You can use the 'Read Aloud' feature in Microsoft Word to read your work back to you.

You can use Microsoft Word as part of your free Office 365 subscription. This guide use Microsoft Word for Windows, but the option is also available in all other versions of Word.

The Read Aloud tool allows you to read your work out aloud. To get started, open Microsoft Word and click on the ‘view’ tab.

Now select Immersive Reader.

The Immersive Reader toolbar will now load.

Enabling the Immersive Reader toolbar will reduce the column width of your document, to aid reading. When you close learning tools your document will revert to its original column width.

You can use the Read Aloud feature to listen back to your document.

Press Read Aloud or press Ctrl + Alt + Space. The 'read aloud' toolbar will load on the right-hand side of the screen.

The Read Aloud toolbar will load on the right-hand side of the screen.

Select the play button or press Ctrl + Space to start playing back the text.

The text will now be played back, and the currently spoken word will be highlighted in Word. As the text is played back, the play button becomes the pause button.

The ‘back’ button will rewind the readback to the start of the paragraph. If you press it twice quickly it will rewind to the previous paragraph. You can also press Ctrl + left arrow to go back.

The ‘forward’ button will fast-forward the text by one paragraph when pressed. You can also press Ctrl + right arrow.

Speech settings

You are also able to change the speed and voice. Press the 'settings button' and the following menu will appear:

You are now able to change the reading speed and voice. You can also press Alt + left arrow to slow down the voice, or Alt + right arrow to speed up.

Tip: you can use the read aloud toolbar without having to open the immersive reader. Click on the ‘review’ tab on the Word ribbon and select ‘read aloud’.