How to Slow Down Speech on the iPhone

We’ve previously written about how to have your iPhone speak a selection, but if you have used this option, then you might find that your iPhone speaks too quickly to be useful.

Luckily this is not a problem that you are stuck with, as it is possible to slow down the rate of speech on the iPhone.

The speech rate is adjustable with a slider, and you can make it as fast or slow as you would like. So continue below to see the steps you need to follow in order to modify the rate of speech on your iPhone.

Get Your iPhone to Speak Slower

These steps were performed in iOS 8. Steps may be slightly different for earlier versions of iOS.

There is no “ideal” speed that will suit everyone’s needs. You will likely need to experiment with several different options before you find the one you prefer. I personally prefer a slower rate of speech, and the level shown in the final step below is what I currently use on my phone.

Step 1: Touch the Settings icon.

open the settings menu

Step 2: Scroll down and select the General option.

open the general menu

Step 3: Select the Accessibility option.

select the accessibility option

Step 4: Touch the Speech button.

tap the speech button

Step 5: Move the slider under Speaking Rate to a level of your choice.

adjust the speaking rate slider

Now that you know how to slow down speech on the iPhone, you can make it easier to understand the information that the device is reading to you.

Did you know that you can change some options about Siri on your iPhone? For example, learn how to switch from a female to male voice.

Summary – Slowing Down iPhone Speech

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Accessibility.
  3. Choose Spoken Content.
  4. Adjust the Speaking Rate slider.

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