Have your Mac read any selected text aloud

Why it happens

Speak selection is built into every Mac but is off until you switch it on. Once it's on, a single shortcut reads whatever text you've selected, in almost any app. It's handy for proofreading, tired eyes or listening to a long article.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, click Accessibility, then Read & Speak.

2. Turn on Speak selection. On macOS 27, click the Speak selection row first, then turn on the switch at the top of that page.

   Accessibility›Read & Speak›Speak selection

3. Select some text in any app, such as a web page or an email, and press Option-Esc. Your Mac starts reading. Press Option-Esc again to stop.

4. Speak selection has its own options, next to the switch on macOS 26 or inside its page on macOS 27. There you can change the shortcut, highlight words as they're read, and show a small controller on screen.

On macOS 26 Speak selection is a switch in Read & Speak. On macOS 27 you click the Speak selection row to open its page, then turn it on there.

Still not fixed?

1. Option-Esc does nothing? In many apps you can choose Edit > Speech > Start Speaking instead. If that works, another app may be using Option-Esc, so pick a different shortcut in Speak selection's options.

   Edit›Speech›Start Speaking

2. Want a different voice or speed? Choose one from System voice in Read & Speak and use the info button next to it to change how fast it talks.

   Accessibility›Read & Speak›System voice

3. Hear nothing at all? Check the volume and that the right speaker is picked in Sound settings.

   Sound›Output

4. If the voice never plays while other sounds work fine, restart your Mac and try a different system voice. If it still stays silent, contact Apple Support.