How to Change Narrator Verbosity on Windows 11

Why Change Narrator Verbosity?

Why change Narrator verbosity? This setting gives you precise control over how much information Narrator shares. A new user may want more detail to learn what each control is. An experienced user may want Narrator to say only the text.

Lower verbosity levels are faster and less cluttered. Use them when you only need the critical details, such as when you read long articles or move quickly through a familiar app. Higher levels suit new apps or complex forms, where hearing what kind of control you are on is useful.

How to Change Narrator Verbosity

Follow these steps to change how much Narrator speaks. The change applies to your user account only. It does not need a restart, and you can undo it at any time by choosing a different level.

Step 1Open the Settings App

1. Press Win+I to open the Windows Settings ⚙️ app directly. Or click the Start menu and select Settings.

The Settings ⚙️ window should now be open, with a list of categories on the left.

Step 2Go to Accessibility Settings

2. Click Accessibility in the left panel.
3. Select the Narrator tile on the right side to expand the available options.

You should now see the Narrator page. It has the on/off switch at the top, followed by the voice, verbosity, and keyboard options. If you cannot find Accessibility, scroll down the left panel, because it sits near the bottom of the list.

Step 3Change the Verbosity Level

4. On the Narrator page, find the verbosity setting and open its dropdown list.
5. Pick the detail level you want from the list.

You can choose options like Text only or All control details to control how much information the screen reader speaks while you use your computer. Narrator should use the new level straight away, so you can test it by moving through a few items on the page. The five levels are listed below.

1. Text only
2. Some control details
3. All control details
4. Some text details
5. All text details

Pressing Narrator + V changes the verbosity level instantly. Each press moves to the next level, and Narrator announces the level it switched to. The Narrator key is Caps Lock or Insert by default. You can change it in the Narrator settings.

There is nothing to save and no restart is needed. If the level sounds wrong, press Narrator + V again, or reopen the dropdown in Settings and choose another.

Summary

Adjusting Narrator verbosity in Windows 11 makes the screen reader give you the amount of detail you need. Try a couple of levels with the apps and sites you use most, then keep the one that fits. You can switch with Narrator + V whenever a task needs more or less detail.