How to Change the Default Speech Synthesis Voice in Windows 11 Time and Language

How to Access Time and Language Settings in 🪟 Windows 11

The Time & language settings open through the main Settings app. This is where Windows keeps your region, language and speech controls. You can reach it from the Start menu or with a keyboard shortcut.

To open Settings from the Start menu:

1. Click the Start button on the taskbar🖥️. The Start menu⊞ opens.
2. Type Settings into the search🔍 box. Windows shows matching results as you type, and the Settings app should appear at the top.

3. Click the Settings app icon (the gear) in the search🔍 results. The Settings⚙️ window opens.

That’s it. Settings is now open and ready for you to move on to the Time & language category.

Once Settings is open, use the left sidebar to find the right category:

1. Look at the list on the left. It shows categories such as System, Bluetooth🔷 & devices and Network & internet.
2. Scroll down that list until you see Time & language.
3. Click Time & language. The right-hand pane now shows your date, time, language and region options.

You should now be on the Time & language page, which is the starting point for every speech setting in this guide.

Navigating to Speech Settings

The speech settings sit inside Time & language. Depending on your build of Windows 11, there are two ways to reach them. One goes through Language & region and your language options. The other is a direct Speech entry in the Time & language menu. Current builds of Windows 11 have the direct entry, and it is the faster route.

To reach the speech settings through your language:

1. In the Time & language menu, click Language & region. The page lists your installed languages.

2. Find your preferred language in the list. If only one language is installed, it is the only entry.
3. Click the three dots menu next to the language entry. A small menu appears.
4. Select Language options from that menu. A new page opens for that language.
5. Scroll down the page until you reach the Speech section.

That’s it. You are now at the place where Windows manages the voice for that language.

To use the direct route instead:

1. Open Settings › Time & language › Speech.
2. Look for the voice dropdown near the top of the page. It lists the voices installed on your PC.

You should now be on the Speech page and can skip the language steps above. Pasting ms-settings:speech into the Run box (Win+R) opens this same page directly. Both paths lead to the place where you manage your computer’s voices.

If you cannot find a voice list on the language page, the speech feature for that language may not be installed yet. The section on adding voices later in this guide covers that. Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 show the same speech options.

Step-by-Step: How to Change the Default Speech Synthesis Voice

You change the default voice from the speech settings page. Pick a new voice from the dropdown list, and every text-to-speech feature that uses the system default will sound different.

Follow these steps:

1. On the speech settings page, find the dropdown for the voice. Depending on your build, it may be labeled Voice, Voices or similar.
2. Click the dropdown. It lists every voice currently installed on your PC.
3. Click a name in the list to select it.
4. Click the button next to the menu to hear the voice. Older builds label it Preview, and current builds label it Listen. Windows reads a sample sentence in the selected voice.
5. Listen to the sample. Repeat the steps with other voices until you find one you like.

You should now have a new default voice. Windows saves your choice as soon as you pick a voice from the list. There is no save button, and the PC does not need a restart. To undo the change, open the same dropdown and select your previous voice.

Take your time with this step. Try male and female voices, and try regional accents if they are listed. If you use text-to-speech or a screen reader every day, a voice that sounds pleasant makes a real difference.

If you use Narrator and the voice does not change, that is expected. Narrator has its own voice setting under Accessibility in Settings, so it does not always follow the default voice chosen here. The newer natural voices, such as Aria, Jenny and Guy, are mainly used by Narrator. Windows 11 downloads them from Settings › Accessibility › Narrator › Add natural voices, and they work offline once installed.

Some apps also ignore the system default. Microsoft Edge Read Aloud, for example, uses its own voice list, so changing the default voice here does not change how Edge sounds. Change the voice inside that app instead.

Adjusting Speaking Speed and Voice Pitch

Speaking speed is controlled with a slider below your chosen voice. Moving it left slows the voice down, and moving it right speeds it up. Some builds also offer a pitch control, which is covered after the next image.

To adjust the speed:

1. Stay on the same speech settings page where you changed the voice.
2. Find the Voice speed section. A slider with a circle on it appears.
3. Click and drag the circle left to make the voice slower, or right to make it faster.
4. Click the Preview or Listen button again to hear the new speed.
5. Keep adjusting and previewing until the reading pace feels comfortable.

That’s it. Your voice now reads at the pace you chose. As with the voice choice, Windows saves the speed as you change it. To go back to the original pace, drag the slider back to the middle of its range.

Some versions of Windows 11 let you adjust the pitch of the voice. If you see a pitch slider, drag it up for a higher voice or down for a deeper one. Many builds do not show a pitch control at all, so if you cannot find one, that is normal and nothing is wrong with your PC. In that case, choose a different voice to get a higher or lower sound.

Adjust speed and pitch together, previewing each time, until you find a combination that sounds clear and natural.

Adding New Speech Voices to 🪟 Windows 11

If the voice you want is not in the list, you can install it. Windows 11 offers three routes. You can add a language that includes text-to-speech, add voices directly from the Speech page, or download natural voices for Narrator. Each download needs an active internet connection.

To download and install a voice by adding a language:

1. Go back to the main Time & language settings page.
2. Click Language & region.
3. Click the Add a language button. A list of languages opens.
4. Type the name of the language or country into the search🔍 box. For example, type Spanish, French or a different English dialect.
5. Click the language in the search🔍 results, then click Next.
6. On the installation options screen, make sure the Text-to-speech box is checked. Uncheck other options, such as handwriting, if you do not need them.
7. Click the Install button. Windows starts the download.

You should now have a new language with its speech voice on the way. The next paragraphs explain what happens during the download.

Windows downloads the language pack and the new speech voice in the background. You can keep using the PC while it works, but the download may take a few minutes on a slow connection. When it finishes, go back to your speech settings. The new voice should now appear in the voice dropdown, ready to select and preview.

If the voice does not appear, close and reopen Settings. If it is still missing, restart the PC once and check the dropdown again. Adding a language may also change your display language or keyboard layout. If you only wanted the voice, review those settings afterward. To remove a language you no longer need, use the three dots menu next to it in Language & region.

Current Windows 11 builds let you add a voice without adding a whole language. To do that:

1. Open Settings › Time & language › Speech.
2. Click Manage voices, then click Add voices. A list of available voices appears.
3. Select the voice or voices you want and confirm the installation. Windows downloads them.
4. When the download finishes, return to the voice dropdown on the Speech page and choose the new voice.
5. Click Listen to hear it.

That’s it. The voice is installed without changing your display language or keyboard layout. If the Speech page or Manage voices is missing, your build of Windows 11 is older, so use the language method above.

To install natural voices for Narrator:

1. Open Settings › Accessibility › Narrator.
2. Click Add natural voices. A list of natural voices, such as Aria, Jenny and Guy, appears.
3. Choose a voice and click the button to install it💿. Windows downloads the voice.
4. Select the installed voice in Narrator’s voice setting.

You should now have a natural voice that works offline. These voices are used mainly by Narrator, so they may not show up in the system voice dropdown on the Speech page.

Summary

You can now choose your preferred computer voice, set the speaking speed, and download extra voices when the built-in ones do not suit you. Take a few minutes to preview several voices, because a voice you enjoy makes long documents and accessibility tools much easier to use.