Online Tool Store
Screen Reader Text Preview
Paste HTML or plain text and see an approximation of how a screen reader would announce it - including alt text, headings, links, and ARIA labels - using the browser Speech Synthesis API.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
Approximate screen reader announcement
How it works
- Paste an HTML snippet — headings, links, buttons, images, and list items are recognized.
- The tool builds an approximate announcement list, the way a screen reader would step through the content.
- Images with no alt attribute are flagged, and decorative images (alt="") are correctly skipped.
- Click "Speak announcement" to hear the list read aloud via your browser's speech synthesis.
FAQ
Does this match a real screen reader exactly?
No — real screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA, JAWS, TalkBack) each have their own announcement rules and phrasing. This tool gives a simplified, browser-only approximation to help you spot obvious gaps like missing alt text.
Why is an image with alt="" skipped?
An empty alt attribute marks an image as decorative. Screen readers intentionally skip decorative images so they do not add noise to the announcement.
What does "image, unlabeled" mean?
It means the <img> tag has no alt attribute at all. Screen readers typically announce the filename or "image" with no useful description in this case — always add an alt attribute.
Does the "Speak" button use a real screen reader?
No — it uses your browser's built-in Speech Synthesis API to read the approximated announcement list aloud, which is a helpful sanity check but not identical to assistive technology output.
How we compare
| Feature | Online Tool Store | Installing a full screen reader |
|---|---|---|
| No install, instant preview | ✓ | ✗ |
| Exact real-world screen reader phrasing | Approximate | ✓ |
A full screen reader is the only way to test perfectly, but installing and learning one for a quick sanity check is a lot of overhead. This preview catches common issues, like missing alt text, in seconds.