The rise of AI has led to the emergence of various free human voice text-to-speech tools and generators, courtesy of their ease of use, efficiency, and customization options. These are used as assistive technology for people with visual impairment or reading difficulties alongside other fields like gaming, animation, branding, audiobooks, voice assistant development, and much more.
There are many quality platforms and tools (free and paid) with a multitude of features available in the market. But if you can’t decide the best, you’re at the right place. This article guides you through the best text-to-speech generators available.
In this article
What is Human Voice Text-to-Speech?
Text-to-speech is an assistive technology that transforms a written text into speech in a human-like voice by leveraging AI algorithms. It’s accessible to everyone, irrespective of any learning preferences or visual impairments, which is its primary function. Here’s how it works:
The TTS tech starts by analyzing the texts meticulously and dissecting them into their fundamental elements, individual words, phrases, and sentences. It further interprets the nuances within the text, grammatical structure, formatting, and even punctuation to create a natural spoken flow that closely resembles human speech.
Then comes the main part, where an AI either employs curated AI-generated or pre-recorded human voices to make the output sound more natural. Besides, it focuses on tone, how each word is pronounced, and its pace to make the resulting speed even more engaging.
How to Choose the Best Human Voice Text-to-Speech Generator
Selecting the best human voice text-to-speech generator is no rocket science, but there are a few factors in play, including quality of the speech output, ease of use, available features, and special requirements, if any. Follow the steps to select the free text-to-speech human voice generator:
Step 1: Determine Your Requirements
Determine why you need the TTS generator, whether for customer service, content creation, or others.
Step 2: Available Features
Check the available features, including the language it supports, voice options (male, female, or different age groups), available customizations, and whether it can convey different emotions. Also, check if the platform offers human voice text-to-speech for free or if there’s any subscription-based pricing model.
Step 3: Evaluate the Quality of Speech
Next, ensure that the generated speech sounds natural and human-like and not robotic. The TTS should also accurately pronounce words, including names and technical terms.
Step 4: Review User Feedback
Remember to check reviews and testimonials from other users, and you can use the demo versions, if any, before paying for the service.
Free Platforms to Generate Text To Speech Real Human Voice
While achieving truly human-quality voices is still under development, many tools these days manage to achieve realistic-sounding AI voices. Here are some of the top ones:
1. Virbo
Wondershare Virbo is one of the best text-to-speech natural human voice platforms that lets users create professional AI videos in more than 300 voices and languages. You can develop pitches, presentations, and educational videos with this tool. It can also translate your text to videos in different languages, a feature unavailable on most popular TTS platforms.
Key Features
AI Avatars: AI avatars are the heart of making a perfect AI video. Wondershare Virbo has a choice of more than 300 avatars that are carefully crafted and regularly updated. Be it a female/male actor, educator, news presenter, or much more, be creative and add some spice to your videos (use stickers, backgrounds, and others) to make them more engaging. If you don’t find the ideal avatar from the diverse Virbo library, you can create custom AI avatars that are so realistic that users are hard-pressed to tell the difference between you and your AI replica.
AI Voices: It lets you convert your text into speech in over 300 voices in 90 countries. This feature helps you create a speech that doesn’t sound monotonous and is in line with the way of speaking for the people you’re preparing the video. It greatly enhances approval and credibility.
AI Video Translator: Gone are the days when your audiences could only speak English. Today, with over 40 languages Virbo offers, you can create a personalized video for your audience in Spanish or French, whichever is preferred.
AI Video Templates: Aside from the actors, voices, and languages, a video must look visually appealing, and the AI Video templates by Virbo make it possible. There are more than 400 pre-made editable videos, complete with animations, effects, and dynamic designs to make your videos stand out.
AI Script Generator: While AI can’t replace good writers, this feature comes in handy if you need a quick script for your video and don’t have the budget for a quality writer. Powered by ChatGPT, Virbo can provide an engaging script for your video.
