Does Kindle Read to You? [Explained]

ByNelson Morgan Last Updated on: Streaming

You won’t always have the time to sit and read the text on your Kindle books. When you’re too busy to read, you’d prefer that your Kindle reads the book aloud. This will make you wonder if your Kindle can read to you.

Luckily, the Kindle device can read to you. The E-reader has a Text-to-Speech feature which works on most Kindle books and documents. You can also listen to your Kindle books on your Android device or iPhone via the Amazon Kindle app.  

Keep reading this article for an in-depth explanation of the audio reading feature on your Kindle.

How Do I Listen to Books on My Kindle?

Follow these steps to listen to a book on your Kindle device:

  • Open the book you want to read on your Kindle.
  • Click on the Aa menu icon at the top right corner of the screen.
  • Select More.
  • Scroll to the Text-to-Speech tab.
  • Press the switch beside the tab to turn on audio reading.
  • If you can’t press the switch, your book isn’t enabled for audio reading.
  • Go back to your Kindle book and tap the screen.
  • The progress bar will appear.
  • Press the Play button beside the progress bar.
  • Your Kindle will start reading the text aloud.
  • If you want to increase or decrease the reading speed, tap the Narration Speed icon.

You can also make your Kindle device read to you in another language. To do this, tap the Download button below the progress bar. From there, you can install the Text-to-Speech voice for the language you want to hear.

How to Make Your Kindle App Read to You on iPhone

If you’re reading your books from the Kindle app on your iPhone, you can also get the app to read to you.

We’ll show you how to do that in the following steps:

  • Go to your home screen.
  • Click on the Settings icon.
  • Tap Accessibility and select Spoken Content.
  • Toggle the switch on the Speak Screen tab to turn it on.
  • Disable the Speech Controller and Highlight Content features.
  • Scroll to the Voices tab.
  • The default language should be English.
  • If you like reading in another language, you can change the default language.
  • Now, click on the Voices option.
  • Tap on English.
  • You’ll see a list of voices.
  • Choose a Siri Voice.
  • The Siri Voice is more natural than the other voices.
  • Now go back to the Accessibility menu.
  • If the Detect Languages option is turned off, enable it.
  • If a book uses multiple languages, the Detect Languages feature will read the foreign language in a native accent.
  • Move on to the Speaking Rate tab.
  • Drag the slider on this tab to choose your reading speed.
  • Close your Settings app and open your Kindle app.
  • Tap on the book you want to read.
  • Next, put two of your fingers close together.
  • Place the finger at the top of the screen and drag them down.
  • Your Kindle app will start reading the text aloud.

If you want a better audio experience, you can connect your phone to your headphones or Bluetooth speakers.

How to Make Kindle App on Android Read to You

The Kindle app on Android offers the Google Text-to-Speech feature. So, it’s much easier to make your Kindle app read to you on Android than on iPhone.

Take the following steps to get your Android Kindle app to read to you:

  • Open your Settings app and select General.
  • Then, choose Text to Speech
  • Tap Google Text to Speech.
  • Go to your Kindle app.
  • Open the book you want to read.
  • Press the Menu option.
  • Click on Start Text to Speech.
  • Your Kindle app will read the book to you now.

Read Next: Does Kindle Track Reading Time?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Kindle PaperWhite Read to You?

Although the Kindle PaperWhite doesn’t offer the standard text-to-speech option in most Kindles, you can still make the device read aloud to you. Kindle PaperWhite has a VoiceView feature which requires you to pair the device to a Bluetooth speaker to activate audio reading.

Can Kindle App Do Text to Speech?

Your Kindle app can read the text on your books as audible speech, whether you are using an Android device or iPhone. If you’re using an iPhone, you can make your Kindle app convert text to speech by activating Spoken Content settings. Android users will need to enable Google Text-to-Speech.

How Do I Know If My Kindle Book Has Audio?

If your Kindle book has an audio version, you’ll find a headphone icon at the corner of the book cover. Amazon also indicates the Text-to-Speech feature in the product detail page for Kindle books that support audio reading.

Does Kindle Work with Bluetooth?

All Kindle devices offer Bluetooth connectivity.

Here’s how to use Bluetooth to pair your Kindle reader with other Bluetooth devices:

  • Tap the Menu icon on your Kindle reader.
  • Click on Settings or All Settings.
  • Next, select Wi-Fi & Bluetooth.
  • Toggle the Bluetooth button on.
  • Make sure your Bluetooth device is close to your Kindle.
  • Then, tap Bluetooth devices.
  • Your Kindle will start scanning for Bluetooth devices around it.
  • Click on your Bluetooth device in the list that appears.
  • Tap on Connect to pair your Bluetooth device with your Kindle reader.

Related: How to Fix Kindle Wi-Fi Connection Problems. 

Wrapping Up

You can make your Kindle read to you as long as you follow the proper guidelines. Apply the tips in this article to start listening to your Kindle books.