How to Turn Off the Voice of a Mac

Modern computers feature extensive arrays of options to make computing accessible for those with disabilities. On Macs, one of these options is VoiceOver, a utility that uses a speech synthesizer to read the text that appears on the screen. VoiceOver can make a computer easier for those with eyesight problems to use, but it is also possible to enable this feature accidentally using a keyboard shortcut. If you need to disable VoiceOver, you can do so using the same keyboard shortcut or with the System Preferences menu.

Instructions

1. Press the "Command" and "F5" keys simultaneously. This keyboard shortcut should disable VoiceOver immediately. If this does not work, or to learn how to disable VoiceOver through the System Preferences menu, continue to the next step.

2. Click the "Apple" logo at the top of the window, and then click "System Preferences."

3. Click the "Speech" icon.

4. Click the "Text to Speech" tab at the top of the window, and then click the "Open Universal Access Preferences" button.

5. Click the "Seeing" tab, and then click the "Off" radio button under "VoiceOver." Close the window to return to the desktop.

References

• Apple: Make Your Mac Speak
• Apple: VoiceOver Guide: Commands and Gestures