Text to speech for YouTube voice-overs

By Alex, editor · Updated October 25, 2026 · Published by Ecomparadise, LLC

Free and private: the voice is generated in your browser, so your text is never uploaded. Download the audio as WAV.

Type or paste text, then press Read aloud. Nothing is uploaded.

How to do it

Paste your script, choose a voice that suits your channel, and generate. Listen through once, fix any mispronounced words by spelling them the way they sound, then download the WAV and drop it into your editor under your footage.

Tip: Write for the ear: short sentences, one idea each. Put a full stop where you want a pause. A comma gives a shorter pause.

How it works

  1. Type, paste or open a .txt or .pdf file (text PDFs only).
  2. Choose one of 13 English voices and a speed.
  3. Press Read aloud. The first time, the voice model downloads once (about 90 MB) and is cached.
  4. Speech is generated on your device part by part and starts playing straight away. When it finishes, download the WAV file.

Tips for natural-sounding speech

ProblemWhat to do
A name is mispronouncedSpell it the way it sounds, e.g. "Siobhan" as "Shiv-awn"
No pause where you want oneAdd a full stop, or a blank line for a longer pause
Numbers read oddlyWrite them in words: "twenty twenty-six", "three point five percent"
Abbreviations read letter by letterWrite the full words: "for example" instead of "e.g."
Sounds rushedLower the speed to 0.9 and use shorter sentences

Honest limits

Your text stays private

Most free text-to-speech sites send your text to a server. VoiceRuler generates the voice inside your browser, so your words never leave your device. The Kokoro model is released under the Apache-2.0 licence, which allows commercial use of the output.

Related guides

More: for creators

Frequently asked questions

Can I monetise videos that use these voices?

The Kokoro model is released under the Apache-2.0 licence, which allows commercial use. YouTube's rules still apply: channels need original, valuable content, and YouTube asks creators to disclose realistic synthetic content in some cases. Read YouTube's current policies for your channel.

Is there a character limit?

You can process up to 100,000 characters at a time. Long scripts are generated in parts and joined into one file.

Is VoiceRuler free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no daily limit and no watermark, because the voice runs on your device.

Is my text uploaded?

No. Speech is generated in your browser. Only the model and voice files are downloaded.

Which languages are supported?

English only, in American and British voices.

The Rulers

Eight free tools. No sign-up, nothing to install.

Made by the same small team. CutRuler, ScribeRuler, TextRuler and VoiceRuler run entirely in your browser, so your files stay on your device.