Reading should be enjoyable, but sometimes getting through a book can feel like hard work. Concentration can wander, tiredness can make the words blur together, and it is surprisingly easy to reach the bottom of a page without remembering much of what you have just read. Fortunately, there is more than one way to read. Audiobooks, text-to-speech tools and listening while following along with a printed book can all make reading more accessible and enjoyable.
You Don’t Have to Read in Just One Way
Reading a printed book from beginning to end is only one way of taking in information. You might prefer listening to a book, having your computer read digital text aloud, or listening while following the words on the page.
Using more than one method can be particularly useful when concentration is difficult or when you have a lot of reading to get through. Following the printed words while listening can help you keep your place, while the audio keeps the reading moving when your attention begins to drift.
The important thing is not how you read. It is whether you are able to engage with, understand and enjoy what you are reading.
Audiobooks: Let Someone Else Do the Reading
Audiobooks can be useful when sitting down with a book is difficult or when you want to use time when reading a printed page would be impractical. You can listen while travelling, doing simple household tasks or simply resting.
For some readers, listening alone works well. Others find it easier to concentrate if they listen to the audiobook while following the same passage in a printed or digital copy. Seeing and hearing the words together can make it easier to stay connected to the text.
Before buying an audiobook, it is worth checking what you can access already. Public and university libraries may provide audiobooks and other digital resources as part of your membership. Some books are also available through subscription services or can be purchased individually.
If you need a particular edition for study, check that the audio version matches the text you are using as closely as possible. Introductions, notes and page numbering can differ between editions.
Text-to-Speech: Turn Digital Text into Audio
Text-to-speech (TTS) technology reads digital text aloud using a computer-generated voice. Depending on the device or software you use, it may be able to read webpages, documents, eBooks and accessible PDF files.
This can be particularly helpful when you need to read something that does not have a professionally recorded audiobook. Instead of relying entirely on your eyes to work through a long piece of text, you can listen while following the words on screen or in a printed copy.
Many computers, tablets and smartphones already include some text-to-speech or accessibility features, so it is worth checking what is built into your device before paying for additional software.
For students, your university or college library and accessibility or disability-support team may also provide access to reading software, accessible digital texts or alternative formats. If you have a long reading list, asking what is already available can save a considerable amount of time and money.
Not every digital book or document can be read aloud in the same way. Copyright protection, file format and accessibility settings can affect what a particular program is able to read, so check the permitted options for the material and service you are using.
Listening While Following a Printed Book
For some readers, the most useful approach is surprisingly simple: listen to the text while following the same words in a printed book.
The audio provides a steady pace while the printed page gives your eyes somewhere to focus. If your attention wanders, hearing the words can help bring you back to the text without having to repeatedly work out where you were.
This can also be useful for studying. You can pause the audio to highlight a passage, make a note or reread something that needs more thought. You still have the physical book available for page references, quotations and annotations, while the audio helps you work through the text.
You do not necessarily need to buy two versions of every book. Before spending money, check whether an audio or accessible digital version is available through your library, university or another service you already use. You can then follow along in your own printed copy.
A Simple Way to Try It
You do not need an elaborate setup to find out whether listening and reading together works for you. Start with something you already have and keep the experiment simple.
Choose a book or piece of text you genuinely want or need to read. Check whether an audiobook, accessible digital copy or text-to-speech version is legally available through your library, university, device or a service you already use.
Listen while following the words for around 15 to 20 minutes. If the pace feels too fast or too slow, adjust the playback speed if your software allows it. Pause when you want to make notes or think about something you have read.
Most importantly, notice whether you understood and remembered the material better. The best reading method is not necessarily the most traditional one — it is the one that helps you actually engage with the words.
Make Reading Work for You
Reading does not have to mean sitting silently with a printed book and forcing yourself through every page. Audiobooks, text-to-speech and reading while listening are simply different tools for reaching the same goal: understanding and enjoying what you read.
Try the free resources and accessibility features already available to you before buying anything new. If a particular method helps, you can then decide whether a subscription, audiobook, eReader, headphones or another reading aid would genuinely make the experience better.
There is no prize for making reading harder than it needs to be. Find the combination that works for you and use it.