AI Talking Photo: This is probably the most fun feature of Virbo, where you can create a photo that talks. As an educator, this feature is great for teaching your students about scientific mechanisms, concepts of music, philosophy, or other areas.
Free Download Get Started Online
2. Natural Reader
Natural Reader is a real human voice text-to-speech free and paid tool to use occasionally or license if you use it commercially. It offers plenty of customization and user options. First, you can load documents from your library and read them aloud from there. Its support for a multitude of formats, PDF, eBook, handwritten notes, TXT files, and more, is impressive. Besides, it also supports OCR, where you can upload a text or picture and have it speak for you. Next is its floating toolbar, where you select text from any application and use the toolbar controls to convert text into speech.
Key Features
OCR Camera Scan: This feature lets you scan and convert your text from images into OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology. With it, users can extract text from documents, images, or other visual documents and read it aloud.
Customizable Voice Settings: This tool lets you customize the voice settings as per your preferences. You can adjust parameters like pitch, accent, and volume to make the speech sound more natural.
Dyslexia Font Option: Natural Reader allows changing the font to Dyslexia font to improve text readability for users with dyslexia.
Supports Multiple Formats: The tool supports 20+ formats, including PDF, TXT, HTML, XLS, ODT, ODS, DOC, PPT, and others.
Plenty of Voices: There are more than 200 voices available to choose from in different languages and accents. Select any that suits your preferences and needs to bolster the listening experience.
Various Speeds: Users can adjust the pace at which the text is read aloud. You can decrease or increase the speed to your preference.
20+ Languages: Natural Reader supports more than 20 languages and lets users translate the text into their preferred language.
3. ResponsiveVoice
ResponsiveVoice is a text-to-speech library that uses HTML5 to add AI voice features to apps, websites, and software. It works on web, Android, and iOS platforms and supports 168 voices and 51 languages to add versatility to the outputs. You can copy and paste the text on the tool or add a plug-in on your browser, select any text on websites, and convert it into speech in a few seconds. Also, it offers conversion of text-to-speech conversion in a natural human voice, free for personal use, but you must pay to use it commercially.
Key Features
Voice Profiles: ResponsiveVoice integrates smart AI voice profiles that determine which voice to use based on the user’s device and deliver a consistent experience. There are more than 168 voice profiles on offer.
Languages: There’s support for more than 51 languages for added versatility.
Accessibility Features: You can integrate ResponsiveVoice into existing apps or websites to bolster the user experience.
Licensing Options: The tool also offers licensing options for developers and businesses to keep user rights clear.
4. Balabolka
Balabolka is another free human-like text-to-speech platform that lets you copy text into the program or open the supported file formats directly. It provides the flexibility to use different TTS engines, such as SAPI 4, complete with eight voice profiles, SAPI 5 with two, or Microsoft Speech Platform. Besides, you can adjust the pitch, speed, and volume of the playback to make it sound more natural.
Key Features
Multiple File Format Support: Balabolka can read and convert text from various formats like EPUB, DOCX, Kindle e-books, HTML, and more.
Voice Customization: Adjust the speed, pitch, and volume of the voice output.
Clipboard Reading: Automatically reads the text which is copied on the clipboard.
Batch Processing: Converts multiple files in one go and saves users time.
Subtitle Support: Balabolka generates LRC files to provide subtitles of the output audio.
Audio Export Options: It lets you export audio in multiple formats, including WAV, MP3, and OGG.
Conclusion
To conclude, these AI-based free human voice text-to-speech platforms have revolutionized how we convert text into human-like speech and are widely used in various industries to assist individuals with difficulty reading, providing voiceovers for audiobooks, gaming, and more. But if you want a bit more from a platform, including creating customized videos for marketing, promotion, and other commercial purposes, Virbo is a great platform. With multiple customization options and features, it is one of the best text-to-speech platforms.
Free Download Get Started Online