Text-to-speech for VS Code — read documents, selections, and notes aloud
What It Does
Uses the operating system's built-in TTS engine — no API key required. Automatically strips Markdown syntax before reading so headings and code blocks sound natural.
Features
Feature
Description
Read Selection
Read selected text or the current line with one command
Read Document
Narrate entire files from start to finish
Markdown-aware
Strips #, **, backticks, and code fences before speaking
Cross-platform
PowerShell TTS on Windows, say on macOS, espeak on Linux
Configurable speed
Adjust playback rate from 0.5× to 2.0×
Right-click menus
Right-click any editor → Read Selection, Read Document, or Stop; right-click in Explorer → Read File
Requirements
No external tools required. Uses your operating system's built-in text-to-speech engine.
OS
Engine
Status
Windows
System.Speech.Synthesis via PowerShell
Pre-installed
macOS
say command
Pre-installed
Linux
espeak
sudo apt install espeak if missing
Commands
Command
Where
Description
Voice Reader: Read Selection
Palette · Editor right-click (selection)
Read selected text (or current line)
Voice Reader: Read Entire Document
Palette · Editor right-click
Read the whole active file
Voice Reader: Read File...
Palette · Explorer right-click
Pick any text file to read
Voice Reader: Stop
Palette · Editor right-click
Stop playback immediately
Voice Reader: Set Voice
Palette
Choose from available system voices
Settings
Setting
Default
Description
voiceReader.rate
1.0
Speed (0.5–2.0)
voiceReader.stripMarkdown
true
Remove Markdown before speaking
🔷 CX Tools Suite
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Description
Marketplace
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Read files, selections, or documents aloud with Web Speech API
