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• 11 have this problem
• Last reply by jscher2000 - Support Volunteer

8 years ago

Hi, I'm looking for a plug in that is able to add speech to text capability on Firefox. For Chrome there are many solutions (VoiceNote II, Voice Recognition, Dictanote), but I do not want to install and use it. Thank you

Chosen solution

erotavlas said

Do you know more or less when it will be released in which Firefox version?

I can't tell. There is a recently filed bug to change the default from disabled to enabled, but normally such a change would be for 3 versions from now and then if it tests out safely it could be moved up to a nearer release.

All Replies (5)

• Top 10 Contributor
• Text to Voice: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/text-to-voice/

Mozilla is working on building in speech recognition but it's not ready yet, according to this article: https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Web_Speech_API/Using_the_Web_Speech_API -- "The permissions settings/UI haven't yet been sorted out however, so permission can't be granted to use it by the user, so it can't be used. This will be fixed soon." Also, I'm not sure where the recognition will be performed so there may be some privacy issues to address.

Until that is straightened out, you might be able to find an add-on (extension); plugins are binary code and may or may not be available for Linux.

Or there might be an OS level facility that can send recognized speech as text to wherever the cursor is. These line was entered using windows speech recognition. That's pretty close.

cor-el said

Try: Text to Voice: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/text-to-voice/

Thank, but I'm looking for speech to text not text to voice. The opposite...

jscher2000 said

Mozilla is working on building in speech recognition but it's not ready yet, according to this article: https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Web_Speech_API/Using_the_Web_Speech_API -- "The permissions settings/UI haven't yet been sorted out however, so permission can't be granted to use it by the user, so it can't be used. This will be fixed soon." Also, I'm not sure where the recognition will be performed so there may be some privacy issues to address. Until that is straightened out, you might be able to find an add-on (extension); plugins are binary code and may or may not be available for Linux. Or there might be an OS level facility that can send recognized speech as text to wherever the cursor is. These line was entered using windows speech recognition. That's pretty close.

Thank you. Do you know more or less when it will be released in which Firefox version?

Chosen Solution

Use Mozilla DeepSpeech to enable speech to text in your application

Pixabay. Modified by Opensource.com. CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of the primary functions of computers is to parse data. Some data is easier to parse than other data, and voice input continues to be a work in progress. There have been many improvements in the area in recent years, though, and one of them is in the form of DeepSpeech, a project by Mozilla, the foundation that maintains the Firefox web browser. DeepSpeech is a voice-to-text command and library, making it useful for users who need to transform voice input into text and developers who want to provide voice input for their applications.

Install DeepSpeech

DeepSpeech is open source, released under the Mozilla Public License (MPL). You can download the source code from its GitHub  page.

To install, first create a virtual environment for Python:

DeepSpeech relies on machine learning. You can train it yourself, but it's easiest just to download pre-trained model files when you're just starting.

Applications for users

With DeepSpeech, you can transcribe recordings of speech to written text. You get the best results from speech cleanly recorded under optimal conditions. However, in a pinch, you can try any recording, and you'll probably get something you can use as a starting point for manual transcription.

For test purposes, you might record an audio file containing the simple phrase, "This is a test. Hello world, this is a test." Save the audio as a .wav  file called hello-test.wav .

In your DeepSpeech folder, launch a transcription by providing the model file, the scorer file, and your audio:

Output is provided to the standard out (your terminal):

You can get output in JSON format by using the --json  option:

This renders each word along with a timestamp:

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DeepSpeech isn't just a command to transcribe pre-recorded audio. You can also use it to process audio streams in real time. The GitHub repository DeepSpeech-examples is full of JavaScript, Python, C#, and Java for Android.

Most of the hard work is already done, so integrating DeepSpeech usually is just a matter of referencing the DeepSpeech library and knowing how to obtain the audio from the host device (which you generally do through the /dev  filesystem on Linux or an SDK on Android and other platforms.)

Speech recognition

As a developer, enabling speech recognition for your application isn't just a fun trick but an important accessibility feature that makes your application easier to use by people with mobility issues, low vision, and chronic multi-taskers who like to keep their hands full. As a user, DeepSpeech is a useful transcription tool that can convert audio files into text. Regardless of your use case, try DeepSpeech and see what it can do for you.

Why choose open source for your home automation project

Home automation is an exciting and fun branch of tech. Start designing your home automation solutions today with open source tools.

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Related content.

The 5 Best Text-to-Speech Add-ons for Firefox

Whether you use text-to-speech for accessibility or convenience, it's hard to find the feature everywhere online. So, here are five Firefox add-ons.

If you ever get tired of reading while you browse, prefer to multitask, or even just process information better when you hear it, then text-to-speech is an incredibly powerful tool that can help you to achieve all of the above. It can also help those with visual impairments, making it a vital feature.

