This new app will cut your study time by half

We’re always on the hunt for productivity hacks, tips to manage our time better (like the Pomodoro Technique) or how to remember things. Our current favourite is the Speechify app — a text-to-audio converter. 

The founder, an Israeli immigrant from Brown University named Cliff Weitzman, first developed this in college to help him deal with his dyslexia. Now, this app is widely used by students who prefer to learn through listening. 

Reading isn’t everyone’s cup of tea so with an app like this in the digital age, you can absorb information through auditory learning. The Speechify app has been on everyone’s radar, judging by how it blew up on TikTok. 

@jakehiu Send this to your friends @speechifyapp #speechify #fyp #study ♬ in heat X brooklynbloodpop – EMBRR

Using this app to study is a definite gamechanger not only for dyslexic students but for those who have ADD or those who just simply prefer listening. We take a look below at how to use this to your learning advantage:

Installing the Speechify app

It’s good to know that the Speechify app is free to use on your web browser as a Chrome extension. It’s also available to download as an app on iOS or your Android device. 

All you need to do is download it and add the extension. Create your account and proceed to highlight the text you want to listen to which can be documents, emails, and even social media feed.  

 

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The app on your mobile device is free to download and includes unlimited reading with playback controls. But, if you want to access high-quality voices, capture texts from photos, and send synced audiobooks to your phone, you’ll need to subscribe to the premium version which will cost you US$2.99 a month. 

Scanning documents

Forget investing in an expensive scanner when you have the Speechify app. To scan, tap the “+” button and choose “Scan Text” from the menu. The “Multi-Scan” option will let you take photos of multiple pages and you can even change the title of your audiobook and make it your personal podcast. 

Importing documents

If you need to import written documents and converting them to audiobooks using the Speechify app, it’s as easy as 1,2,3. 

All it takes is a quick tap on the “Import Files” option on the menu and choosing the folder where your document’s saved. A fun thing to do is import your documents and take the audiobooks with you on your walks or while you cook. 

Take notes in your audiobooks

If you love highlighting while studying, rejoice as you can still do this with the Speechify app. They even have different colours for you to choose from and you can create bookmarks so it’s easier to find. You can also jot down meaningful notes which you can revisit anytime you want. 

 

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Find your language

The app isn’t only limited to English speech. You can also find options for the following languages: French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish and Traditional Chinese. There are plans to add more — so stay tuned!

Pro tips for students using the Speechify app

Create study groups with your friends where you play back the audiobooks converted by the app. It’s almost like a lecture on-demand. This can help you learn course material in a more concrete manner — when you’re reading, you’re revising passively. Audiobooks encourage more active participation.