• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

My Online Training Hub

Learn Dashboards, Excel, Power BI, Power Query, Power Pivot

  • Courses
  • Pricing
    • Free Courses
    • Power BI Course
    • Excel Power Query Course
    • Power Pivot and DAX Course
    • Excel Dashboard Course
    • Excel PivotTable Course – Quick Start
    • Advanced Excel Formulas Course
    • Excel Expert Advanced Excel Training
    • Excel Tables Course
    • Excel, Word, Outlook
    • Financial Modelling Course
    • Excel PivotTable Course
    • Excel for Customer Service Professionals
    • Excel for Operations Management Course
    • Excel for Decision Making Under Uncertainty Course
    • Excel for Finance Course
    • Excel Analysis ToolPak Course
    • Multi-User Pricing
  • Resources
    • Free Downloads
    • Excel Functions Explained
    • Excel Formulas
    • Excel Add-ins
    • IF Function
      • Excel IF Statement Explained
      • Excel IF AND OR Functions
      • IF Formula Builder
    • Time & Dates in Excel
      • Excel Date & Time
      • Calculating Time in Excel
      • Excel Time Calculation Tricks
      • Excel Date and Time Formatting
    • Excel Keyboard Shortcuts
    • Excel Custom Number Format Guide
    • Pivot Tables Guide
    • VLOOKUP Guide
    • ALT Codes
    • Excel VBA & Macros
    • Excel User Forms
    • VBA String Functions
  • Members
    • Login
    • Password Reset
  • Blog
  • Excel Webinars
  • Excel Forum
    • Register as Forum Member

Make Excel Speak What You Type

You are here: Home / Excel / Make Excel Speak What You Type
Make Excel Speak What You Type
December 13, 2010 by Mynda Treacy

There’s a little known tool in Excel that will convert your text into speech and read your worksheet to you.  It’s called Excel Speak Cells and not many people know about it because you won’t find it in any of the tabs on the Ribbon.

It sounds like a gimmick, but it’s not just for fun like the card I created below, it’s actually a genuine feature in Excel and it has some useful ‘business’ applications and some fun ones (read to the end for an idea on how you can have some fun with your colleagues, or at their expense, while it's quiet over the holiday season)!

Enter your email address below to download the sample workbook.



By submitting your email address you agree that we can email you our Excel newsletter.
Please enter a valid email address.

Download a copy of my holiday greeting below to hear Excel speak (Excel 2007/2010). Note: This is a .xlsx file. Please ensure your browser doesn't change the file extension on download.

Excel Speak Cells

How to Turn On Excel Speak Cells

Because you won't find the Speak Cells tools anywhere in the Ribbon, to turn them on you need to add the icons to your Quick Access Toolbar.

1)      Right-click on the Quick Access Toolbar and select Customise Quick Access Toolbar

2)      Choose from All Commands

3)      Select the 5 Speak Cells icons and add them to your Quick Access Toolbar

Speak Cells Icons

4)      You’ll now see the Speak Cells icons in your Quick Access Toolbar

speak cells shortcuts

5)      The Speak Cells icons in left to right order will:

a.      Speak Cells - Dictate the information in the cells selected in your worksheet either by columns or rows

b.      Stop Speaking Cells – will stop Excel speaking

c.      Speak Cells on Enter – will dictate the cell after you press enter

d.      Speak Cells by Columns – Will dictate the information one column at a time based on your selection

e.      Speak Cells – Speak Cells by Rows – Will dictate the information one row at a time based on your selection

What is Excel Speak Cells Good For?

1)      In the days before Excel's Speak Cells it used to take two of us to accurately troubleshoot a reconciliation error in one of our worksheets.  One person would read the numbers and the other person would tick them off.

Now with Excel’s Speak Cells it’s a one person job.

Remember to use the Stop Speaking Cells button if you find an error.

2)      Check your input as you type it with Speak on Enter.

3)      Have Excel read your text back to you to check for typos that are hard to find.  I often type ‘you’ instead of ‘your’, but it’s difficult to find when I proof read my own work.

4)      Make a greeting card like mine above.  Note: I used a macro to activate Speak Cells when the button is clicked.

5) Have a bit of fun when it’s quiet during the festive season.  Turn on Speak on Enter on a colleagues PC while they’re out at lunch and then watch the confusion as Excel speaks everything they enter into their worksheet.

Now, please forward this on to your friends and colleagues who are working this holiday season and let them have some fun with it and spread the holiday cheer.

Then come back and share your funny story in the comments.

