A shortcut for every voice
Go beyond Alt + R. Bind your own shortcuts to different voices and languages, so one key reads English and another reads French.
Featured
on the Chrome Web Store · 70,000+ users
Listen to the web.
RiddR is a free Chrome extension that reads any text you select, out loud. One shortcut, 46 languages, no account.
- Free and open source
- No account needed
- Chrome, Edge, Brave and more
RiddR runs in desktop browsers. Open riddr.com on your computer to install it.
Select the text you want to hear, press Alt and R, and RiddR reads it to you. Articles, emails, documents. Anywhere you read.
The audio is real output of SpeakIt, RiddR’s built-in voice. The browser window is an illustration.
- 70,000+users on the Chrome Web Store
- 46languages in the built-in voice
- 55interface languages
- 2017open source ever since
How it works
Three steps. One shortcut.
No new app, no copy and paste. RiddR lives in your toolbar and reads whatever you point it at.
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01
Select
Highlight any text on a web page: a sentence, a paragraph or the whole article.
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02
Press Alt + R
Or click the RiddR icon, or use the right-click menu. Reading starts right away.
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03
Listen
Keep browsing while RiddR reads. A small player gives you pause, stop and replay.
Pause with Alt + P Stop with Alt + S On a Mac, Alt is the Option key.
Features
A small extension with serious controls.
Everything below ships in the current version. Nothing here is a roadmap.
46 languages, detected for you
Set the language to Autodetect and SpeakIt switches by itself when the text changes language. See all languages
Your pace
Set the speaking rate and volume once and RiddR remembers. Pitch too, on voices that support it.
Say it right
Teach RiddR how to pronounce names, acronyms and anything else a voice gets wrong.
Works offline
Pick a voice installed on your computer and RiddR keeps reading without a connection.
Point and click
Nothing selected? Open RiddR, press the plus button and click any paragraph to hear it.
Queue your reading
Turn on queue mode and new selections line up instead of interrupting the one that is playing.
- Right-click menu on any selection
- Works with your keyboard’s media keys
- Auto selection finds the article for you
- Falls back to an offline voice when you lose connection
- Settings sync through your Chrome profile
- Light and dark options page
Try it
Type something. Hear it.
This playground uses the speech voices in your browser. With RiddR installed, its SpeakIt voice shows up in the list.
Browser voice
Ready when you are.
You are hearing a voice built into your browser or system. Install RiddR and its SpeakIt voice appears in this menu.
Open and private
Nothing to hide. Nothing to sign up for.
Open source since 2017
Every line of RiddR is public under the Apache 2.0 license. Read it, report an issue, add a speech engine or translate it into your language.
riddr/RiddRApache-2.0 · 55 interface languages · Manifest V3
Private by design
- No account. Install it and it works. There is nothing to sign up for.
- No data collection. RiddR’s Chrome Web Store listing discloses that it does not collect or use your data.
- Local voices stay local. With a voice installed on your computer, the text never leaves your device.
- Online voices say so. SpeakIt sends the text you select to its speech provider to produce the audio.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is RiddR really free?
Yes. RiddR is free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license. There is no premium tier, no trial and no account.
Which browsers does it work in?
Google Chrome on desktop, plus Chromium-based desktop browsers that install extensions from the Chrome Web Store, such as Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and Arc. It does not run in Firefox, Safari or on phones.
Which voices and languages are available?
The built-in SpeakIt voice covers 46 languages and can detect the language of your selection. On top of that, RiddR can use every voice your operating system or browser provides, so the exact list depends on your computer. Explore languages and voices
Does it work offline?
With a local voice, yes. Choose one installed on your computer in Options and RiddR reads without a connection. SpeakIt needs the internet.
What about privacy?
There is no account, and by default the extension only gets access to a page when you invoke it. When you use SpeakIt, the selected text is sent to its online speech provider to produce the audio; local voices keep the text on your device. Your settings sync through your Chrome profile if sync is turned on. Read the privacy policy
Can my website use RiddR?
Yes. With RiddR installed, Chrome exposes the SpeakIt voice to web pages through the Web Speech API, which is how the playground on this page works. Read the developer guide
How can I help?
Explore the source, report an issue, contribute a speech engine, or help translate RiddR into your language.
Something else? Ask on GitHub or email support.