Reads Text Aloud (Ignores LaTeX Tags/Comments) - Give it a Try!

Read Stop

About: Simple web-based helper tool for proof reading LaTeX text, read the text out using the browser built in 'text-to-speech' synthesizer while ignoring LaTeX specific tags and comments.

How to use: Type the text you want read aloud (or copy and paste from your LaTeX document) into the textarea above, then click 'read'. Tags and comments, such as \cite{..} will automatically be ignored and not read out.

speechSynthesis

About: Simple web-based helper tool for proof reading LaTeX text, read the text out using the browser built in 'text-to-speech' synthesizer while ignoring LaTeX specific tags and comments.

How to use: Type the text you want read aloud (or copy and paste from your LaTeX document) into the textarea above, then click 'read'. Tags and comments, such as \cite{..} will automatically be ignored and not read out.

<div style='height:100px;width:100%;'>

Reads Text Aloud (Ignores LaTeX Tags/Comments) <br><br>

<button onclick='readx();'>Read</button>
<button onclick='stopx();'>Stop</button>

</div>

<textarea id='text' style='width:100%;height:80%;min-height:400px;'>
Type text to read here ...

\section{Example}
In the year 1902 John Smith [2,4] invented time travel \cite{citation} on a theoretical level, 
yet the [2] concepts % ignore this text
%ignore this line
are still used today.

</textarea>

<div>
<br>
About: Simple web-based helper tool for proof reading LaTeX text, read the text out using the browser built in 'text-to-speech' synthesizer while ignoring LaTeX specific tags and comments.<br><br>
How to use: Type the text you want read aloud (or copy and paste from your LaTeX document) into the textarea above, then click 'read'.  Tags and comments, such as \cite{..} will automatically be ignored and not read out.
</div>
<br>

<script>
function readx()
{
    let tb   = document.getElementById('text');
    let txt = tb.value;

    txt = txt.replace(/\\cite{.+}/gm, '');
    txt = txt.replace(/%.+$/gm, '');
    txt = txt.replace(/\\section{(.+)}/gm, '$1');
    txt = txt.replace(/\[.+\]/gm, '');

    console.log( txt );
    
    ReadText(txt);
}

function stopx()
{
    tts.Synth.cancel();
}


var tts = {};
tts.Synth = window.speechSynthesis;
tts.Voices = [];
tts.Voices = tts.Synth.getVoices(); // get a list of available voices.
tts.DvIndex = 0; //Used to help identify the default tts voice for Chrome or FF on the users platform.
tts.DvRate = 0.85; // used to set speech rate between 0 and 2, 1 = 'normal'- there are other seemingly optional parameters like pitch, language, volume.
tts.On = false; //Set to false to prevent tts production.

function ReadText(txt){
    
    tts.Synth.cancel();
    // Use tts to read text. A new speech synthesis utterance instance is required for each tts output for FF.
    // Chrome lets you redefine the SpeechSynthesizerUtterance.txt property-
    // as needed without having to create a new object every time you want speech.
     let ttsSpeechChunk = new SpeechSynthesisUtterance(txt);
     ttsSpeechChunk.voice = tts.Voices[tts.DvIndex]; //use default voice -- some voice must be assigned for FF to work.
     ttsSpeechChunk.rate = tts.DvRate; 
     tts.Synth.speak(ttsSpeechChunk);     
     
    // if ( last )
     //ttsSpeechChunk.onend = function(e){
         //console.log('finished');
    //     Reveal.next();
         //console.log( e );
    // }
     
};

const queryString = window.location.search;
const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(queryString);
var selectvoice = "";
if ( urlParams.has('voice') )
{
    selectvoice = urlParams.get('voice')
}

// fix to get the default voice
setTimeout(function(){
    tts.Voices = tts.Synth.getVoices();
    console.log('Available voices:')
    for (var ix = 0; ix < tts.Voices.length; ix++)
    {
        let voice = tts.Voices[ix];
        console.log( '  voice:[' + voice.name + ']' );
        
        if ( voice.default )
        {
            tts.DvIndex = ix;
            console.log( '>>> default voice: ' + voice.name );
        }
        // *** hack - force voice ***
        if ( voice.name == 'Google UK English Female' )
        {
            tts.DvIndex = ix;
        }
        
        if ( selectvoice != "" )
        {
            if ( voice.name == selectvoice )
            {
                console.log( 'forcing voice: ' + selectvoice );
                tts.DvIndex = ix;
                break;
            }
        }
        
    }
    
}, 500 );
</script>