- Native name
- English
- Speakers
- About 1.5 billion
- Language family
- Indo-European, Germanic
- Script
- Latin
- Spoken in
- United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and more
- Voices on Speechma
- 165 (81 female, 84 male)
- Accents
- 14
About the English language
English is the most widely learned language in the world and the main language of international business, science, aviation and the internet. It has many recognised accents, from American and British to Australian, Indian, Irish, Nigerian and South African English, and each one changes vowels, rhythm and intonation.
English is spoken by about 1.5 billion people and belongs to the Indo-European, Germanic language family. On Speechma you can choose from 165 English voices: 6 HD voices, 43 standard voices, 80 styled voices and 36 natural voices. Every voice has its own page with a real sample, so you can compare them before you start.
Which English voice should you choose?
- For videos, audiobooks and ads: start with the 6 HD voices, such as Adam HD and Elliot HD. They have the richest, most natural sound.
- For long documents, lessons and phone messages: the 43 standard voices, such as Natasha and William, stay clear and consistent over long texts.
- For a specific character: the 80 styled voices are each made for one job, from explainer, luxury brand, podcast, commercial and audiobook. Try Audrey and Brandon.
- For casual, conversational content: the 36 natural voices, such as Alice and Daniel Hughes, talk rather than read.
- For a local audience: pick a voice from your listeners' country. English voices here cover 14 accents.
Quick picks: the best English voice for each job
| Need | Voice | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Narration and audiobooks | Grace Bennett | Female · Australia · Audiobook styled voice |
| Female voice | Natasha | Female · Australia · Standard voice |
| Male voice | Adam HD | Male · United States · HD voice |
| Ads and promotions | Brandon | Male · Australia · Luxury Brand styled voice |
| YouTube and social media | Sophie Brooks | Female · Canada · YouTube styled voice |
| News and reports | Neerja | Female · India · Standard voice |
| Long documents | Natasha | Female · Australia · Standard voice |
| Kids and bedtime stories | Bridget | Female · South Africa · Bedtime Story styled voice |
| Calm and relaxing audio | Ivy | Female · Australia · Meditation styled voice |
English accents
Pronunciation, rhythm and even some words change from country to country. These are the accents available:
- United States (70 voices): General American English, the accent most viewers know from films, TV and YouTube. It is the safe choice for a global audience.
- United Kingdom (29 voices): British English with Received Pronunciation features: non-rhotic "r", crisp consonants and a polished, trusted sound.
- Australia (11 voices): Australian English, friendly and relaxed, with its typical vowel shifts and rising intonation.
- Canada (11 voices): Canadian English, close to American English but with its own vowels, a natural fit for Canadian brands.
- India (11 voices): Indian English, clear and syllable-timed, familiar to hundreds of millions of listeners in India and South Asia.
- Ireland (10 voices): Irish English, warm and melodic, with a soft "t" and a lilting rhythm.
- South Africa (9 voices): South African English, clear and confident, with influences from Afrikaans and other local languages.
- Hong Kong (2 voices): Hong Kong English, clear and precise, influenced by Cantonese rhythm.
- Kenya (2 voices): Kenyan English, clear and even, widely used in East African media and business.
- New Zealand (2 voices): New Zealand English, close to Australian English but with its own distinctive vowels.
- Nigeria (2 voices): Nigerian English, rhythmic and expressive, spoken by one of the largest English-speaking populations in the world.
- Philippines (2 voices): Philippine English, clear and neutral, familiar from customer service and education worldwide.
- Singapore (2 voices): Singapore English, crisp and quick, used in business across South East Asia.
- Tanzania (2 voices): Tanzanian English, measured and clear, often heard alongside Swahili.
All English HD voices (6)
All English standard voices (43)
All English styled voices (80)
All English natural voices (36)
How to write English text that sounds natural
- Spell out abbreviations that can be read two ways, for example "Doctor" instead of "Dr." when it starts a sentence.
- Write years and money the way you want them spoken: "twenty twenty-six" or "2026", "$5" or "five dollars".
- Use commas and full stops to control breathing; a long sentence without punctuation is read in one breath.
- Pick the accent your audience expects: American English for most YouTube content, British or Australian for local audiences.
What people make with English voices
- Video voiceoversNarration for YouTube, TikTok and Reels in English, without recording yourself.
- Audiobooks and storiesTurn English books, blog posts and short stories into audio.
- E-learningLessons, courses and language practice with clear English pronunciation.
- Ads and announcementsRadio spots, product videos and store announcements for English-speaking audiences.
- AccessibilityLet people listen to websites, documents and messages instead of reading them.
- Phone menus (IVR)Professional greetings and menu prompts in English.
Try an English line
Paste this into the tool above and pick any voice to hear it:
You're listening to Speechma. This voice can narrate your videos, read your audiobooks, and bring every story to life with natural, studio-quality sound. More English AI tools
- Voice Cloning in English: clone a voice from a short sample and make it speak.
- Voice Changer in English: turn a recording into another voice.
- Voice Design in English: create a brand new voice from a written description.
- Speech to Text in English: turn audio into text with sentence timestamps.
- AI Dubbing in English: translate and re-voice a video.