But it isn’t always an easy feature to set up and have available everywhere you go. Luckily, with these Firefox add-ons, you can make sure that you have text-to-speech available to you no matter where you go.

1. Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader

First up on this list is Read Aloud. Read Aloud is a Firefox add-on that allows you to convert any webpage you visit from text to speech.

In practice, there are two ways that you can use Read Aloud. If you simply click on the Read Aloud button in your add-on hot bar, then it will begin to read whatever page you’re on from the very top for you out loud.

If you’re only looking for a specific section for the add-on to read, you can highlight it first and then click the button. This will let Read Aloud to just read your selection for you.

What’s great about Read Aloud is just how customizable it is. When the add-on is working, it displays a highlight of the text being read that you can close entirely if you so wish, but you can also adjust its size to your preference if you want instead.

You can pause, rewind and fast-forward through the reading, and even change the size of the text the add-on displays.

There are a truly humongous number of different voices available for you to choose from, the add-on even lets you adjust each individually by giving you sliders so that you can tweak the pitch, speed, and volume of the voice reading for you.

You can add custom voices to the Read Aloud add-on as well if you so wish. This means that if none of the huge variety of voices available suits you, then you can still find something that works for you.

2. Intelligent Speaker

There are a ton of reasons to embrace text-to-speech technology , and productivity is one of them. True to its name, this Firefox add-on is great if you’re looking for a great way to organize various articles or other papers that you need to listen to.

Intelligent Speaker works a little differently from some other entries onto this list in that it doesn’t just convert what you’re looking at from text to speech on the spot.

Instead, Intelligent Speaker allows you to save or add articles and files to its list for you to listen to later. Say that you’ve found an article that you want to save for later, for example. All you would do is open up the Intelligent Speaker add-on and add the webpage to your list.

When you wanted to read it later, you can open Intelligent Speaker to see all of the articles or files that you have queued up. You can then listen to them at your own rate, one after another, or one at a time, and at a variety of different speeds.

You’ve got solid options for customizability here as well. If you want a different voice, there are a good number of different options, and there is even support for 18 different languages, too.

It is worth noting, however, that you’ll only have a total of one hour of listening per month for you to use before Intelligent Speaker locks you out of using its program. You can improve this number up to 24 hours of listening every month if you purchase its premium plan, however.

If you’re looking for something largely unobtrusive and easy to forget that you have installed, then Talkie is a great add-on to accomplish just that.

Talkie feels very much like one of Firefox’s native features. To use it, all you need to do is make sure that it’s installed and then highlight some text to have read to you. You can simply click on the button itself in the add-on hot bar, or use the right-click menu to ask it to speak. There’s also a shortcut that you can use.

There are some minor customization options available as well. For example, you can add extra voices to Talkie, though this requires you to make sure that they’re installed on your system as opposed to getting them from any online database or the like.

You can also adjust the pitch and speed of talking voices from Talkie, but this requires you to purchase Talkie Premium. If you wanted to choose your own default voice for each language, then you also gain access to this feature as well.

4. Text to Speech (TTS)

Next up on this list comes Text to Speech. If you’re looking for something that has a clean interface and is easy to use, then this add-on is great for just that.

To use TTS, all you need to do is highlight some text. Instead of clicking the TTS button from the add-on bar or accessing a right-click menu, TTS puts a small blue speaker button above your highlighted text.

All you need to do is click on it to begin. The text itself highlights as TTS reads it to you, and you can pause and start the reading at any time.

If you’re looking for a specific piece of text you want read from outside of your browser, you can also paste it into the add-on directly by clicking on the button in the add-on hot bar. This is great for programs that don't support text-to-speech or don't have features such as PowerPoint's Speak feature to read text aloud .

Finally, we have TTSFox. If you prefer your text-to-speech to work as a separate pop-out, then TTSFox is the best option on this list to do just that.

All you need to do is highlight or copy some text and then access the TTSFox add-on. You can adjust the pitch, speed, and volume of the actual voice speaking as you go, though the number of voices available are a little meager.

Text-to-Speech Can Improve Your Life

As you can see, there are an impressive number of different options available for text-to-speech add-ons for Firefox. Each behaves differently and for a different audience, so why not give each a go? You’ll likely find the perfect add-on for you just waiting out there.

Speech to Text - Voice Typing & Transcription

Take notes with your voice for free, or automatically transcribe audio & video recordings. secure, accurate & blazing fast..

~ Proudly serving millions of users since 2015 ~

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Dictate Notes

Start taking notes, on our online voice-enabled notepad right away, for free.

Transcribe Recordings

Automatically transcribe (as well as summarize & translate) audios & videos. Upload files from your device or link to an online resource (Drive, YouTube, TikTok or other). Export to text, docx, video subtitles & more.

