CSS speak Property

The speak property defines whether or not the text should be rendered aurally.

It has six values. The following values are specified in CSS2.1:

  • none
  • normal
  • spell-out

Other values are specified in CSS3:

  • auto
  • never
  • always

The speak property has been deprecated.
Initial Value Not specified.
Applies to All elements.
Inherited Yes.
Animatable No.
Version CSS2, CSS3
DOM Syntax Object.speak = "always";

Syntax

speak:  auto | normal | spell-out | auto | never | always| initial | inherit;

You can insert the following piece of code with the speak property in your CSS code:

.example {
  speak: none;
}

Values

Value Description
none Forbid aural rendering so that the element requires no time to render. This value is specified in CSS2.1.
normal Uses language-dependent pronunciation rules for rendering an element and its children. This value is specified in CSS2.1.
spell-out Spells the text one letter at a time which is used for acronyms and abbreviations. This value is deprecated. This value is specified in CSS2.1.
auto Resolves to a computed value of 'none' when 'display' is 'none', otherwise resolves to a computed value of 'auto' which yields a used value of 'normal'. This value is specified in CSS3.
never Makes an element to not be rendered. This value is specified in CSS3.
always The element is rendered aurally. This value is specified in CSS3.
initial Makes the property use its default value.
inherit Inherits the property from its parents element.

Browser support

chrome edge firefox safari opera

Practice Your Knowledge

What is the use of the 'speak' property in CSS, and what values can it take?

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