How To Make Narrator Read Highlighted Text Windows 10

Windows Narrator has been a Windows accessibility characteristic as far back as Windows 2000. Narrator was designed to open upwards accessibility as a screen reader for visually dumb users, but sadly lacked the power and features of its contemporaries such as JAWS and the at present-defunct Windows Eyes.

With the release of Windows x (version 1903) in May 2019, a new updated, fully-fledged Narrator screen reader was included as part of the release.

Similar about screen readers, Narrator requires a knowledge of keyboard shortcuts to maximise its apply, particularly for navigating the desktop and accessing folders, files and documents.

However, with a flake of tinkering with Narrator's Settings, you tin can use it every bit a free and effective text reader, which will read aloud as you type or read content in Word and other Microsoft applications such as PowerPoint as well as Office 365 online applications, fifty-fifty with a elementary mouse click.

Once everything is set up in Narrator'due south Settings you can use a quick keystroke 'Ctrl + Win + Enter' to open and shut Narrator. You only need to make the post-obit adjustments once and everything is located in the same console, just scroll down, following each of the 8 stages until you come up to the end, so finally close the panel.

one. Adjusting Narrator's Settings

To get started the kickoff thing to practice is to open up Narrator'south Settings Panel and adjust the Settings.

Narrator's Settings Panel is opened by pressing and holding the keyboard keys Ctrl + Win + N.

Shortcut keys to open Narrator panel

(If Narrator's Setting Console doesn't appear information technology could be turned off by default – yous may need to contact your It department).

2. Beginning-upward options

The next phase is to set up the Settings in a like way to the illustrations below. Practice not turn on Narrator until all the settings have been adjusted.

Ensure Narrator is Off
Tick the 'Let the shortcut primal to start Narrator'
Tick 'Minimise Narrator Home to the system tray'

Start-up Narrator options

3. Personalise Narrator's voice

Scroll down until you come to the department 'Personalise Narrator'south vocalization' Hither yous can cull a phonation (including whatsoever of the Scottish voices) and prepare the vocalism speed, pitch and volume.

Personalise Narrator's voice

four. Change what y'all can hear when reading and interacting

Ringlet downwards to the adjacent department 'Change what you hear when reading and interacting'. Narrator can be adjusted to read different amounts of data, for example, when used as a screen reader by a visually impaired or blind learner the level of particular can be set to 'All Controls' thereby allowing the user to navigate by voice alone.

Prepare the level of detail to '1-Text only'
Uncheck all the boxes except 'Make the Narrator use punctuation to determine pauses when reading'. This will ensure that information on web pages and documents is read more naturally.

Change what you can hear when interacting

five. Modify what you hear when typing

Scroll downward until you come to 'Change what you hear when typing'. Hither you tin can cull what the learner volition hear when typing; individual characters, words etc. You should set this to meet the needs of your learner. You can always go back and alter the settings if you wish.

Change what you can hear when typing

6. Apply Narrator cursor

Scroll downwardly until you come to 'Utilize Narrator cursor. Narrator cursor is a blueish box that follows the focus of words which are either typed or read aloud. Narrator cursor may help those who have difficulties with concentration to focus on individual words in sync with the phonation.

Y'all should experiment with this section to see what setup best suits your learner. Yous can always suit as required. Withal, I recommend that 'Read and interact with the screen using the mouse' is ticked as this allows learners to click to hear the words spoken aloud.

After completing this stage shut the Narrator Settings Console.

Use Narrator cursor

7. Practice turning Narrator on and off using the keyboard shortcut

At present you are all set to go. Printing and concord the keys Ctrl + Win + Enter to plough on Narrator and plough it off. Practice this a couple of times, only brand sure you turn Narrator off earlier moving to stage 8.

Turn Narrator on shortcut key

eight. Open a Word document and turn on Narrator

Open a new Word certificate and when you lot see the cursor flashing at the offset of document plow on Narrator using the shortcut keys Ctrl + Win + Enter – at present endeavour typing some text.

Type text in word

You can also use Narrator to read aloud existing documents or webpages by clicking the sections you desire to be read aloud. Narrator will highlight words and sections with the blue Narrator cursor.

Narrator using a webpage

Narrator may struggle to read PDF documents but you tin can open PDF files in Word or Edge instead, right-click on the PDF file and choose 'Open With' and select 'Border' from the bachelor choices or merely open the PDF from inside Word.