Speechnotes is a reliable and secure web-based speech-to-text tool that enables you to quickly and accurately transcribe your audio and video recordings, as well as dictate your notes instead of typing, saving you time and effort. With features like voice commands for punctuation and formatting, automatic capitalization, and easy import/export options, Speechnotes provides an efficient and user-friendly dictation and transcription experience. Proudly serving millions of users since 2015, Speechnotes is the go-to tool for anyone who needs fast, accurate & private transcription. Our Portfolio of Complementary Speech-To-Text Tools Includes:

Voice typing - Chrome extension

Dictate instead of typing on any form & text-box across the web. Including on Gmail, and more.

Transcription API & webhooks

Speechnotes' API enables you to send us files via standard POST requests, and get the transcription results sent directly to your server.

Zapier integration

Combine the power of automatic transcriptions with Zapier's automatic processes. Serverless & codeless automation! Connect with your CRM, phone calls, Docs, email & more.

Android Speechnotes app

Speechnotes' notepad for Android, for notes taking on your mobile, battle tested with more than 5Million downloads. Rated 4.3+ ⭐

iOS TextHear app

TextHear for iOS, works great on iPhones, iPads & Macs. Designed specifically to help people with hearing impairment participate in conversations. Please note, this is a sister app - so it has its own pricing plan.

Audio & video converting tools

Tools developed for fast - batch conversions of audio files from one type to another and extracting audio only from videos for minimizing uploads.

Our Sister Apps for Text-To-Speech & Live Captioning

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Reads out loud texts, PDFs, e-books & websites for free

Speechlogger

Live Captioning & Translation

Live captions & translations for online meetings, webinars, and conferences.

Need Human Transcription? We Can Offer a 10% Discount Coupon

We do not provide human transcription services ourselves, but, we partnered with a UK company that does. Learn more on human transcription and the 10% discount .

Dictation Notepad

Start taking notes with your voice for free

Speech to Text online notepad. Professional, accurate & free speech recognizing text editor. Distraction-free, fast, easy to use web app for dictation & typing.

Speechnotes is a powerful speech-enabled online notepad, designed to empower your ideas by implementing a clean & efficient design, so you can focus on your thoughts. We strive to provide the best online dictation tool by engaging cutting-edge speech-recognition technology for the most accurate results technology can achieve today, together with incorporating built-in tools (automatic or manual) to increase users' efficiency, productivity and comfort. Works entirely online in your Chrome browser. No download, no install and even no registration needed, so you can start working right away.

Speechnotes is especially designed to provide you a distraction-free environment. Every note, starts with a new clear white paper, so to stimulate your mind with a clean fresh start. All other elements but the text itself are out of sight by fading out, so you can concentrate on the most important part - your own creativity. In addition to that, speaking instead of typing, enables you to think and speak it out fluently, uninterrupted, which again encourages creative, clear thinking. Fonts and colors all over the app were designed to be sharp and have excellent legibility characteristics.

Example use cases

• Voice typing
• Writing notes, thoughts
• Medical forms - dictate
• Transcribers (listen and dictate)

Transcription Service

Start transcribing

Fast turnaround - results within minutes. Includes timestamps, auto punctuation and subtitles at unbeatable price. Protects your privacy: no human in the loop, and (unlike many other vendors) we do NOT keep your audio. Pay per use, no recurring payments. Upload your files or transcribe directly from Google Drive, YouTube or any other online source. Simple. No download or install. Just send us the file and get the results in minutes.

• Transcribe interviews
• Captions for Youtubes & movies
• Auto-transcribe phone calls or voice messages
• Students - transcribe lectures
• Podcasters - enlarge your audience by turning your podcasts into textual content
• Text-index entire audio archives

Key Advantages

Speechnotes is powered by the leading most accurate speech recognition AI engines by Google & Microsoft. We always check - and make sure we still use the best. Accuracy in English is very good and can easily reach 95% accuracy for good quality dictation or recording.

Lightweight & fast

Both Speechnotes dictation & transcription are lightweight-online no install, work out of the box anywhere you are. Dictation works in real time. Transcription will get you results in a matter of minutes.

Super Private & Secure!

Super private - no human handles, sees or listens to your recordings! In addition, we take great measures to protect your privacy. For example, for transcribing your recordings - we pay Google's speech to text engines extra - just so they do not keep your audio for their own research purposes.

Health advantages

Typing may result in different types of Computer Related Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI). Voice typing is one of the main recommended ways to minimize these risks, as it enables you to sit back comfortably, freeing your arms, hands, shoulders and back altogether.

Saves you time

Need to transcribe a recording? If it's an hour long, transcribing it yourself will take you about 6! hours of work. If you send it to a transcriber - you will get it back in days! Upload it to Speechnotes - it will take you less than a minute, and you will get the results in about 20 minutes to your email.

