How to Change the Immersive Reader Voice and Language in PowerPoint
Question details
The user needs to change the voice and language settings for Immersive Reader and Read Aloud so that foreign languages are pronounced accurately.
- Product
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Using the Immersive Reader or Read Aloud features on a presentation containing text in multiple languages, such as short French phrases mixed with English.
- Observed behavior
- Foreign text is incorrectly read using the default English voice and accent because the specific text language has not been explicitly identified by the software.
Ensure that the necessary speech language packs (such as French or Spanish) are downloaded and installed within your operating system settings, as PowerPoint relies on your system's installed voices.
Set Proofing Language and Adjust Voice Controls
Explicitly setting the text language is the most reliable way to improve automatic detection and force Immersive Reader to use the correct regional voice.
Because the selected voice may not persist across every document or session, permanently changing the proofing language of the specific text box ensures consistent behavior whenever the file is read.
Highlight the specific foreign phrase (for example, the French text) within your PowerPoint slide.
Navigate to the Review tab, click on Language settings, and set the proofing language to match the highlighted text (e.g., French).
Go to the View tab on the main ribbon and select Immersive Reader.
In the Immersive Reader interface, click Read Aloud to display the playback control bar.
Click the microphone and gear icon on the control bar, then use the drop-down list to choose a voice that matches your text's newly assigned language.
Use Built-in Immersive Reader Translation Options
Use the internal language options of Immersive Reader to manually force the reader into a different language mode.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is PowerPoint Immersive Reader reading French text with an English accent?
This occurs when the text's proofing language is not explicitly set in the presentation. The reader defaults to your system's primary language. To fix this, highlight the text and change its proofing language to French under the Review tab.
Can I save a specific voice for all my presentations?
The manually selected voice in Immersive Reader may not persist across different documents or sessions. Setting the proofing language for your text is the most reliable way to ensure the correct voice is automatically selected every time you open a file.
What should I do if the language voice I need isn't in the drop-down list?
If a specific voice is missing from the voice and playback controls, you must install the corresponding speech language pack in your computer's operating system settings (Windows or macOS) and then restart PowerPoint.
