How to Add Natural Voices in Windows 11 Narrator

Windows 11 includes a built-in screen reader called the Narrator app. It helps people with limited vision by reading text, buttons, and links aloud.

Why use voices-in-windows-11-narrator/" class="sal-link" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-sal-id="8981">Natural Voices? Legacy voices often sound robotic and hard to understand. Natural voices use state-of-the-art text-to-speech technology to sound more like a real human. Once you install them, they work even if you are offline.

What happens when done? You will have a clear, easy-to-understand voice reading your screen content, making your computer much easier to navigate.

How to Add Natural Voices

Follow these steps to download new voices:

1. Open the Windows Settings app. You can do this by clicking the Start menu or pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. Click on Accessibility in the menu on the left side of the window.

3. Click the Narrator tile on the right.

4. Find the section labeled Narrator’s voices and click the Add button next to “Add natural voices.”

5. A new window will appear. Choose the voice you want to use and click Install.

6. Wait for the download to finish. You will get a notification when it is ready.

7. You can now select this new voice in your Narrator settings.

Troubleshooting Natural Voices

If your voices do not appear, check your internet connection first. The system needs to download these language packs from the Microsoft Store. Ensure your Windows is fully updated. If the installation fails, restart your computer and try again. You can verify the installation by checking the list of installed features in your Settings app under Apps > Installed apps.

Language Support and Integration

Natural voices are available in many languages. You can find the full list on the official Microsoft language support page. These voices integrate directly with Narrator and other accessibility tools like Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge. Once downloaded, these TTS engines work offline for your convenience.

How to Remove Natural Voices (Admin Required)

If you need to free up space, you can remove these voices. Note: This task requires administrative privileges.

1. Open the PowerShell app as an administrator.
2. Type the following command to see a list of your installed voices:

Get-AppxPackage -Name "*Voice*" | Select Name, PackageFullName

3. Find the package name in the list, then run this command to remove it (replace the example text with the specific package name from your list):

Remove-AppxPackage -Package MicrosoftWindows.Voice.en-US.Aria.1_1.0.8.0_x64__cw5n1h2txyewy

Summary

Adding Natural Voices to your Windows 11 Narrator is a great way to make your computer easier to use. By choosing the high-quality Natural options over the older Legacy ones, you get a smoother, more human-like experience for reading emails, websites, and documents. If you ever need to save space, you can use PowerShell to remove the files easily. For more information, see the Windows Experience Blog.