Make Excel Speak What You Type

More Excel Posts

excel check boxes

Interactive Excel Check Boxes

Excel check boxes are interactive elements you can link to formulas, charts, conditional formatting and more.
tips for working in multiple excel files

Hacks for Working in Multiple Excel Files

Awesome tips for navigating, arranging and working in multiple Excel files. Guaranteed to streamline your workflow and increase productivity.
chatgpt for excel

ChatGPT for Excel

Using ChatGPT for Excel can be hit and miss. Learn the best uses for ChatGPT to make your Excel life easier and what to avoid using it for.
excel templates

Where to Find Free Excel Templates

Where to find free Excel templates and how to create your own Excel templates. Using templates saves time and effort.
Easily Remove Password Protection from Excel Files

Easily Remove Excel Password Protection

How to remove Excel password protection when you’ve forgotten the password. Works for sheets, workbooks and read only files.
Import data from a picture to Excel

Import Data from a Picture to Excel

Import data from a picture to Excel. Works with pictures from a file or the clipboard and loads it to the spreadsheet.
excel online

5 Excel Online Features Better than Desktop

5 Excel Online Features Better than Desktop including searchable data validation, track changes, single line ribbon and more.

10 Common Excel Mistakes to Avoid

10 common Excel mistakes to avoid, including merge cells, external links, formatting entire rows/columns and more.
new Excel features

Cool New Features in Excel for Microsoft 365

Cool New Features in Excel for Microsoft 365 including the navigation pane, smooth scroling, unhide multiple sheets and more.
dynamic dependent data validation

Dynamic Dependent Data Validation

Dynamic Dependent Data Validation with dynamic array formulas like FILTER make it quick and easy to set up.


Category: Excel
Previous Post:excel tablesSave Time With Excel Tables
Next Post:Calculating Time in ExcelShort Survey, Win a Prize

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kadr Leyn

    November 2, 2021 at 3:37 am

    Hi,
    thanks for useful tutorial.
    I implemented the text to speech feature on a userform. It can be useful for users :

    I have listed the periodic table elements using combobox and textboxes on a userform.
    I vocalized the selected element name from the combobox and atomic number with the VBA Speech.Speak method.

    Source : https://eksi30.com/periodic-table-on-excel-userform/

    Reply
    • Mynda Treacy

      November 2, 2021 at 9:22 am

      Thanks for sharing, Kadr!

      Reply
  2. Colin

    April 3, 2014 at 11:04 am

    Another Faberge Egg in the Pandora’s Box of Excel!!

    Hi Mynda
    This is cool – if only I could think of practical ways to use it at work other than for mischievous purposes!
    Two questions:
    Is there any way to:
    1. apply emphasis to selected words or inject variable length pauses? (Asking a bit much I know!)
    2. have selection of a value from a drop-down list (e.g. ex Data Validation) trigger the speaking?

    Tx

    Reply
    • Mynda Treacy

      April 3, 2014 at 12:24 pm

      Hi Colin,

      Glad you enjoyed Excel Speaking 🙂

      To answer your quesitons; no, I dont’t think there is any way to make it emphasise words. I tried formatting in bold or typing in capitals but it makes no difference. However, if you type lots of ….. between text, Excel will pause 🙂

      For executing the Speaking on a change in the selection in a drop down list, yes you could do this with VBA.

      Kind regards,

      Mynda.

      Reply
  3. juan antonio gordo

    April 1, 2014 at 8:36 pm

    thanks for your information

    only a question?

    It Works in english language but what can i do to use in spanish

    thanks

    Reply
    • Mynda Treacy

      April 1, 2014 at 10:40 pm

      Hi Juan,

      You could try this post by Microsoft for multilingual text to speech.

      Hope it works.

      Kind regards,

      Mynda.

      Reply
  4. Sherab

    April 1, 2014 at 8:34 pm

    Dear Nynda,

    I really had a nice time with formation of sentences with pun words and allowing it to speak, shared with some of friends.

    However, I could not create like yours in Text Box with hyperlinked button, which would look more professional. I would certainly use this feature during some of my presentation time so that the audience would feel relieved.

    I would like to know complete set just like yours.

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Mynda Treacy

      April 2, 2014 at 11:00 am

      Hi Sherab,

      Glad you enjoyed making Excel speak 🙂

      In my example the macro is not making Excel read what is in the text box. That is an illusion 🙂 If you go to cell C1 you can see the exact same text is in that cell. The macro is making Excel speak the contents of cell C1. You can use this code to do the same:

      Sub SpeakCellDemo()
      
      
      Range("C1").Speak
      
      End Sub

      Hope that helps.

