Open Terminal, type say "Hello, world!", and press Return. Your Mac speaks the phrase aloud through its current output device. Everything else in this guide, from choosing a voice to saving speech as an audio file, builds on that one command.
Run your first spoken phrase
- Open Terminal. It is in Applications > Utilities, or you can search for it with Spotlight (Command-Space).
- Type the following and press Return:
say "Hello, world!" - Listen. The text is spoken immediately, and Terminal returns to the prompt when speech finishes.
The command takes whatever text sits between the quotation marks. Apple’s Mac Automation Scripting Guide uses the same form, for example say "Processing is complete.", to show how spoken text can give audible feedback during a script or task.
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Choose a voice with -v
Add -v followed by a voice name to change how the phrase sounds:
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say -v Zarvox "Hello, world!"A voice name only works if that voice is installed on the Mac you are using. Apple’s developer documentation uses Zarvox in its example and tells developers to confirm available voices in the Accessibility speech settings. Voice sets differ between macOS versions, languages and regions, so a name that works on one Mac may fail on another.
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To see the voice names installed on your own Mac, run:
say -v '?'If a name is missing, Terminal reports an error rather than falling back silently. Pick a name from the list, or download a voice (see the next section).
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Install or change system voices
Voices that appear in the list are managed in the graphical settings, not in Terminal:
- Open System Settings.
- Go to Accessibility > Read & Speak.
- Choose a system voice from the menu, or select a voice and download additional versions from the list.
Apple notes that voices are not available in every language, so the choice you see depends on the language your Mac uses. Changes made here apply to say as well as to the graphical speech features.
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Save speech to an audio file
Leave out the output option to hear speech immediately. To write the result to a file instead, add -o followed by a filename. Apple’s developer example is:
say -v Zarvox hello -o hello.aiffThis creates hello.aiff in the folder where Terminal is currently working (your home folder unless you have changed directory). The file is saved, not played, so you can open it in QuickTime Player or any audio app. Keep in mind that Apple’s example uses AIFF; other formats and container options depend on your macOS version, so check the local manual before relying on them.
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Adjust the speaking rate
The say command accepts a rate setting that controls how fast the voice talks. Apple’s Mac Automation Scripting Guide shows a rate of 140 in an AppleScript example. That figure is an example from documentation, not a recommended speed for Terminal, and the best value depends on the voice and your preference. Experiment with a short phrase first, for example:
say -r 140 "Testing the speaking rate."Run man say in Terminal to confirm the exact option names and their defaults on your version of macOS.
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Read selected text without typing a command
If the text is already on screen, you do not need Terminal. Speak Selection reads highlighted text aloud:
- Open System Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak.
- Turn on Speak selection.
- Select text in any app and press Option-Esc, the default shortcut Apple documents. You can change the shortcut in the same settings pane.
Speak Selection gives you playback controls and works across apps. The Terminal command is better when you want to speak a phrase you type, or when the speech belongs in a script or shell workflow.
Keep VoiceOver separate from say
VoiceOver is macOS’s screen reader. Apple’s Terminal accessibility guidance describes using VoiceOver to read text in a Terminal window and to move around the interface. That is useful when you need to hear what is on screen, but it does not speak a phrase you supply. If you want Terminal to say a sentence you wrote, use say. If you need to navigate the whole system by sound, enable VoiceOver.
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Compare the three options
| Option | Input | Where you use it | Controls | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
say command |
Text you type or script | Terminal | Voice (-v), rate (-r), file output (-o) |
Quick phrases, scripts, generated audio files |
| Speak Selection | Highlighted text on screen | Any app, via System Settings | Option-Esc shortcut and playback controller | Reading articles, documents and messages aloud |
| VoiceOver | Everything on screen | System-wide | Screen-reader navigation commands | Using the Mac without looking at the display |
Troubleshooting
- Nothing plays: check the output device and volume in the Sound menu bar item, then run the first command again.
- Voice name not recognised: run
say -v '?'and copy a name exactly as listed, including capitals. - Speech is too fast or slow: try a different
-rvalue, as shown above. - Audio file not created: confirm the destination folder exists and that you are running the command where you expect. Use a full path, such as
-o ~/Desktop/hello.aiff, to remove ambiguity.
The Bottom Line
For speaking typed text, say "your text" is the simplest route. Add -v for a voice, -o to save a file, and -r to set speed, and use the Speak Selection setting when the words are already on screen.
Quick Recap
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