Readable Web
User Guide
Readable Web is an “extension” for Chrome and Edge browsers. Also available for Safari MacOS.
About Readable Web extensions
Readable Web is an “extension” for Chrome browser and Edge browser. There is also a Readable Web Extension available for Safari on MacOS. Readable Web will speak any accessible web page content by selecting the text with your mouse. You can also have the words underneath the mouse spoken, and can choose the “mouse hover” setting to speak a word, line or “block” which is normally a sentence.
Readable Web extensions for Chrome and Edge include the novel underline highlighting technique for many text to speech voices. We will either underline individual words as they are spoken, or underline the block of text. This will depend a little on the text to speech voices chosen in the browser. Readable Web extension for Safari MacOS also offers the underline highlighting on certain websites.
The Readable Web extension can use the text to speech voices available on your computer and also voices available through the web browser you are using. You will likely find a wide range of text to speech voices when on Windows, Chromebook or Mac, often with very high quality, in a wide range of languages
Readable Web extension User Guide
Speaking webpage text content
There are two ways to have webpage text content spoken using Readable Web:
Hovering over text
Simply hover the mouse pointer over some text content and it will be spoken. If ‘Settings>Ctrl+Move to Speak’ is ticked the Ctrl key on your keyboard should be pressed to start reading the text under the mouse. Moving the mouse pointer over some different content will cause the new content to be read out. Speaking can be stopped by pressing the SHIFT key or left click the mouse.
Selecting text
Webpage content selected using the mouse is spoken and underlined (if available) when the Readable Web extension is active and running . If no speech is heard, check the volume and audio on your computer, and check the the Readable Web setting “Silent Mode” is not selected. Speaking can be stopped by pressing the left mouse button or pressing the SHIFT key or left click the mouse.
Readable Web Toolbar and Settings
Once the Readable Web extension has been added to your browser it is useful to “pin” it so that it is always visible by following these steps (see image below):
- Select ‘Manage extensions’ in your browser.
- Click the ‘Pin’ icon by Readable Web.
- Readable Web is now pinned to the menu bar and is active.
Using your mouse or trackpad, left click the Readable Web icon to display the Readable toolbar and settings
Speak word under mouse
Speaks a single word under mouse pointer. Press CTRL key to speak (if set in Readable Web settings)
Speak text line under mouse
Speaks the single line under mouse pointer. Press CTRL key to speak if set in Readable Web settings
Speak "text block" under mouse
Speaks a text block under mouse pointer. This is generally a sentence. Press CTRL key to speak if set in settings
Readable Web Settings
Opens Readable Web settings
Readable Web Settings
Readable Web Settings provide different ways to trigger reading of content and options for text highlighting whilst reading. Clicking the settings button on the toolbar will display the settings panel shown.
Settings Descriptions
- Voice – Click the voice to display a list of available voices. After selecting a voice, it will speak a short test phrase so you can hear what it sounds like. Some voices will always be available, some voices may only be available when your computer is connected to the internet. The response of voices from the internet will depend on your local internet speed, so there may be a short pause between selecting the text and the start of speech.
- Pitch – This slider can be used to change to pitch of the selected voice.
- Rate – Use this slider to change the speed of the selected voice.
- Volume – The volume of the selected voice can be adjusted using this slider.
- Silent mode – When ticked there is no speech or highlighting. This is useful if you wish to select some text and copy it to the clipboard without Readable Web reading the selection.
- Use Highlight – When ticked the text being spoken has a background colour and has the appearance of being selected.
- Underline – Hovering over the current colour displays a colour picker window that can be used to select a new colour for the text underlining.
- Use underline – When ticked the text being read will be underlined as reading progresses, if underlining is supported by the chosen voice. In Safari MacOS browser this feature is not available for certain websites, but will not affect text to speech
- Ctrl+Move to Speak –
Unticked – Simply hover over text to have it spoken automatically.
Ticked – Hover over the text you want to read and press and release the Ctrl key to start reading. - Help – Clicking this will take you to the online documentation for Readable Web.
- Close & Save – Clicking this will save your settings and close the settings window. Closing the settings window any other way will not save any changes you have made.
Manage or Remove Readable Web Extension
Chrome
To remove the Readable Web extension in Chrome, right click your mouse on the Readable Web icon. This brings up the menu shown. You can remove the Extension from this menu. You can also go and check the extension store listing, and either update or remove the extension from there. You can also Manage the extension settings for Chrome from this menu, such as the web sites that it is allowable, and whether it can work on the incognito/private browser.
Microsoft Edge
To remove the Readable Web extension in Edge, right click your mouse on the Readable Web icon. This brings up the menu shown. You can remove the Extension from this menu. You can also go and check the extension store listing, and either update or remove the extension from there. You can also Manage the extension settings for Edge from this menu, such as the web sites that it is allowable, and whether it can work on the incognito/private browser.
Safari MacOS
To remove the Readable Web extension in Safari on Mac, right click your mouse on the Readable Web icon. Click “Manage Extension” . This brings up the Extension settings shown. You can remove (uninstall) the Extension from this menu. You can also update the extension from this menu, as well as manage the extension privacy settings for Safari from this menu, such as the web sites that it is allowableon , and whether it can work in private browsing.
Getting Help
To get further help, contact us by email at [email protected]