How to Use a Dutch Read Aloud Voice in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user needs to configure Adobe Acrobat to use a Dutch text-to-speech voice for the Read Aloud feature.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Trying to use the built-in Read Aloud text-to-speech feature to listen to a Dutch PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat only lists or uses an English text-to-speech voice to read the document, even though a Dutch voice is properly installed and functioning in other Windows applications.
Ensure that the Dutch text-to-speech language pack is properly installed and tested in your Windows operating system settings before configuring Acrobat.
Change the Document Language in PDF Properties
Acrobat relies on the document's language metadata to select the appropriate text-to-speech voice. Setting this to Dutch will force Acrobat to utilize the installed Dutch system voice.
By default, if a PDF's language property is unset or set to English, Acrobat will attempt to read the text using the default English voice, regardless of the actual text content. Modifying the document properties corrects this mismatch.
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat. Go to the "File" menu in the top left corner and select "Properties" from the drop-down list (or press Ctrl+D on your keyboard).
In the Document Properties dialog box that appears, click on the "Advanced" tab located at the top.
Look for the "Reading Options" section at the bottom of the Advanced tab. Click the "Language" drop-down menu and select "Dutch". Click "OK" to apply and save the changes.
To refresh the voice engine, go to "View" > "Read Out Loud" > "Deactivate Read Out Loud". Then, go back to "View" > "Read Out Loud" > "Activate Read Out Loud" and try reading the document again.
Read PDFs Aloud Effortlessly with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a lightweight and powerful PDF reader with built-in text-to-speech capabilities. You can easily listen to your documents in multiple languages without complex configuration issues.
- 1. Open your PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document you wish to have read aloud.
- 2. Access the Text-to-Speech tool: Navigate to the "Home" or "View" tab on the top ribbon and click on the "Read" or "Text to Speech" option.
- 3. Adjust language and play: Select the text you want to hear, adjust your preferred voice language settings directly from the reading toolbar, and click play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat use an English voice for my Dutch document?
Acrobat uses the text-to-speech voice that matches the language specified in the document's hidden metadata. If the document language is set to English or left blank, Acrobat defaults to your system's primary English voice, even if the visible text is in Dutch.
How do I install a Dutch voice on Windows 10/11?
Go to Windows Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region. Click "Add a language", select Dutch, and ensure you check the box for "Text-to-speech" during the installation process so the voice package downloads.
Will changing the document language affect the visible text in my PDF?
No, changing the document language in the Advanced properties only modifies the metadata used by screen readers and the Read Aloud feature. It does not translate, alter, or reformat the visible text in your PDF.