Saves you money

Speechnotes dictation notepad is completely free - with ads - or a small fee to get it ad-free. Speechnotes transcription is only $0.1/minute, which is X10 times cheaper than a human transcriber! We offer the best deal on the market - whether it's the free dictation notepad ot the pay-as-you-go transcription service.

Dictation - Free

• Online dictation notepad
• Voice typing Chrome extension

Dictation - Premium

• Premium online dictation notepad
• Premium voice typing Chrome extension
• Support from the development team

Transcription

$0.1 /minute.

• Pay as you go - no subscription
• Audio & video recordings
• Speaker diarization in English
• Generate captions .srt files
• REST API, webhooks & Zapier integration

Compare plans

Privacy policy.

We at Speechnotes, Speechlogger, TextHear, Speechkeys value your privacy, and that's why we do not store anything you say or type or in fact any other data about you - unless it is solely needed for the purpose of your operation. We don't share it with 3rd parties, other than Google / Microsoft for the speech-to-text engine.

Privacy - how are the recordings and results handled?

- transcription service.

Our transcription service is probably the most private and secure transcription service available.

• HIPAA compliant.
• No human in the loop. No passing your recording between PCs, emails, employees, etc.
• Secure encrypted communications (https) with and between our servers.
• Recordings are automatically deleted from our servers as soon as the transcription is done.
• Our contract with Google / Microsoft (our speech engines providers) prohibits them from keeping any audio or results.
• Transcription results are securely kept on our secure database. Only you have access to them - only if you sign in (or provide your secret credentials through the API)
• You may choose to delete the transcription results - once you do - no copy remains on our servers.

- Dictation notepad & extension

For dictation, the recording & recognition - is delegated to and done by the browser (Chrome / Edge) or operating system (Android). So, we never even have access to the recorded audio, and Edge's / Chrome's / Android's (depending the one you use) privacy policy apply here.

The results of the dictation are saved locally on your machine - via the browser's / app's local storage. It never gets to our servers. So, as long as your device is private - your notes are private.

Payments method privacy

The whole payments process is delegated to PayPal / Stripe / Google Pay / Play Store / App Store and secured by these providers. We never receive any of your credit card information.

More generic notes regarding our site, cookies, analytics, ads, etc.

• We may use Google Analytics on our site - which is a generic tool to track usage statistics.
• We use cookies - which means we save data on your browser to send to our servers when needed. This is used for instance to sign you in, and then keep you signed in.
• For the dictation tool - we use your browser's local storage to store your notes, so you can access them later.
• Non premium dictation tool serves ads by Google. Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Ads Settings . Alternatively, users can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting https://youradchoices.com/
• In case you would like to upload files to Google Drive directly from Speechnotes - we'll ask for your permission to do so. We will use that permission for that purpose only - syncing your speech-notes to your Google Drive, per your request.

Top Five Text to Speech Add-ons for Firefox

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, bolstering accessibility and convenience has become important. With technology creating an increasingly interconnected world, easy access to digestible digital content for all individuals is vital.

As a result, innovative add-ons and tools are garnering significant attention. One such extension is text to speech for Firefox, a popular web browser developed by Mozilla, which empowers users to convert written content into audio, helping enhance accessibility.

In the realm of web browsing, integrating Mozilla text to speech into your search engine highlights a step toward a universally available and convenient online network. The adaptability of text to speech extensions adds an extra layer of versatility to the browsing experience. Users can now convert webpage text, PDFs, online course materials, and more to speech and listen to them aloud instead of manually reading them.

Mozilla TTS and other web browser extensions also aid users with visual impairments or other learning disabilities by making it easy to consume web content. These add-ons significantly contribute to facilitating a seamless and user-friendly online experience.

Table of Contents

Text to speech , intelligent speaker, versatile language support, adjustable reading speed, natural-sounding voices, compatibility with various document formats, customizable voices and accents, regular updates and developer support, five best text to speech for firefox browser.

Several noteworthy text to speech add-ons for Firefox provide users with multiple benefits. Let’s have a look at the top TTS add-ons for Firefox:

Read Aloud is a robust text to speech add-on for Firefox designed to translate written content into spoken words. Users can pause and adjust the reading speed, with options for changing the size of the text displayed alongside it.

The tool’s user-friendly interface makes it easy for users to adjust the pitch and volume, with the added flexibility of custom voices. This Firefox add on helps provide a more inclusive browsing experience.

Talkie is a text to speech add-on for Firefox with a clear and natural-sounding speech synthesis output. Alongside the ability to automatically identify your OS’ languages, Talkie’s premium option provides multilingual support for installed voices, allowing users to listen to their digital content in their preferred languages.

