How to Fix Acrobat Read Out Loud Speed and Pitch Issues on Mac
Question details
The user is unable to adjust the Words per Minute and Pitch settings for the Read Out Loud feature in Adobe Acrobat.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Reader / Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- macOS Mojave
- Scenario
- Attempting to customize the reading speed and voice pitch for PDF audio playback.
- Observed behavior
- The settings for Words per Minute and Pitch are locked or do not override the default system voice settings when reading text aloud.
Ensure your Mac's audio is working properly and that you have unmuted your speakers before troubleshooting the text-to-speech settings in Adobe Acrobat.
Uncheck Default Speech Attributes in Acrobat
Disabling the default system speech attributes in Acrobat allows you to manually adjust the pitch and reading speed within the application.
By default, Adobe Acrobat uses the system voice settings from your macOS. To manipulate the reading speed directly in Acrobat, you must turn off the default speech attributes feature.
Launch Acrobat Pro DC or Acrobat Reader on your Mac. Click on the 'Acrobat' or 'Acrobat Reader' menu at the top left of the menu bar and select 'Preferences' (or press Cmd + ,).
In the Preferences window, select 'Reading' from the Categories list on the left-hand panel.
Look for the 'Read Out Loud' section and uncheck the box next to 'Use Default Speech Attributes'.
You will now be able to manually modify the 'Pitch' and 'Words Per Minute' settings. Adjust them to your liking and click 'OK' to save your changes.
Modify macOS System Speech Settings
If Acrobat locked settings continue to use the system voice settings, you can adjust the speech rate directly from your macOS Accessibility preferences.
Use Microsoft Edge as an Alternative Reader
As a quick workaround, you can use the built-in Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Edge, which handles PDF text-to-speech exceptionally well on Mac.
Use WPS Office for a Seamless PDF Reading Experience
WPS Office features a lightweight, powerful built-in PDF reader and editor. If you are struggling with complex Adobe Acrobat settings, WPS Office provides an intuitive alternative for viewing, editing, and managing your PDF documents on Mac.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office for Mac from the official website.
- 2. Open the Software: Launch WPS Office and select the 'PDF' tab from the home workspace.
- 3. Load your PDF: Click 'Open' to browse your Mac and load your PDF document into the reader.
- 4. Enjoy Reading: Use the intuitive reading tools in the top toolbar to comfortably view, annotate, and navigate your document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Read Out Loud feature greyed out in Acrobat?
The Read Out Loud speed and pitch features may be greyed out if 'Use Default Speech Attributes' is checked in your Reading preferences, or if the PDF is a scanned image without recognized text (OCR).
Does macOS Mojave have a built-in screen reader?
Yes, macOS includes VoiceOver and Spoken Content features in the Accessibility settings, which can read selected text or the entire screen aloud without third-party software.
How do I activate Read Out Loud in Adobe Acrobat?
To activate it, go to the top menu, select 'View', choose 'Read Out Loud', and click 'Activate Read Out Loud'. Then, you can choose to vary the reading by a single page or the entire document.
Can I change the actual voice used for Read Out Loud in Acrobat?
Acrobat uses the default system voice of your Mac. To change the spoken voice, you need to go to macOS System Preferences > Accessibility > Speech (or Spoken Content) and select a different system voice from the dropdown.
