How to have your Mac read a PDF out loud
Listen to a PDF instead of reading it, with Preview's Start Speaking or the Speak selection shortcut, and how to pick a voice and speed.
The problem
A long PDF, tired eyes, and you would rather listen to it while you do something else.
Can my Mac read a PDF aloud?
Yes, with nothing to install. In Preview, open the PDF, select text if you want only part of it read, and choose Edit > Speech > Start Speaking. Stop Speaking in the same menu stops it.
How do I read text aloud in any app?
Turn on System Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak selection. Then select text anywhere and press Option Esc. The same settings choose the voice and the speaking rate.
How do I change the voice and speed?
In Spoken Content, choose System voice, and drag Speaking rate. Downloading a higher quality voice from the voice list makes long listening far easier.
Why does my Mac not read my PDF?
It is probably a scan, with pictures of text and no words. Make it searchable, and the Mac can read it.
Our take
Download a better voice before you judge the feature. The default voices are fine for a sentence and tiring for a chapter; one of the enhanced voices in Spoken Content turns a novelty into something you can listen to for an hour.
In Simply PDF
Simply PDF's Make Searchable adds text to scans, so speech, search and copy all work on them. It needs a key.
Questions
Can my Mac read a PDF aloud?
Yes. In Preview, choose Edit > Speech > Start Speaking.
Why does my Mac not read my PDF?
It is probably a scan with no text. Add a text layer with text recognition.