The read-aloud Class: Unlocking Chrome's Listen Feature

How a single CSS class tells Android Chrome your content is worth hearing.

#WebDevelopment #HTML #Accessibility #Chrome

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The Problem Nobody Talks About

You've written a great article. You've published it to Blogger. But when a reader opens it on Android Chrome, the Listen to this page feature is nowhere to be found.

Your content exists. Chrome just doesn't know it's readable.

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What Is the read-aloud Class?

The read-aloud class is a signal — not a standard, not a spec, but a Chrome-recognized marker that tells Android's browser: this content is long-form and human-readable.

When Chrome detects this class in your HTML, it surfaces the Listen to this page option in the browser menu, allowing readers to have your article read aloud to them.

Without it, Chrome may skip the feature entirely.

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How to Use It

Wrap your article body in a single div:

<div class="read-aloud">
  <!-- your article content here -->
</div>

That's it. No JavaScript. No configuration. One class, one wrapper.

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Why It Matters

For accessibility, commuters, and readers on the go, text-to-speech is not a novelty — it's how they consume content. Platforms like dev.to have included this class for years, which is why their articles support Listen out of the box.

Independent bloggers on platforms like Blogger deserve the same experience.

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Key Takeaway

📌 The read-aloud class is a Chrome accessibility signal. Add it to your article wrapper and your readers gain a hands-free option that costs you nothing.

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Aaron Rose is a software engineer and technology writer at tech-reader.blog and the author of Think Like a Genius.