Reading time: 5 minutes.

Speak Keys

Dolphin ScreenReader includes over 30 Speak Keys to read elements of the screen without the need to move the focus.

The Speak keys are also categorized as multikeys. This means the repeated pressing of the Speak Key will produce additional information about the object.

For example, in a document the pressing of the Speak Word keyboard command produces the following output:

1. Press one time and speech reads the current word, for example, "hello".
2. Press two times and speech spells the current word, for example, "h e l l o".
3. Press three times and speech spells the word using the phonetic alphabet, for example, "Hotel, Echo, Lima, Lima, Oscar".
4. Press four times and speech goes back to reading the word. And so on, until you press a different key, or you move the focus on the screen.

Below is a list of popular Speak Keys you may wish to use when working in an edit area such as a Microsoft Word document.

Reading documents aloud

As well as reading parts of the screen with Speak Keys, you can also read documents aloud using a continuous reading mode. This mode is called "Read from here".

In this mode you do not need to use the Arrow Keys to move through your text, instead you can sit back, relax, and just listen to the content of your email message, webpage or document being read aloud to you.

When you start "Read from here", reading will start at the current focus position and continue to the end of the text or until you pause or exit the reading mode.

When you choose to exit, Dolphin ScreenReader will position your focus at the last word spoken. This can be extremely helpful if you are proof-reading a document and you spot an error you need to correct or, you simply want to reread a passage of text at a slower pace to help you digest its content.

While you are listening to your text being read aloud, you can use some additional keyboard commands to control the reading experience.

Please be aware that navigating by paragraph requires the document area to support navigation by defined units. Applications that support such a unit include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, and WordPad.