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I am new at using Ubuntu so i just want to know a good PDF reader similar to Foxit Reader, and has a read out loud feature.

Mateo
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Ian Moone
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3 Answers3

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Okular

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Install Okular

Okular is a universal document viewer with support for advanced document features, such as annotations, forms, and embedded files.

This package provides the document viewer application, plus plugins for a wide variety of document formats such as:

  • PostScript (PS)
  • Portable Document Format (PDF)
  • OpenDocument Text (ODT)
  • TeX Device independent file format (DVI)
  • XML Paper Specification (XPS)
  • G3 fax
  • various electronic book formats: ComicBook, FictionBook, and Plucker This package is part of the KDE graphics module.

If KMouth and Jovie is installed, you can use Tools > Speak... to read out the document

Naz
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    If KMouth and [Jovie is installed](https://okular.kde.org/faq.php#speaktoolsdisabled), you can use Tools > Speak... to read out the document – Wilf Jun 07 '15 at 12:31
  • Currently the Okular documentation says `Because you don’t have a speech service on your system. Install the Qt Speech library and they should be enabled` link ot qt speech install directions [here](https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/linux.html) however, the speech sounds like stephen hawkings – nanotek Sep 04 '22 at 16:40
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Note: The benefit of this solution is that it uses a default Ubuntu app not a KDE one which will require you to download lots of additional libraries (which it will do automatically but may take longer).

Press the Super (Windows) key to open the Dash, type Document Viewer and press Enter.

Then press Alt + Super + S to turn on the Orca screen reader. Highlight the text you want it to read out and it will.

https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Evince/a11y

Ads20000
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    the feature i want is to read out loud . And tnks to answer my question – Ian Moone Jun 07 '15 at 11:42
  • Edited, you can do reading out loud with Evince (the default PDF reader) using Orca – Ads20000 Jun 07 '15 at 12:48
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    as noted here http://askubuntu.com/a/417056/112263 Alt+Super+S turns Ocra on and off – CrandellWS Sep 06 '15 at 21:09
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    it seems that it does not read the selected text, but only something like the menu of the evince, and so? – sunxd Aug 21 '19 at 08:39
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    @sunxd I've observed this too (after testing based on your comment), thanks for commenting, I assume that it _should_ be reading out the text, will report the bug if/when I remember... – Ads20000 Aug 26 '19 at 23:30
  • This does not work. Orca screen reader does not read selected text. – Sophile Mar 26 '23 at 16:47
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I tried using other answers given to the question. But I was getting into issues (that were pointed in the comments to the answer).

Here is a quick workaround for the time being I used so that I can use chrome to read out loud my pdf text -

  1. Installed this extension on chrome called readaloud
  2. Open your pdf in Chrome Or Use online pdf viewer like sodapdf.com to read the pdf document online on Chrome.
  3. Now I can select the text I want to read out loud in the pdf. OnRight Clicking I get the option of read-aloud the selected text as I have installed the extension in chrome.

Worked well for me.

umang-malhotra
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