NATIONAL SPASMODIC DYSPHONIA ASSOCIATION Review of

NATIONAL SPASMODIC DYSPHONIA ASSOCIATION

Review of Text-to-Speech Applications for People with a

Voice Disorder

The National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association invited the community to participate in an online

evaluation of text-to-speech applications and provide feedback based on the guidelines provided. We

thank all who shared their experiences.

This article reviews the use of apps that support text-to-

speech for those with voice disorders. It is not an

exhaustive list and only covers the apps evaluated in the

survey. The information included is accurate at time of

printing.

The overwhelming number of responses believed that

text-to-speech apps are good for casual, quick short

sentences, but that once they were used in a one-to-one

conversation, the app was less helpful because typing for the speech engine was slower than a regular

conversation. Most believed that the solutions could be used in any type of situation, but individual

tools rated better or worse depending on the situation.

In general, most of the apps are free to download, but require an in-app purchase in order to add

functionality or remove ads. The use of ads was prevalent in all apps except for Speech Assistant AAC.

Their funding was achieved by reducing the in-app feature set. Included is an overview of the apps that

were tested.

Use of the Apps in Various Scenarios

Most believed that the solutions could be used in any type of situation, but individual tools rated better

or worse depending on the situation.

Use for casual quick short sentences

Cost

In general, most of the apps are free to download, but

require an in-app purchase in order to add

functionality or remove annoying ads.

The use of ads was prevalent in all apps except for

Speech Assistant AAC. Their funding was achieved by

reducing the in-app feature set.

Summary of the Apps Tested

App Name

Voice

Output

Different

Voices

Vocabulary

Create

and Save

Phrases

Cost

Platform

Supported

TouchChat

X X X

(with

upgrade)

$149.99

$300 to quickly

create and save

sentences

iOS

TexttoSpeech

X X

Limited to

5000

characters

FREE

Android (Samsung

Galaxy, Google

Pixel, Amazon

Kindle) and iOS

Speak4Me

X X

X Limited

Capacity

unless you

pay

FREE to

download, 0.99

cents to remove

ads and get

storage for

saved phrases

Android (Samsung

Galaxy, Google

Pixel, Amazon

Kindle) and iOS

Speak

X X X

FREE to

download, $1.99

purchase

required to

remove ads

iOS

Speech Assistant AAC

X (Different

voices must be

downloaded)

X X

FREE to

download but

$7.00 to get full

functionality.

($14.99 for iOS)

Android (Samsung

Galaxy, Google

Pixel, Amazon

Kindle) and iOS

Natural Reader

X X

FREE to

download plus a

monthly fee of

up to $18.99

Android (Samsung

Galaxy, Google

Pixel, Amazon

Kindle) and iOS

Aloud! Text-to-Speech

FREE

iOS

Talk for Me

X (different

voices must be

downloaded)

X X FREE iOS

Translate All

FREE to

download with

lots of ads, $1.99

per item to

upgrade.

Android (Samsung

Galaxy, Google

Pixel, Amazon

Kindle)

Summary and Feedback Regarding each App

TouchChat

TouchChat is a full-featured communication solution for individuals who have difficulty using their

natural voice. It’s an assistive technology known as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

and includes features that were previously only available in much more expensive dedicated devices.

Words, phrases and messages are spoken with a built-in voice synthesizer or by playing a recorded

message. TouchChat HD for iPad® / iPod® / iPhone® is available for $149.99 USD. There is an enhanced

version that comes with a feature called WordChat for $300. This feature allows users to create

sentences quickly and on the fly.

Testers commented on how easy it is to use this technology noting that you can save as many phrases as

you want. However, it takes some time to set up the system, but once done, it is an excellent tool. “You

can set up your food or drink order ahead of time and with the optional WordChat feature, you can

create customized screens for the doctor’s office, church, dining and other social settings.”

Text-to-Speech

This free app can be downloaded from the app store. It is rated best for a quick casual conversation and

users seemed to like the ease of use. It was rated better when it was used for in-person situations and

not when used for the drive-through or on the phone because it wasn’t loud enough. Users thought the

voice sounded very natural and that the accents were fun to use, commenting that it had a “good voice

sound with a choice of 36 different voices.” One user thought that it took too long to type in a phrase

when having a conversation where an immediate response was required.

“I’m not sure that this or any app would be good in a fluid conversation, but it is good in a small group

encounter and would be best in an environment without a lot of background noise.” One user

commented that they aren’t comfortable with apps like this but can really see an advantage for those

with severe SD. The app limits you to 5000 characters. <Needs explaining - does it mean, like a text

message - you can type 5000 keystrokes before doing 'Send' - or something else? If it does mean that,

perhaps say 5000 characters you can type per each text field of conversation?> Another user

complained that the voice produced was not loud enough for use in a restaurant or at a drive-through,

but they could use it at home in a one-on-one conversation.

