Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Turning Off Speech Capabilities.

Turning Off Speech Capabilities

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 21, 2019)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013


4

Carol has speech capabilities turned on when working with a workbook on her system. (She likes to hear her entries read back to her as a double-check of their accuracy.) She doesn't want the speech capabilities turned on when she sends the workbook to her Executive Director, and was wondering how to do this.

Actually, this is something that the Executive Director has to do on his or her system. Unfortunately it isn't that easy; it involves adding a tool to the Quick Access Toolbar. Have the Director follow these steps:

  1. Display the Excel Options dialog box. (In Excel 2007 click the Office button and then click Excel Options. In Excel 2010 and Excel 2013 display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
  2. At the left of the dialog box click Customize (Excel 2007) or Quick Access Toolbar (Excel 2010 and Excel 2013).
  3. Using the Choose Commands From drop-down list, choose Commands Not In the Ribbon.
  4. In the list of commands at the left side of the dialog box, locate and select the Speak Cells on Enter option.
  5. Click the Add button. The command moves to the right side of the dialog box.
  6. Click OK.

The command is added to the Quick Access Toolbar. At this point you can click the Speak on Enter button to turn the speech capabilities on or off, as desired.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7927) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Turning Off Speech Capabilities.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Defining Styles

Styles are a powerful component of Word. You use them to determine the way that your text should appear. This tip ...

Discover More

Understanding Outlining in Word

Remember when you needed to create outlines for your writing when you were in school? Word includes outlining ...

Discover More

Table Won't Flow to Second Page

Have you ever created a table that never seems to flow to a second page, even when it should? This could be caused by any ...

Discover More

Program Successfully in Excel! John Walkenbach's name is synonymous with excellence in deciphering complex technical topics. With this comprehensive guide, "Mr. Spreadsheet" shows how to maximize your Excel experience using professional spreadsheet application development tips from his own personal bookshelf. Check out Excel 2013 Power Programming with VBA today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Converting Imported Information to Numeric Values

If the information you import into Excel is treated as text by the program, you may want to convert it to numeric values. ...

Discover More

Tracing Dependent Cells

Cells that use the information in a particular cell are called dependent cells. Excel provides auditing tools that allow ...

Discover More

Taking Pictures

Have you ever wanted to take a "picture" of a part of a worksheet and put it in another section? This tip explains how to ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 6 + 5?

2019-08-22 13:02:46

Jill

Dear Allen,

Thank you! This was driving me nuts.


2016-04-11 09:29:37

Woody Hardman

How do I open and "unprotect" a worksheet when I have forgotten the password?


2013-08-06 05:22:32

Rudra Sharma

Title of this tip should have been "How to enable/disable speech capabilities?"
If she doesn't want to send the files with speech on, she doesn't need to do antying.


2013-08-05 08:10:46

Bryan

This doesn't make sense. Speech on Entry seems to be an application setting, not a workbook setting, so if your ED's workbook is talking to him it's because he made the change, not because you used it on your system. Depending on the technical ablity of your ED, he either did this on purpose and you'd better not change it, or he did it on accident and you'll be his favorite person if you can show him how to turn it off!

If you want to force the speech on enter functionality to turn off on someone else's system, you can use Application.Speech.SpeakCellsOnEnter = False in a startup macro.


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.