Sesli Okuma

Sesli Okuma — Free Download. Text reading assistant

Sesli Okuma is a Windows tray application for reading selected text aloud using system voices. A single shortcut starts or stops speech, while a second shortcut translates and reads the selection. The tool includes voice selection per language, reading speed control, a mini bar for sentence navigation, and support for eight interface languages.

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Download Sesli Okuma (Official links)
File size: 2.05 MB
The latest version of Sesli Okuma is: 1.9.2
Operating system: Windows
Languages: English, Turkish
Developer: Koray Orhun
Price: $0.00 USD (Open Source (MIT))
  • Global reading shortcut. The default combination Ctrl + Alt + S starts reading the currently selected text. When no text is selected, the application reads the paragraph under the mouse cursor. Pressing the shortcut again stops speech. Holding the shortcut pauses or resumes reading. This function works in most Windows applications.
  • Clipboard reading via double press. Pressing the reading shortcut twice in quick succession reads the contents of the clipboard. This is intended for applications that do not expose text through standard accessibility interfaces. The user can copy any text and hear it without switching windows.
  • Translation with speech output. The shortcut Ctrl + Alt + T translates the selected text into the primary language configured in the program. A small card displays the original text and the translation. The translation is then spoken aloud. The default translation service is MyMemory, which requires no account and allows approximately 5000 characters per day. An optional DeepL API key can be entered in Advanced settings for higher translation quality.
  • Sentence navigation mini bar. During reading, a thin bar appears at the bottom of the screen. It shows the current sentence and provides buttons for pause, previous sentence, next sentence, and reading speed adjustment. The bar disappears automatically when reading stops. This feature can be disabled in settings.
  • Per-language voice assignment. The application detects the script of the selected text. Text in the primary language uses a primary voice selected by the user. Text in any other language uses a second voice. This allows switching between Turkish and English content without manually changing voices.
  • Natural voice installation. The voice panel offers installation of NaturalVoiceSAPIAdapter, an open-source component that adds Microsoft online neural voices to the system. These include Turkish voices Emel and Ahmet, English voices Andrew, Ava, and Aria, plus several multilingual voices. Standard Windows voice packs can also be added from the same panel.
  • Interface language switching. The program supports eight interface languages: English, Turkish, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Portuguese. The language can be changed instantly from the tray panel. The installer also provides spoken prompts in these languages during setup.
  • Custom shortcut assignment. The reading and translation shortcuts can be changed by clicking the field in the panel and pressing a new key combination. If a conflict with an existing shortcut is detected, the old shortcut remains active and the user is informed.
  • Mouse hover reading. Under Advanced settings, the user can enable reading of items under the mouse pointer. Resting the pointer on a button, menu item, or text causes it to be spoken. This function is designed for accessibility and works with standard Windows controls.
  • Clipboard fallback mechanism. For applications that do not support UI Automation text extraction, the program performs a transparent copy operation: it copies the selected text, reads it, and restores the previous clipboard contents. This extends compatibility to older or custom software.
  • Automatic updates. The application checks GitHub Releases once per day. If a new version is found, the download is verified using SHA-256 checksums. Installation is silent and the program restarts after updating. This check can be disabled in settings.
  • High contrast theme support. The application detects high-contrast Windows themes and adjusts its interface accordingly. This is intended for users with visual impairments who rely on system-level contrast settings.
  • Words-read counter. A small counter tracks the number of words spoken by the application. This data is stored locally and can be viewed in the Advanced settings area. No usage data is transmitted externally.
  • Per-user installation. The installer does not require administrator rights. All files are placed in the user's profile directory. The application does not modify system-wide settings or registry keys outside the user scope.
  • No telemetry operation. Text processed by the application is sent only to the Windows speech provider (SAPI) selected by the user. The program does not collect usage statistics, reading history, or any personal data. Network activity is limited to translation requests and update checks.
  • Tray icon with quick controls. The tray icon provides access to a compact panel containing the current shortcut, voice selectors for primary and secondary languages, reading speed slider, and interface language menu. All main functions are reachable from this panel without opening separate windows.

Sesli Okuma was created by Koray Orhun and first published on GitHub in 2022. The program is written in C# using the .NET framework and targets Windows 10 and Windows 11. Development follows a steady release cycle with updates addressing compatibility issues and adding requested voice options. The project is maintained by a single developer with occasional contributions from users who report bugs and suggest features through GitHub Issues.