The add-on integrates smoothly into the Firefox browser, providing an efficient solution.

Text to Speech is a versatile Firefox TTS extension that translates text into natural-sounding audio through HTML5 TTS APIs while catering to users who prioritize ease of use.

With this emphasis on simplicity, TTS offers easy control for adjusting speech attributes and unobtrusively integrates within Firefox. This text to speech Firefox extension is essential for those who value a straightforward experience.

TTS Fox serves as a practical text to speech add-on for Firefox, easily integrating into the browsing experience as a popout extension. Upon highlighting text that requires audio conversion, the extension allows users to fine-tune the speech output.

Despite a relatively limited selection of different voices, TTS Fox’s compatibility with various content types makes it a reliable text to speech extension.

Intelligent Speaker is a sophisticated text to speech Firefox extension that provides smart features, allowing users to bookmark pages for later so that they can listen at their own pace.

This versatile add-on also enhances the browsing experience by letting users get an auditory gist of the written content.

Must-Have Features for a TTS Add-on

A high-quality and well-rounded text to speech add-on for Firefox should provide a few essential features that ensure a pleasant and user-friendly experience.

A robust Mozilla TTS add-on should support as many languages as possible, allowing users to consume digital content in their preferred language without barriers. This ensures enhanced accessibility on a global scale and proper accommodations for diverse linguistic needs.

Flexibility in controlling the reading speed is a crucial feature within an extensive text to speech technology for Mozilla Firefox. Users should have the option to adjust the pace of the audio so that they can listen at their own pace and have a comfortable reading experience.

Developing natural-sounding voices is essential for an authentic-sounding and engaging TTS experience. A text to speech add-on for Firefox with lifelike voices enhances the overall quality of the content, making it more enjoyable and expressive.

A versatile text to speech add-on should seamlessly integrate with various document formats, such as web pages, PDFs, and other common file types. This allows users to enjoy a cohesive TTS experience across the diverse content sources they encounter.

The ability to customize text to speech voices and accents adds a deep layer of personalization to the voiceover experience. Text to speech add-ons for Firefox that let users adjust content to their preferences tends to increase user engagement and satisfaction.

Regular updates and consistent developer support are imperative for the longevity and reliability of a text to speech Firefox extension.

A responsive developer team can ensure add-on compatibility and respond to user criticisms and expectations, developing a high level of trust and user satisfaction over time.

Why Choose Murf Text to Speech Over Firefox TTS Add-ons?

Despite the fact that  Murf Studio  does not offer browser extensions like traditional  text to speech Mozilla Firefox extensions , its extensive features make it a standout choice for users.

Murf distinguishes itself through its natural-sounding, passionate, and expressive AI voices . Murf’s voice control features allow users to adjust voice attributes such as pitch, speed and pauses for a customized lifelike audio experience.

Murf’s adaptive technology adjusts to various content types, ensuring seamless integration across different documents and web content. Its versatility extends to language support, encompassing over 100 voices in 20+ languages, such as English, Spanish , Japanese, and Portuguese , commanding a global reach.

While text to speech Firefox extensions are typically confined to a specific browser environment, Murf’s flexibility transcends these boundaries. It is an online platform that can be used on any device. 

In short, Murf Studio is an all-in-one platform for voice-based projects, offering features such as voice changing , voice cloning, AI translations , and professional-quality voiceovers.

For users who prioritize voice quality and platform independence, Murf text to speech is an incredible alternative over other text to speech add-ons for Firefox. Murf offers a free trial that allows users to try out its premium features without any commitment so you can see how seamlessly it blends into your workflow.

Does Firefox have a screen reader?

Firefox offers a built-in screen reader that allows users to navigate the screen with their voice and click on items with specific gestures.

How do I use Firefox accessibility tools?

Users can access Firefox accessibility tools by navigating to the browser settings window, selecting “Accessibility,” and selecting the preferred features.

How do I turn on text to speech in Firefox?

Enable text to speech in Firefox using built-in browser options or installing third-party text to speech extensions that convert written content into audio experiences.

How do I get Firefox to read my page to me?

You can utilize third-party text to speech add-ons for Firefox or select “Narrate” in the menu to have Firefox’s default TTS read a page aloud.

How do I turn off the screen reader in Firefox?

To disable the screen reader in Firefox, navigate to browser settings, choose “Accessibility,” and deactivate the screen reader toggle.

