Read PDFs out loud, one highlighted word at a time
Long PDFs are tiring to read by eye. For many people with dyslexia, listening while following the words makes it easier to keep your place and take in what's on the page. Read-Along does exactly that.
Hear a sample
Under a minute, read to you.
Press play and follow the highlighted words — this is exactly what your documents become.
The Tortoise and the Hare, by Aesop.
A Hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing: "Though you be swift as the wind, I will beat you in a race." The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal; and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal.
On the day appointed for the race the two started together. The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course. The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep.
At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could, he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue.
Slow but steady wins the race.
From Aesop's Fables (public domain). Read by Heart, one of our AI voices.
Upload a PDF, Word, ePub, RTF, ODT, Markdown, text or HTML file (up to 3 GB), or paste a web link. We clean up the text and read it aloud with a natural voice, and the page lights up each word as it's spoken. You can pause, jump back 10 seconds and change the speed, on a phone or a computer.
How it works
One: choose the file or paste a link, then sign in with your email or phone, no password. Two: watch the progress page; a short one is ready in a few minutes. Signed in by email? You can close the tab and we email the link. By phone? Tick "Text me once when it's ready", or find it later under My read-alongs. Three: press play.
Why people like word-by-word highlighting
You see and hear the same word at the same moment. If your attention drifts, the highlight shows where you are.
Free to try
Everyone gets one free document a day, no card needed. Premium has no daily limit and puts your documents first.
Honest limits
Read-Along is a reading aid, not a medical or educational treatment, and it doesn't replace support from a teacher or specialist. It works best on typed or printed English. A scan or a phone photo of a printed page is read too, but a blurry photo or handwriting may not come out right.
Want to hear it first? Press play on the short sample on our home page, no sign-in needed.
Questions
Is it free?
Yes, one document a day is free with no card. Premium has no daily limit.
What files can I use?
PDF, Word (.docx, .doc), ePub, RTF, ODT, Markdown, text and HTML files up to 3 GB, or a web link.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The read-along page works on phones, tablets and computers.
Do I need an account?
You sign in with your email or phone using a one-time code. There is no password.