(And no, it’s not Chat GPT)
Do you want your emails to sound more concise? Do you want your business Facebook posts to sound more natural? Do you wish you had a second pair of eyes to review your writing before you hit "publish"?
Wouldn’t it be cool if there were a FREE digital tool that could do all of that for you?
Guess what? There is!
What is it?
No, it’s not ChatGPT.
It’s not a grammar checker either—although you should be using at least one!
It’s the free Read Aloud Text-To-Speech extension available in the Google Chrome Web Store.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Those voice readers are so annoying, and they have no built-in AI, so how could they help improve your writing?
I had those same thoughts, too, when I first heard the idea in my copywriter’s group.
But, trust me, it helps.
One afternoon, when my eyes and brain were tired from reading the same passages over and over again, I thought, "Why not? Let’s give it a try."
And you know what? It helped!
I heard things in my work that I missed in my previous attempts at self-editing. I found a few awkward phrases that needed fine-tuning and a couple of stray words that could be eliminated altogether. My work was cleaner, clearer, and more natural sounding when I was done.
And this was AFTER using 3 grammar checkers!
How do you use this FREE tool? It depends on your system, of course. I found a free extension in the Google Play Store that was easy to install. It hangs out in my toolbar, and all I have to do is highlight the words I want it to read, click the icon, and boom! Speech!
BONUS! You can also use this app to translate any written content into dozens of other languages!
If you have a MAC, you’ll need to check their app store for a free Text-To-Speech extension; they have dozens available, so you’ll just have to pick your favorite.
I’ve even heard of people using Alexa or Siri for this purpose. So, you do you!
The trick to making the voice reader less annoying is to fine-tune the voice to your preferences.
The "Read-Aloud-Text-To-Speech-Voice Reader" from Google Chrome is customizable. You can choose a male or female voice in an American or British accent.
You can also adjust the speed, volume, and pitch to your liking. I prefer the male British voice set at just above mid-point speed. It makes everything I write sound fancy!
The only drawback for me is that it does not work on Google Docs, which is my preferred Word doc format for writing. Bummer!
It’s a Google product…why doesn’t it work there??
Thankfully, there is an extension in Google Docs you can add called "Read Aloud TTS." Once it’s added, you have to open it in the sidebar to use it. Then, the steps are the same as before: highlight the material you want it to read, click Play, sit back, and listen.
I promise you that once you hear your work being read to you, you'll know what needs to be fixed.
Go ahead, give it a try, and let me know how it goes!
And, as always, if you need help with any of your business copywriting needs, let me know! I am happy to hop on a FREE discovery call with you to see how I can be of service.
Happy Writing!
Welcome to my blog. I share tips for small businesses, copywriting tips, thoughts on marketing strategies, and fun ideas for growing your business.
I offer copywriting services for websites, digital marketing, print media, content marketing, and editing.
I'd love to hear how I can help build your
business better with words!
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