You should also read:

8 Essential Features Every Good Text to Speech Software Must Have

Twitch Text to Speech: Steps to Set up Twitch TTS with Ease 

An Essential Guide to using Text to Speech on Google Docs

Web Speech API - Speech Recognition

• 1.1.1 What is it?
• 1.1.2 What is it not?
• 1.1.3 Why are we doing it?
• 1.1.4 What does it do?
• 1.1.5 How can I use it?
• 1.1.6 Where does the audio go?
• 1.1.7 Where are our servers and who manages it?
• 1.1.8 How does your proxy server work? Why do we have it?
• 1.1.9 There are three parts to this process - the website, the browser and the server. Which part does the current WebSpeech work cover?
• 1.1.10 Can we not send audio to Google?
• 1.1.11 Who pays for Google Cloud?
• 1.1.12 How can I test with Deep Speech?
• 1.1.13 Why not do it offline?
• 1.1.14 But I still want to run offline
• 1.1.15 Why are we holding WebSpeech support in Nightly?
• 1.1.16 Are you adding voice commands to Firefox?
• 1.1.17 Have a question not addressed here?

WebSpeech API - Speech Recognition

Frequently asked questions, what is it.

The speech recognition part of the WebSpeech API allows websites to enable speech input within their experiences. Some examples of this include Duolingo, Google Translate, Google.com (for voice search).

What is it not?

• Speech recognition by the browser
• A translation service
• Text-to-speech/narration
• Always-on listening
• A voice assistant (see below)
• Voice search

Why are we doing it?

Chrome, Edge, Safari and Opera support a form of this API currently for Speech-to-text, which means sites that rely on it work in those browsers, but not in Firefox. As speech input becomes more prevalent, it helps developers to have a consistent way to implement it on the web. It helps users because they will be able to take advantage of speech-enabled web experiences on any browser they choose. We can also offer a more private speech experience, as we do not keep identifiable information along with users’ audio recordings.

If nothing else, our lack of support for voice experiences is a web compatibility issue that will only become more of a handicap as voice becomes more prevalent on the web. We’ve therefore included the work needed to start closing this gap among our 2019 OKRs for Firefox, beginning with providing WebSpeech API support in Firefox Nightly.

What does it do?

When a user visits a speech-enabled website, they will use that site’s UI to start the process. It’s up to individual sites to determine how voice is integrated in their experience, how it is triggered and how to display recognition results.

As an example, a user might see a microphone button in a text field. When they click it, they will be prompted to grant temporary permission for the browser to access the microphone. Then they can input what they want to say (an utterance). Once they’ve finished their utterance, the browser passes the audio to a server, where it is run through a speech recognition engine. The speech recognizer decodes the audio and sends a transcript back down to the browser to display on a page as text.

How can I use it?

First make sure you are running Firefox Nightly newer than 72.0a1 (2019-10-22) . Then type about:config in your address bar, search for the media.webspeech.recognition.enable and media.webspeech.recognition.force_enable preferences and make sure they are set as true. Then navigate to a website that makes use of the API, like Google Translate , for example, select a language, click the microphone and say something. If you your purpose is to develop using the API, you can find the documentation on MDN .

Where does the audio go?

Firefox can specify which server receives the audio data inputted by the users. Currently we are sending audio to Google’s Cloud Speech-to-Text. Google leads the industry in this space and has speech recognition in 120 languages.

Prior to sending the data to Google, however, Mozilla routes it through our own server's proxy first [1] , in part to strip it of user identity information. This is intended to make it impractical for Google to associate such requests with a user account based just on the data Mozilla provides in transcription requests. (Google provides an FAQ for how they handle transcription data [2] .) We opt-out of allowing Google to store our voice requests. This means, unlike when a user inputs speech using Chrome, their recordings are not saved and can not be attached to their profile and saved indefinitely.

For Firefox, we can choose whether we hold on to users’ data to train our own speech services. Currently we have audio collection defaulted to off, but eventually would like to allow users to opt-in if they choose.

Where are our servers and who manages it?

The entire backend is managed by Mozilla's cloudops and services team. Here is the current architecture:

A typical request follows the steps below:

• The Web Speech API code in the browser is responsible for prompting the user for permission to record from the microphone, determine when speaking has ended, and submit the data to our speech proxy server. There are four headers that can be used by the client to alter the proxy's behavior [3] :
• Once the proxy receives the request with the audio sample, it looks for the headers that were set. Nothing other than what was requested by the user plus a timestamp and the user-agent is saved. You can check it here: [4]
• The proxy then looks for the format of the file and decodes it to raw pcm.
• A request is made to the STT provider set in the proxy's configuration file containing just the audio file .
• Once the STT provider returns the request containing a transcription and a confidence score, it is forwarded to the client, who then is responsible to take an action according to the user's request.

How does your proxy server work? Why do we have it?

