Office Settings & Configuration

How to Fix Microsoft Word Read Aloud Not Working or Starting

Phi Hung Vo Oct 13, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to fix the Read Aloud text-to-speech feature in Microsoft Word, which is failing to launch.

How to Fix Word Read Aloud When It Will Not Start

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to use the Read Aloud feature to listen to text in saved or unsaved Word documents.
Observed behavior: Word Read Aloud has stopped working entirely and displays an error message stating that something is preventing the feature from starting.

Before you start

Ensure your device has a stable internet connection, as Microsoft Word's advanced Neural Voices require online access to generate natural-sounding speech.

Solution 1Recommended

Refresh Your Microsoft 365 Account Connection

Signing out and back into your Microsoft account can resolve authentication glitches that block cloud-based features like Read Aloud from functioning properly.

Because the Read Aloud feature relies on Microsoft's cloud servers to process Neural Voices, any interruption in your account session or network connection can trigger an error preventing the feature from starting.

Restart Microsoft Word

Save your current document, close the Microsoft Word application completely, and reopen it to clear any temporary application glitches.

Sign out of Microsoft 365

Click on your profile name or picture in the top right corner of the Word window, and select 'Sign Out'.

Sign back in

Click 'Sign In' in the top right corner, enter your Microsoft 365 credentials, and try launching the Read Aloud feature again from the Review tab.

Refresh Your Microsoft 365 Account Connection

Connection Restored: Re-authenticating forces Word to establish a fresh connection to Microsoft's text-to-speech servers, which clears most initialization errors.

Solution 2

Use the Built-in Speak Command as an Alternative

If Read Aloud continues to fail, you can manually add the older 'Speak' tool to your Quick Access Toolbar to read selected text.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word Read Aloud require an internet connection?

Microsoft Word's modern Read Aloud feature uses advanced, cloud-based Neural Voices to provide a more natural, human-like reading experience. Because these voices are processed online, a stable internet connection is required to stream the voice data.

What is the difference between Read Aloud and the Speak command in Word?

Read Aloud is a newer feature that can read an entire document automatically, highlights words as they are spoken, and uses natural-sounding cloud voices. The Speak command is a legacy tool that only reads manually highlighted text and relies on your computer's built-in local text-to-speech voices.

Will repairing Microsoft Office fix the Read Aloud error?

Yes, if signing out and back in does not resolve the issue, running an Online Repair from the Windows Control Panel can fix corrupted Office installation files or missing components that may be preventing Read Aloud from starting.

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