Other PDF Issues

How to Turn Off the Read Out Loud Voice in Adobe Acrobat

Maira MehtabMaira Mehtab Oct 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to disable the text-to-speech accessibility feature that reads PDF documents aloud in Adobe Acrobat.

How to Turn Off the Read Out Loud Voice in Adobe Acrobat
Product
Adobe Acrobat
Device & OS
not provided
Scenario
Reading a PDF document where a computer-generated voice starts reading the text aloud, often triggered accidentally or by default settings.
Observed behavior
A computerized voice actively reads the text of the open PDF document aloud, interrupting the user's workflow or silent reading.
Before you start

Ensure your Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader application is open with the active PDF document loaded on your screen.

Solution 1Recommended

Deactivate Read Out Loud via the View Menu

Use the built-in View menu settings to completely deactivate the Read Out Loud feature for your current document.

Adobe Acrobat includes a built-in text-to-speech accessibility feature called Read Out Loud. While helpful for accessibility, it can be distracting if enabled accidentally. You can easily turn this off directly from the top navigation menu.

1
Open the View menu

Navigate to the top menu bar in your Adobe Acrobat or Reader window and click on the 'View' tab.

2
Locate the Read Out Loud option

Scroll down the drop-down menu and hover your cursor over 'Read Out Loud' to expand its submenu.

3
Deactivate the feature

Select 'Deactivate Read Out Loud' from the submenu options. The computer-generated voice will immediately stop reading the document.

Deactivate Read Out Loud via the View Menu
Keyboard Shortcut: You can quickly deactivate the Read Out Loud feature without using the menu by pressing Shift + Ctrl + Y on Windows, or Shift + Command + Y on Mac.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Adobe Acrobat start reading out loud automatically?

The Read Out Loud feature might trigger automatically if your computer's accessibility settings are integrated with Adobe, or if you accidentally pressed the activation keyboard shortcut (Shift + Ctrl + Y) while navigating the document.

How can I change the voice or speed of the Read Out Loud feature instead of turning it off?

You can adjust the voice settings by going to Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Acrobat > Preferences (Mac). Select 'Reading' from the left pane, uncheck 'Use default voice', and then select your preferred voice, pitch, and words per minute.

Does deactivating Read Out Loud remove it permanently from Adobe Acrobat?

No, deactivating it only turns it off for your current session and stops it from reading the active document. The feature remains built into the software and can be reactivated anytime via the View menu.