There are both technical and practical reasons to have a proxy server. We wanted to have both the flexibility to abstract the redirection of the user's requests to different STT services without changing the client code, and also to have a single protocol to be used across all projects at Mozilla. But the most beneficial reason was to keep our users anonymous when we need to use a 3rd party provider. In this case, the requests to the provider are made from our own server and only the audio sample is submitted to get a transcription. Some benefits of routing the data through our speech proxy:

• Before sending the data any 3rd party STT provider, we have the chance to strip user's identifying information and make an anonymous request to the provider.
• When we need to use 3rd party and paid STT services, we don't need to ship the service's key along with the client's code.
• Centralizing and funneling the requests through our servers decreases the chance of abuse from clients and allows us to implement mechanisms like throttling, blacklists, etc.
• We can switch between the STT services in real time as we need/want and redirect the request to any service we choose, without changing any code in the client. For example: send English requests to provider A and pt-br to provider B without sending any update to the client.
• We can both support STT services on premises as off premises without having any extra logic in the client.
• We can centralize all requests coming from different products into a single speech endpoint making it easier to measure the engines both quantitative as qualitative.
• We can support different audio formats without adding extra logic to the clients regardless of the format supported by the STT provider, like adding compression or streaming between the client and the proxy.
• If users desire to contribute to Mozilla's mission and let us save their audio samples, we can, without sending it to 3rd party providers.

There are three parts to this process - the website, the browser and the server. Which part does the current WebSpeech work cover?

The current work being added to Firefox Nightly is the browser portion of the process. It provides the path for the website to access the speech recognition engine on the server.

Can we not send audio to Google?

We can send the audio to any speech recognition service we choose. Mozilla is currently developing our own service called Deep Speech which we hope to validate in 2020 as a replacement for Google, at least in English. We may eventually use a variety of recognition engines for different languages.

Who pays for Google Cloud?

Currently the license for Google Cloud STT is being handled by our Cloud Ops team under our general contract with Google Cloud

How can I test with Deep Speech?

Considering you are using a Nightly version with the API enabled, you just need to change a preference to our endpoint enabled with Deep Speech (currently only English is available):

• Go to about:config
• Set the preference media.webspeech.service.endpoint to https://dev.speaktome.nonprod.cloudops.mozgcp.net/ (this endpoint is for testing purposes only)
• Navigate to Google Translate , click the microphone and say something.

Why not do it offline?

To do speech recognition offline, the speech recognition engine must be embedded within the browser. This is possible and we may do it eventually, but it is not currently planned for Firefox. We will, however, be testing offline speech recognition in Firefox Reality for Chinese users early in 2020. Depending on how those tests go, we may plan to extend the functionality elsewhere.

At one point back in 2015, there was an offline speech recognition engine (Pocketsphinx) embedded into Gecko for FirefoxOS. It was removed from the codebase in 2017 because it could not match the quality of recognition offered by server-based engines using deep neural nets.

But I still want to run offline

You can easily setup your own Deep Speech service locally in your computer using our service's docker images. Just follow the steps below:

• First install and start the Deep Speech Docker image from here .
• Then install and start the speech-proxy Docker image from here with the environment variable ASR_URL set to the address of yours Deep Speech instance.
• Set the preference media.webspeech.service.endpoint of your Nightly to the address of your speech-proxy instance
• If it works, then you have the recognition happening 100% offline in your system.

Why are we holding WebSpeech support in Nightly?

We are in the process of working with Google and other partners to update the WebSpeech API spec. While that process is underway, we will need to make updates to our implementation to match. We will not ship WebSpeech support more broadly until there is consensus that the Standard is appropriate for Mozilla.

Are you adding voice commands to Firefox?

There are experiments testing the user value of voice operations within the browser itself, but that effort is separate from general Webspeech API support. For more details on that work, dig in [[ here ]].

Have a question not addressed here?

Ask us on [email protected]

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Text to speech Mozilla Firefox: The best options

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Table of contents, elevating your browsing experience with mozilla text to speech, understanding mozilla text-to-speech (tts), why use mozilla tts, how mozilla tts works, 1. multi-platform compatibility, 2. versatility in languages, 3. real-time convenience, 4. user-friendly interface, 5. high-quality playback, 6. integration with mozilla firefox, 7. content beyond webpages, 8. different voices for personalization, configuring mozilla tts with speechify.

If you are interested in the best text-to-speech options for Mozilla Firefox, take a look at the top choices below.

In today's digital age, technology has opened up a world of possibilities for enhancing accessibility and convenience across various online platforms. Mozilla, the open-source pioneer behind the Firefox web browser, has stepped up its game with the integration of Text-to-Speech (TTS) capabilities. In this article, we'll delve into the world of Mozilla Text-to-Speech, exploring its potential and why Speechify stands out as the best platform to complement your browsing experience with Mozilla.

Mozilla's foray into the world of Text-to-Speech technology has brought forth a game-changing feature, allowing users to have web content read aloud within the Firefox browser. This innovative feature is poised to provide a more inclusive and convenient browsing experience for everyone, especially individuals with disabilities or those who prefer auditory learning styles.

