HoverSpeak – Free Text-to-Speech Chrome Extension

Description

Reads aloud any text you hover or select in a natural voice. 100% free, built for dyslexic readers. HoverSpeak is a 100% free text-to-speech (TTS) Chrome extension that instantly reads any text under your mouse or in your selection using natural-sounding voices — no sign-up, no subscriptions, no paywalls. Built especially for dyslexic readers, it offers simple hover-to-speak, a customizable word-by-word reading panel, and contextual definitions so you can focus on meaning instead of decoding every word. Who it helps - Dyslexic readers — Point and listen so you can focus on understanding instead of struggling with text. - Low-vision or aging eyes — See exactly what’s about to be read with a clear focus frame and optional hover highlight. - ADHD & focus challenges — Get bite-size audio on demand without losing your place in long passages. - Eye strain relief — Give your eyes a break while still absorbing content easily. - Multilingual readers — Automatic language detection and voice switching when matching voices are available. - Students, schools & learning support teams — A free, privacy-friendly reading tool that can also be deployed and managed across devices and organizations. Key features ⭐ Hover over any text (buttons, tooltips, chat, articles, etc.) or select a passage and press Alt + Z to hear it read aloud instantly. ⭐ Customizable shortcuts: Alt + Z to start, Alt + C to pause/resume, Alt + X to stop. Change them anytime in Chrome’s shortcut settings. ⭐ Smart word-by-word reading panel for longer selections — follows the spoken word with adjustable text size, letter spacing, highlight style (word, row, or both), and visible word count. Move, resize, collapse, or reopen the panel; your preferences are saved automatically. ⭐ Contextual word definitions — point at any word inside selected text for a plain-language definition using the surrounding sentence as context (with the option to hear the word and definition read aloud). ⭐ Optional Follow-Mouse highlight — keep a visible pointer on readable text without triggering speech until you’re ready. ⭐ Automatic language detection & switching — HoverSpeak detects the page or selection language and switches to a matching voice when available, then returns to your preferred voice. ⭐ Dozens of natural-sounding voices (fast device voices + optional cloud voices). Preview voices before choosing, and save your preferred reading speed for each voice. ⭐ Full control in the extension menu: voice selection, speed, Follow-Mouse toggle, language behavior, panel settings, and more. ⭐ Interface translated into 26 languages. Supports 70+ languages when matching voices are available from your browser, operating system, or enabled providers. How to use 1. Install HoverSpeak. 2. Hover over text or highlight the passage you want to hear. 3. Press Alt + Z to listen while you continue browsing. 4. Use Alt + C to pause/resume or Alt + X to stop. Open the extension icon menu anytime to choose voices, adjust speed, preview options, edit shortcuts, or open More Settings. Privacy-first design HoverSpeak requires no account, login, or registration. All your preferences (selected voice, speed, panel settings, etc.) are saved privately in your browser. It uses Chrome’s standard Speech Synthesis API and only the minimal permissions needed to read text from the active tab and remember your settings locally. No data is collected or shared with us. When you enable and use cloud voices, speech processing is handled directly by the selected voice provider. Notes on compatibility & advanced features HoverSpeak works great on most standard websites. Like all browser text-to-speech tools, support can be limited on some highly dynamic pages (for example, those using canvas elements to display text). The word-by-word reading panel requires voices that support word boundary tracking — this works with most device/local voices and some cloud voices. Contextual word definitions use Chrome’s on-device AI capabilities and require recent versions of Chrome. Device voices are fast and often work offline once installed; cloud voices can sound more natural but require an internet connection when enabled. Give your eyes a break — hover, press, and hear. Enjoy effortless, truly free text-to-speech in Chrome today. HoverSpeak is made with care by Sugar Sweet Apps (Yaron Elharar)

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