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How to translate text and have it read aloud on iPhone

First pick a voice for the language you're translating into, in Voice; skip this and your Spanish comes out in an English accent. Then put the text in the box, tap Translate, choose a language in Translate to:, tap Translate and then Read Translation. Needs iOS 18 or later.

3 min read · Updated 2026-09-16

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When translate and read aloud helps

Hearing a translation tells you how it sounds, not only what it means, which matters for learning a language, rehearsing a phrase before a trip, or making sense of a letter you cannot read. I used it on a menu abroad once and it genuinely changed what I ordered.

Before you start: pick the right voice

Read Translation keeps whatever voice is already selected, it does not switch for you. Translate into Spanish with an English voice chosen and you get Spanish text read with an English accent, which sounds worse than it is useful. Pick a voice for the target language first; download one in the iOS Settings app if the list has none.

Steps: translate text and read it aloud

  1. In Voice, pick a voice in the language you are translating into.
  2. Put the text in the box: type, paste, or use Scan on a sign, menu or letter.
  3. Tap Translate. The Translate & Read sheet shows your Original Text.
  4. Choose the language in Translate to:. The source language is detected automatically.
  5. Tap Translate. After Translating…, the result appears under Translation.
  6. Tap Read Translation. The translation replaces the text in the box and starts reading.

The first time you use a language pair, iOS may ask to download it, which needs internet. After that, translation can work offline.

Which languages can it translate into?

The 12 target languages in Translate to:
EuropeAsiaOther
EnglishChineseArabic
SpanishJapaneseRussian
FrenchKoreanHindi
German, Italian, Portuguese

Language names appear in your own language. The source can be any language Apple's translation recognises.

Worked example: a sign abroad

  • Select an English voice in Voice.
  • Scan the sign with Camera, check the preview, and tap Use This Text.
  • Translate, choose English in Translate to:, tap Translate, then Read Translation.
  • To practise saying the original instead, select a voice in the sign's language and tap Speak on the untranslated text.

Things to know

  • Needs iOS 18 or later; on older versions the sheet shows Translation requires iOS 18.0 or later.
  • Read Translation counts toward the free daily characters like Speak: free users get 1,000 characters a day for Speak and for saving audio, plus 500 more for every rewarded ad watched to the end.
  • The translation is saved in History, so you can load it again later.
  • Word highlighting also works during Read Translation if you turned it on.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting to switch the voice back: after reading a translation, your next Speak still uses the target-language voice.
  • Pasting the translated text over your only copy of the original: Read Translation replaces the box, so copy the original elsewhere first if you need it (it is in History only if you read it aloud before).
  • Expecting word-for-word output: translation rewrites sentences, so it is a guide to meaning, not a dictionary.

Questions and answers

Why does the translation sound like it has the wrong accent?
The app keeps the voice you had selected. Pick a voice for the target language in Voice before tapping Read Translation.
Does translation work offline?
After iOS has downloaded the language pair, yes. The first download needs internet.
Can I translate into any language?
You can choose from 12 target languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Russian and Hindi.
Which translator does it use?
Apple's Translation framework, built into iOS 18 and later.

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