Official documentation
Have your Mac speak text that's on the screen (Apple Mac User Guide)
Apple Inc., Apple Support, Mac User Guide, n.d.
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Apple's Mac help page on the built-in text to speech feature. It explains how to turn on Speak selection in Read & Speak settings, the keyboard shortcut that starts speaking, and the on-screen controller.
- How much weight it carries
- The official Apple guide, which is the authority on Mac behavior. It is the current version and undated, and menu names change between macOS versions, so check the release you use before following its steps. It is separate from Dictation, which types your speech rather than reading text aloud.
Facts taken from this source
- 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.
“To have your Mac start speaking, press the specified keyboard shortcut (the default key combination is Option-Esc).” (Speak selection steps)