Speak4Me

Speak4Me is an iOS-enabled app from the same developer that created Text-to-Speech. It speaks the

words typed onto the text field. The app is available for free, but you will get ads; to avoid the ads and

have larger storage for saved sentences you can pay 99 cents. It is good for quick short sentences and it

is fun because you can change the sounds. You can convert the phrases to an audio file to share via text

message. The online reviews of this app are consistent; they claim that saving and replaying files is

buggy, but for those with voice disorders, the reviews are very positive. One of the testers of this app

felt like it was very easy to use, the voice seemed realistic and they would recommend this as a text to

speech app.

Speak

This text-to-speech app has over 1600 reviews, many of which are from people with voice disorders. It is

a flexible system, allowing users to adjust accents, volume, pitch and speed of the voice. Phrases that

are entered are automatically saved in the recent list, which can fill up space quickly, but users can

create a list of favorite phrases as well. This app can be connected to a Bluetooth speaker to broadcast

even further. An internet connection is not required to use the app, making it a good option when using

an iPad. To eliminate ads, you will have to pay for an upgrade.

Testers of this app felt like it was easy to use and fast. One tester stated that the app did not have any

instructions and as a result was difficult to get started. They also felt like the app did not work well for

phone conversations. “It's least helpful in social situations where conversations tend to evolve quickly,

so even though I'm a fairly quick typist, comments typed in are often too late to be relevant to what

people have just said. As with my actual voice, the amount of ambient noise affects its usefulness. It's

very helpful that the listener can hold the phone up to their ear, though.”

Speech Assistant AAC

Unlike most of the other apps reviewed, this one was designed for people who are speech-impaired.

Users can create categories and organize saved phrases which are placed on buttons. This way they can

be searched, and quickly and easily reused. You can also type right onto the keyboard. Users can choose

large fonts and saved recordings of common phrases. This system is also set up to be used for phone,

FaceTime and Skype calls. The speech output is audible for the other person on the phone. The user can

also adjust the rate and pitch of the speech and can connect to Bluetooth speakers.

This app has won an innovation award called the Vodafone Mobile for Good Challenge in the category

Smart Accessibility and does not require an internet connection to use, making it perfect when using a

tablet. It includes 90 voice choices.

One app reviewer commented that it is amazing how people pay close attention when he uses the app

to speak. Another reviewer said they use it for medical situations and “it's inexpensive for full use

(though twice as expensive for Apple products than for Android), and so far has done everything I have

needed it for, and has plenty of options for other uses I might want it for.” Another reviewer

commented, “I use it often, and find it extremely helpful, especially if I don't want to drag my tablet

along, or find myself in an unexpected situation where I need it.”

Natural Reader

This app is designed to read text, PDFs, webpages and eBooks aloud. It includes over 50 voice choices.

However, it is not designed to add your own text and have it say the text aloud unless you download a

document with your phrases included. Users rated this as a poor option for text to speech in all

situations because it does not include free text fields.

Aloud! Text-to-Speech

This app is designed to read text, PDFs, webpages and eBooks aloud. It includes over 50 voice choices.

However, it is not designed to add your own text and have it say the text aloud unless you download a

text message. The app is free to download but has levels of upgrades available depending on

functionality.

Talk for Me

This app was designed and engineered by someone with a speech disorder. You simply type into the

main text area and the device will talk. You can set up custom phrases and save into an archive

database. This is great for saving partial sentences, then you swipe left and the partial sentence appears

in the test window. This improves the speed of correspondence. The system includes keyboard

shortcuts, predictive text and custom phrases. No active internet connection is required. The system

also is punctuation aware and will not say the word period and will pause at the end of a sentence. The

app comes standard with computer voices and to add a voice it must be downloaded, adding a level of

complexity.

“The app is great for the drive-through. I have my Starbucks order loaded, so I can automatically play the

recording.” However, the user noted that they did not think the technology was great for in-person

conversations where there is a back and forth.

Translate All

This app is intended to translate one language into another. However, it does have the ability to type

text and have it say the words. It is a very basic app in the voice to text space. Online users rate this app

lower due to the number of ads; apparently an ad appears after every action. The cost per item for

upgrades is $1.99.

The user testing this app stated “I wish it would translate the speech a little slower so the other person

can catch all the words”. The system was poor for phone calls and only marginal for placing a drive

through order or placing an order in person.