Here are two ways to add a text reader to your WordPress site.
Free TTS (monthly fee)
TTS is not a WordPress plugin, so you can use this for any site. If you just need some text converted to speech in mp3 form, simply submit your text and get an mp3 back. You can then embed this mp3 on your site.
In spite of the name, you’ll probably need to pay for Free TTS since the free service is severely limited in the number of words it will convert. But, you can stop paying after you get your mp3 files.
Play.ht ★ (monthly fee)
If you want a WordPress plugin that allows a voice to read your page content, check out the Play.ht service. The voice quality is simply amazing; at first, it’s hard to tell that it’s a robot reading your text. There are lots of voices to choose from, both male and female. The catch is that this isn’t really a free plugin. You get a pretty useless 100 words for free.
You get to convert 20,000 words per month for $19/month and you need to keep paying as long as you want the audio to work on your site because the files are on their servers, but there’s a discount if you pay for the full year in advance. But, like I said, the quality will blow you away.
To hear an example of this plugin in action, check out 7Summit Advisors.
Please leave a question or comment below! – Brian
I am a freelance web developer and consultant based in Santa Monica, CA. I’ve been designing websites using WordPress and from scratch using HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript since 2010. I create websites and web applications for businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations. I have a degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from California Institute of Technology and a degree in Engineering Management (MSEM) from Stanford University.
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