One of the most popular Alexa features is the ability to play Audible audiobooks. Many users enjoy their audiobooks on Alexa-enabled Echo speakers, but also Amazon Fire tablets.
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However, there is another way to listen to a book, and you don’t even need to add an audiobook companion to a previously bought Kindle title.
Alexa can simply activate the text-to-speech function in the Kindle app.
In other words, your Amazon Fire tablet will start reading aloud a book from your Kindle library that has a text-to-speech feature enabled (at the end of a post you will learn how to check it out in the Kindle Store).
Sure, text-to-speech not the same as listening to an audiobook, but it will let you follow the story if you are impatient to know what’s next, but can’t allow yourself to leave everything and rest with a Fire or Kindle on a sofa.
How to use Alexa to make the Fire tablet read Kindle books aloud
To start listening to a Kindle book on your Amazon Fire tablet, make sure Alexa is enabled. Also, it’s good to enable Alexa’s hands-free mode. Read more about making the most of Alexa on your Amazon Fire tablet.
By enabling hands-free Alexa, you can start listening to a Kindle book without touching the screen of your Fire.
Alexa, play the Kindle book, (title).
or
Alexa, read the Kindle book, (title).
If you want to read the last-read book, simply say:
Alexa, play / read the Kindle book.
You will achieve the same by saying:
Alexa, resume my Kindle book.
To stop reading the Kindle book, say:
Alexa, stop my Kindle book.
To pause reading the Kindle book, say:
Alexa, pause my Kindle book.
Please note that controlling Alexa with your voice while there is another voice active (text-to-speech) may not have an effect. In this case, you can stop reading a Kindle in one of two ways:
Option 1: Tap the pause button on the Fire tablet. Please note that tapping the dismiss cross in the top right corner will remove the window from the screen, but not stop text-to-speech.
Option 2: Swipe from the top edge of the screen to reveal the Quick Action menu. Under the controls, you will find the currently played Kindle book.
- tap the pause button to pause the playback,
- swipe left to stop the playback and close the action.
At any time, you can ask Alexa to adjust the reading by using one of the following commands:
Alexa, read louder.
Alexa, stop reading in 15 minutes.
Alexa, next chapter.
You can play any book from the Kindle Store that supports text-to-speech technology. Alexa can also read books that you get via Amazon subscription: Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime (Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and Amazon Prime Reading).
Alexa can read Kindle books in one of the following languages:
- English (US, UK, CA, AU, IN)
- German
- Japanese
How to check out if text-to-speech is available for the Kindle book
- In your web browser, go to the Kindle Store and find a book you want to check out,
- Scroll down the page to reveal “Product details” section,
- Look for “Text-to-Speech” option and make sure it says “Enabled.”
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Make sure to check out more posts if you are interested in Amazon Fire:
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