Fact · Dictation software
Apple says that once Speak selection is turned on in Read & Speak settings, the keyboard shortcut makes the Mac start speaking, and its default key combination is Option-Esc.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“To have your Mac start speaking, press the specified keyboard shortcut (the default key combination is Option-Esc).”
Have your Mac speak text that's on the screen (Apple Mac User Guide), Apple Inc., Apple Support, Mac User Guide, n.d., Speak selection steps.
Open the original- What it measures
- This is the Mac's built-in text to speech feature, found under System Settings, Accessibility, Read & Speak. It reads text out loud and is separate from Dictation, which types what you say.
- What it does not show
- Apple does not date the page, and the menu path may differ in other macOS versions. The page describes speaking text on the Mac screen, not a feature of any particular dictation app.