      Mynda.

      Reply
  5. Graham

    April 1, 2014 at 4:24 pm

    Hi I have found only 2 speak cells. My version of Office is Home so perhaps it does not give the full set of options?

    Reply
    • Mynda Treacy

      April 1, 2014 at 8:23 pm

      Hi Graham,

      Yes, perhaps. That post is quite old so things might have changed in later versions or trimmed down versions like ‘Home’.

      Kind regards,

      Mynda.

      Reply
  6. Harisha

    January 4, 2013 at 1:13 am

    Dear Madam please help me.
    I am having list of products say
    Product1,Product2,Product3,Product4,Product5……….
    which is store in column of excel sheet (some more products will be added in due course)If i type product name in any predefined column say p…………the list should show the products starting with p.if i type a….. the list should the products starting with a……. (the list which is already created & stored in column ) the list which is showing from which user as to select(restricted to select the products only from the list not type new product)please tell me madam how i can create this.
    my E.mail id
    harisha1000@yahoo.com
    Thanks in advance
    Harisha

    Reply
    • Mynda Treacy

      January 4, 2013 at 8:24 pm

      Hi Harisha,

      You can use a dependent data validation list to do this. Here is a tutorial:

      https://www.myonlinetraininghub.com/excel-data-validation-with-dependent-lists

      Kind regards,

      Mynda.

      Reply
    • Harisha

      January 5, 2013 at 1:19 am

      Dear Madam,
      Thank you for early reply.
      My doubt is different assume i am going to store 10 products say in column G Anti1,Anti2,Anti3,Anti4,Anti5,Anti6,Anti7,Anti8,Anti9,Anti10(which may be extended in due course) next in column A if i type A the stored product list should display from which user as to select the product say Anti1 or Anti2 or Anti3.please tell me madam how i can create this.
      Thanks & regards
      Harisha

      Reply
  7. Rhonda

    December 17, 2010 at 11:34 am

    Could this be used for people who have poor eyesight too?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Current ye@r *

Leave this field empty

Sidebar

More results...

Featured Content

  • 10 Common Excel Mistakes to Avoid
  • Top Excel Functions for Data Analysts
  • Secrets to Building Excel Dashboards in Less Than 15 Minutes
  • Pro Excel Formula Writing Tips
  • Hidden Excel Double-Click Shortcuts
  • Top 10 Intermediate Excel Functions
  • 5 Pro Excel Dashboard Design Tips
  • 5 Excel SUM Function Tricks
  • 239 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts

100 Excel Tips and Tricks eBook

Download Free Tips & Tricks

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Receive weekly tutorials on Excel, Power Query, Power Pivot, Power BI and More.

We respect your email privacy

Guides and Resources

  • Excel Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Excel Functions
  • Excel Formulas
  • Excel Custom Number Formatting
  • ALT Codes
  • Pivot Tables
  • VLOOKUP
  • VBA
  • Excel Userforms
  • Free Downloads

239 Excel Keyboard Shortcuts

Download Free PDF

Free Webinars

Excel Dashboards Webinar

Watch our free webinars and learn to create Interactive Dashboard Reports in Excel or Power BI

Click Here to Watch Now

mynda treacy microsoft mvpHi, I'm Mynda Treacy and I run MOTH with my husband, Phil. Through our blog, webinars, YouTube channel and courses we hope we can help you learn Excel, Power Pivot and DAX, Power Query, Power BI, and Excel Dashboards.

Blog Categories

  • Excel
  • Excel Charts
  • Excel Dashboard
  • Excel Formulas
  • Excel PivotTables
  • Excel Shortcuts
  • Excel VBA
  • General Tips
  • Online Training
  • Outlook
  • Power Apps
  • Power Automate
  • Power BI
  • Power Pivot
  • Power Query
microsoft mvp logo
trustpilot excellent rating
Secured by Sucuri Badge
MyOnlineTrainingHub on YouTube Mynda Treacy on Linked In Mynda Treacy on Instagram Mynda Treacy on Twitter Mynda Treacy on Pinterest MyOnlineTrainingHub on Facebook
 

Company

  • About My Online Training Hub
  • Disclosure Statement
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Guarantee
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Testimonials
  • Become an Affiliate

Support

  • Contact
  • Forum
  • Helpdesk – For Technical Issues

Copyright © 2023 · My Online Training Hub · All Rights Reserved. Microsoft and the Microsoft Office logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within this website are the property of their respective trademark holders.