Narrator (Windows)

Short description: Screen reader for Microsoft Windows

Narrator

Developer(s)| Microsoft
Initial release| February 17, 2000; 26 years ago (2000-02-17)
Operating system| Windows 2000 and later
Platform| IA-32, x86-64, ARM64
Type| Screen reader
License| Proprietary commercial software

Narrator is a screen reader in Microsoft Windows. Developed by Professor Paul Blenkhorn in 2000,[1] the utility made the Windows operating system more accessible for blind and visually impaired users.

## Overview

Narrator is included with every copy of Microsoft Windows, providing a measure of access to Windows without the need to install additional software as long as the computer in use includes a sound card and speakers or headphones. Windows 2000 was the first Microsoft operating system released with some degree of accessibility for the blind built in, permitting a blind person to walk up to any such computer and make some use of it immediately.

The Windows 2000 version of Narrator uses SAPI 4 and allows the use of other SAPI 4 voices. The Windows XP version uses the newer SAPI 5. However, it only allows the use of the default voice, Microsoft Sam, even if other voices have been installed.

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, Narrator has been updated to use SAPI 5.3 and the Microsoft Anna voice for English. In Windows Ultimate and Windows editions for China, the Microsoft Lili voice for Mandarin Chinese is included.

In Windows 10, Narrator is available in English (United States, United Kingdom, and India), French, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional), Cantonese (Chinese Traditional), Spanish (Spain and Mexico), Polish, Russian, and Portuguese (Brazil).[2]

A version of Narrator is also included in all Windows Phones, though with far fewer settings than the Narrator for the desktop. Narrator for Windows Phones previously only worked if the phone's language is set to "English (United States)".

There are numerous voices included in the narrator pack, such as Microsoft David, Microsoft Zira, Microsoft Mark, and in earlier editions, Microsoft Hazel.[2][3]

In Windows 11, the Narrator app was redesigned and new natural voices were added.[4] The app is available in both Dark and Contrast Themes.[4]

## References

1. ↑ "The Microsoft Ease Of Access: How It Works?". https://www.accessiblebookcollection.org/microsoft-ease-of-access/.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Appendix A: Supported languages and voices - Microsoft Support". https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/appendix-a-supported-languages-and-voices-4486e345-7730-53da-fcfe-55cc64300f01#WindowsVersion=Windows_10.
3. ↑ "Appendix A: Supported languages and voices - Microsoft Support". https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/appendix-a-supported-languages-and-voices-4486e345-7730-53da-fcfe-55cc64300f01#WindowsVersion=Windows_11.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Microsoft. "Windows 11 Accessibility Features" (in en-us). https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/accessibility-features.

## External links

*   *   * Microsoft Windows 10 Hear text read aloud with Narrator
* Microsoft Windows 10 Complete guide to Narrator - Microsoft Support

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Microsoft Windows components

Management
tools|

* App Installer
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* Applets
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* System Configuration
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* Groove Music
* Magnifier
* Mail
* Messaging
* Maps
* Media Player
* Movies & TV
* Mobility Center
* Money
* News
* Narrator
* Notepad
* OneDrive
* OneNote
* Paint
* Paint 3D
* People
* Phone Companion
* Photos
* Quick Assist
* Snipping Tool
* Speech Recognition
* Skype
* Sports
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* Wallet
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* Windows To Go
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* WordPad
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Shell|

* Action Center
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File systems|

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Server|

* Domains
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Architecture|

* Architecture of Windows NT
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* USER
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Security|

* Security and Maintenance
* AppLocker
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* Data Execution Prevention
* Family Safety
* Kernel Patch Protection
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* Protected Media Path
* User Account Control
* User Interface Privilege Isolation
* Windows Defender
* Windows Firewall

Compatibility|

* COMMAND.COM
* Virtual DOS machine
* Windows on Windows
* WoW64
* Windows Subsystem for Linux

API|

* Active Scripting
* WSH
* VBScript
* JScript
* COM
* ActiveX
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* DCOM
* OLE
* OLE Automation
* Transaction Server
* DirectX
* .NET Framework
* Universal Windows Platform
* Windows Mixed Reality
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* WinUSB

Games|

* Solitaire Collection

Discontinued|

| Games|

* 3D Pinball
* Chess Titans
* FreeCell
* Hearts
* InkBall
* Hold 'Em
* Purble Place
* Reversi
* Spider Solitaire
* Solitaire
* Tinker

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Apps|

* ActiveMovie
* Anytime Upgrade
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* Cardfile
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* Journal
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* Outlook Express
* Travel
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* Program Manager
* Steps Recorder
* Syskey
* WinHelp
* Write

Others|

* ScanDisk
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* Media Control Interface
* Next-Generation Secure Computing Base
* POSIX subsystem
* Interix
* Video for Windows
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* Windows Services for UNIX
* Windows System Assessment Tool
* WinFS

Spun off to
Microsoft Store|

* DVD Player
* Hover!
* Mahjong
* Minesweeper

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Speech synthesis

Free software|

| Speaking|

* eSpeak]]/eSpeakNG
* Gnopernicus
* Gnuspeech
* Orca
* Festival Speech Synthesis System/Flite
* FreeTTS
* Automatik Text Reader

|

Singing|

* eCantorix
* Lyricos / Flinger
* Sinsy

Proprietary
software|

| Speaking|

* DECtalk
* Software Automatic Mouth
* Talk It!
* Microsoft Agent
* Microsoft Speech API
* Microsoft text-to-speech voices
* Readspeaker
* Voice browser
* CoolSpeech
* IVONA
* CereProc
* CeVIO Creative Studio
* Voiceroid
* LaLaVoice

|

Singing|

* Alter/Ego
* Cantor
* CeVIO Creative Studio
* Chipspeech
* Symphonic Choirs
* Vocaloid
* NIAONiao Virtual Singer
* Vocalina
* Utau
* Realivox
* PPG Phonem

Machine|

* Echo 2
* Mockingboard
* Pattern playback
* Phasor
* RIAS
* Texas Instruments LPC Speech Chips
* General Instrument SP0256
* TuVox

Applications|

* AOLbyPhone
* DialogOS
* Dr. Sbaitso
* MBROLA
* Microsoft Narrator
* Microsoft Speech Server
* PlainTalk
* Voice font

Protocols|

* Speech Synthesis Markup Language
* SABLE
* VoiceXML

Developers/
Researchers|

* Alan W. Black
* Catherine Browman
* Franklin Seaney Cooper
* Gunnar Fant
* Haskins Laboratories
* Wolfgang von Kempelen
* Ignatius Mattingly
* Philip Rubin
* Yamaha

Process|

* Articulatory synthesis
* Concatenative synthesis
* Currah
* Inverse filter
* PSOLA
* Phase vocoder
* Self-voicing

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