Before delving into the details of Mozilla Text-to-Speech, let's understand why this feature is worth incorporating into your browsing routine:

• Accessibility: Mozilla TTS enhances accessibility by making online content available to individuals with visual impairments or learning disabilities.
• Convenience: It enables users to multitask while having webpages read aloud, enhancing productivity.
• Inclusivity: It ensures that everyone, regardless of their reading preferences, can access and understand online content.
• Learning Enhancement: Auditory learners benefit from Mozilla TTS as it caters to their learning style.
• Enhanced User Experience: Mozilla TTS elevates the overall browsing experience by providing an additional layer of interaction with web content.

Mozilla TTS is powered by machine learning and is primarily based on the open-source Tacotron 2 and WaveGlow projects. These projects leverage pre-trained models and datasets to generate natural-sounding speech from text. Here's how Mozilla TTS functions within the Firefox browser:

• Installation : Mozilla TTS can be added as an extension or add-on to your Firefox browser. Simply navigate to the Firefox Add-ons store and install the Mozilla TTS add-on.
• Activation : Once installed, you can activate Mozilla TTS by right-clicking on selected text within a webpage and choosing the "Read Aloud" option.
• Playback : Mozilla TTS will start reading the selected text aloud in high-quality, natural-sounding voices.
• Configuration : Users have the option to configure Mozilla TTS according to their preferences, such as selecting different voices or adjusting playback settings.
• Shortcuts : Mozilla TTS supports keyboard shortcuts for quick and efficient control over the playback.

Why Speechify Is the Best Platform for Mozilla TTS

While Mozilla TTS is a commendable addition to the Firefox browser, complementing it with Speechify takes the browsing experience to the next level. Here's why Speechify stands out as the best platform to work hand-in-hand with Mozilla TTS:

Speechify is not confined to a single browser or operating system. It is available across various platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Android, ensuring that you can access Mozilla TTS's capabilities wherever you are.

Speechify offers a wide selection of natural-sounding voices in different languages, accommodating a diverse user base worldwide. This versatility makes it accessible to users who prefer browsing in languages other than English.

With Speechify, you can enjoy real-time text-to-speech conversion. It reads web content aloud as you browse, providing instant access to information.

Speechify boasts a user-friendly interface, making it accessible and intuitive for users of all backgrounds and levels of tech-savviness.

Speechify ensures high-quality playback of web content, delivering an immersive and engaging auditory experience.

Speechify integrates seamlessly with the Mozilla Firefox browser, enhancing the browser's TTS capabilities and expanding your options for interacting with web content.

Speechify is not limited to web content alone. It can read a wide range of content, including Google Docs, audio files, and more, extending its utility beyond browsing.

With Speechify, you can choose from a variety of voices to suit your preferences, making the listening experience even more personal and enjoyable.

Integrating Speechify with Mozilla enhances your browsing experience by harnessing the power of an extensive API and seamlessly integrating with your preferred web browser. Whether you're using Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or exploring the possibilities on Linux, Speechify ensures consistent, high-quality speech synthesis. With Speechify's user-friendly configuration options and versatility as a browser plugin, you can enjoy an immersive and accessible web experience. So, whether you're navigating webpages, configuring the toolbar, or working with WAV files, Speechify provides a comprehensive text-to-speech voice reader solution that takes your online journey to the next level. To enjoy the combined benefits of Mozilla TTS and Speechify, follow these steps:

• Install Mozilla TTS : Begin by adding the Mozilla TTS add-on to your Firefox browser from the Firefox Add-ons store.
• Install Speechify : Download and install Speechify on your preferred platform (Windows, macOS, Android, etc.).
• Configure Mozilla TTS : Within Firefox, configure the Mozilla TTS add-on according to your preferences, selecting the desired voice and settings.
• Activate Mozilla TTS : When you encounter web content you'd like to have read aloud, right-click on the selected text and choose "Read Aloud" to activate Mozilla TTS.
• Enjoy the Experience : Mozilla TTS will start reading the text aloud using the voice you selected. Enjoy the immersive and accessible browsing experience.

Mozilla Text-to-Speech has ushered in a new era of accessibility and convenience within the Firefox browser, making web content available to a broader audience. However, to fully unlock its potential and create an enhanced browsing experience, integrating Speechify is the key. With Speechify's multi-platform compatibility, natural-sounding voices, real-time convenience, and user-friendly interface, users can enjoy a high-quality auditory experience across different languages and content types. By configuring Mozilla TTS with Speechify, you can take your online exploration to a whole new level, making the web more accessible and engaging for everyone.

Lahnda text to speech voices

Everything to Know About Google Cloud Text to Speech API

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

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Text to Speech by Francesco De Stefano

Listen voice of text selected in web page; select text and click in context menu to listen voice

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