Apps that speak what you type: the iPhone options compared
Last updated · · Prices checked 2 September 2026
Six iPhone apps will speak what you type: Speech Assistant AAC, Proloquo4Text, Predictable, Spoken, Talk For Me, and TypeOut. They range from free to download to $159.99 one-time. The most important difference between them is not cost — it is which access methods they support and whether they handle the other half of the conversation.
All six fall under the AAC label (augmentative and alternative communication). In the UK the same products are usually called communication aids. This page covers only the ones built around a keyboard — not the symbol-grid apps designed for people who do not yet read, which is a separate category — see free AAC apps.
A typing app is not a text-to-speech reader
Search for "app that talks for you," "type and speak app," or "app that speaks what I type" and two different categories show up side by side. One is conversation apps — the kind on this page. The other is document readers.
Speak4Me and Text to Speech! are examples of the second kind. They read articles, PDFs, and web pages aloud, sometimes with a favorites list or a subscription for premium voices. They are useful for that purpose, but they are not designed for standing in front of another person and talking. A conversation app has:
- Saved phrases you can play with one tap, organized into categories
- Word or sentence prediction so you can type faster under pressure
- A screen layout meant to be shown to the person across from you
The comparison below includes only the conversation apps. If you need long articles or emails read aloud, a general text-to-speech reader is the right tool — that is a different problem from what these apps solve.
The typing AAC apps on iPhone, compared
Five of the six are on the US App Store as of 2 September 2026; TypeOut is in Apple review and not yet listed. Descriptions are based on each developer's own App Store listing.
| App | US price | Payment model | Android | Prediction | Transcribes the other person | Access beyond touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speech Assistant AAC | $24.99 | One-time, no subscription | Yes (Google Play) | Autocomplete phrase suggestions | No | Bluetooth keyboard, Apple Watch, abbreviation expansion |
| Proloquo4Text | $119.99 | One-time purchase | No | Self-learning word and sentence prediction | No | Switch Control, VoiceOver, external keyboard, Apple Watch |
| Predictable | $159.99 | One-time purchase | Yes ($159.99) | Learns from use | No | Scanning, Bluetooth switch, head tracking, face gestures |
| Spoken | Free to download | Some features require "Spoken Premium"; terms not detailed on listing | Yes (Google Play) | Personalized next-word predictions | No | Handwriting/drawing input; nothing beyond touch stated |
| Talk For Me | Free to download | Not stated | Not stated | Not mentioned | No | Siri Shortcuts, hardware keyboard, Personal Voice (iOS 17+) |
| TypeOut | Coming soon | Free download; optional membership | No | Sentence suggestions while typing | Yes — speech becomes large text on same screen | None beyond touch |
What separates them
One-time purchase or subscription. Three of the six — Speech Assistant AAC, Proloquo4Text, and Predictable — are one-time purchases. You pay once, the app is yours, no recurring cost. Spoken and Talk For Me are free to download but may charge for features through in-app purchases; Spoken's listing mentions a "Spoken Premium" tier without detailing its price. TypeOut is free to download; its cloud voices are a subscription. Over time, a subscription adds up to more than a one-time purchase — the crossover arithmetic is on the free AAC apps page.
Access methods. If the person using the app cannot reliably tap a touchscreen — because of ALS progression, cerebral palsy, or another motor condition — the access method is often more important than every other feature combined. Predictable supports scanning, Bluetooth switch access, head tracking, and face gestures. Proloquo4Text supports Switch Control and VoiceOver. The remaining four, including TypeOut, are touchscreen apps with no alternative input. This is not a minor point; for some people it is the entire decision.
The other half of the conversation. Five of the six apps handle outgoing speech only: you type, the phone says it, and the other person's answer reaches you however it can — lip-reading, writing on paper, a second app, or just speaking slowly and hoping. TypeOut also transcribes the other person's speech into large text on the same screen, using the iPhone's built-in speech recognition. A new block of text appears after every two seconds of silence. That means both directions of a conversation happen on one device without passing the phone back and forth. For a face-to-face exchange at a counter or a hospital bedside, not needing a second device or a pen and paper removes a step.
What TypeOut does, and what it costs
TypeOut is in Apple review and not yet available on the App Store. Here is what it does and what it will cost when it arrives.
- You type, and the phone speaks it out loud. One tap flips the text into the lower half of the screen — rotated so the person across from you reads it right-side up.
- When the other person answers, their speech appears as large text on the same screen — a new block after every two seconds of silence.
- Phrases you use often are saved in categories, reordered by dragging, color-coded, and played with one tap.
- Sentence suggestions appear while you type.
- Twelve visual themes, including a high-contrast theme for low vision, with text scaling up to 160%.
- UI in English, Japanese, and Chinese. Everything stays on the phone. When you use a cloud voice, the sentence is sent through the developer's server for synthesis and is not stored.
The cost has three parts:
- Free to download, with no trial period and no unlock fee.
- Speaking with the phone's built-in voice is free, unlimited, and works offline — airplane mode included. That is a complete and permanent way to use the app at no cost.
- More natural cloud voices are an optional membership: $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, covering 60,000 characters a month. New accounts get 2,000 characters of cloud voice to try — roughly 330 words, enough to hear the difference, not enough to live on. When cloud characters run out, the app keeps speaking with the built-in voice rather than stopping.
TypeOut is not right for you if…
Common questions
- What app speaks what I type?
- On iPhone, six apps speak what you type: Speech Assistant AAC ($24.99), Proloquo4Text ($119.99), Predictable ($159.99), Spoken (free to download, subscription details not stated), Talk For Me (free to download), and TypeOut (coming soon, free to download with optional paid cloud voices). They differ mainly in access methods, word prediction, and whether they also transcribe the other person's speech.
- What is the best typing AAC app for iPhone?
- It depends on what you need. If you need switch access, scanning, or head tracking, Predictable is the most capable in that area. If you want a polished one-time-purchase keyboard app, Proloquo4Text is well established. Speech Assistant AAC costs $24.99 and covers autocomplete, categories, and Bluetooth keyboard input. If you also need the other person's speech transcribed on the same screen, TypeOut does that; its built-in voice is free, and more natural cloud voices are $4.99 a month.
- Is there a free app that talks for you?
- Spoken and Talk For Me are free to download on iPhone, though their full feature sets may involve in-app purchases. TypeOut is also free to download, and speaking with the phone's built-in voice is free and unlimited, including offline. Its more natural cloud voices cost $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
- Does Proloquo4Text work on Android?
- No. Proloquo4Text is iOS only; there is no Android version. On Android, Speech Assistant AAC, Predictable (also $159.99), and Spoken are available on Google Play.
- What is the difference between a text-to-speech app and an AAC app?
- A general text-to-speech app reads documents, articles, or web pages aloud. It is a reading tool. A typing AAC app is a conversation tool: it speaks what you type to someone standing in front of you, with saved phrases, prediction, and a screen layout designed for face-to-face use. Both show up in the same search results, but they solve different problems.
- How much does TypeOut cost?
- TypeOut is free to download, and using the phone's built-in voice is free, unlimited, and works offline. More natural cloud voices are an optional membership at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, covering 60,000 characters a month. New accounts get 2,000 characters of cloud voice to try. When cloud characters run out the app falls back to the built-in voice rather than stopping.
Type it. Your phone says it out loud.
Free to download on iPhone. Your phone’s built-in voice is unlimited and works offline; natural-sounding cloud voices are optional.