live Transcribe shows speech and sounds around you as text on the screen. To answer, tap Type, write your message and tap Read aloud to play it through the phone’s speaker. On Android 12 or later you can download several languages for offline use.
Ready-made phrases as audio
For situations you meet often, such as ordering, a doctor’s reception, introducing yourself or asking someone to type, keep a few phrases as audio files and play them with one tap. Hear voices free on their pages with a phrase of 30 to 100 characters and download the recording, or make a whole set offline with the free engine: superclonica --text "Hi, I am deaf. Please type on my phone or speak slowly." --voice voice.json --lang en --output hello.mp3. You can also train a voice of your own in the studio from a 5 to 10 second recording.
Tips for typing to speak
Short sentences sound clearer than long ones. Put the most important words first, and spell names the way they are pronounced if the voice reads them wrongly. In a loud place, hold the phone closer to the listener or show the screen as well.
Your choice comes first
Text to speech does not replace sign language, interpreters, relay services or captions; it is one more tool you can pick when it suits you. If you work with people who are deaf, ask them how they prefer to communicate rather than assuming.