Free screenwriting tool
Free Table Read: Hear Your Screenplay Aloud
A table read is the fastest way to hear what is wrong with a draft. This one uses the voices built into your phone or computer, so it is free. Each character gets a voice, a narrator reads headings and action, and you can mute one role to rehearse it yourself while the current line is highlighted.
Used by 27 writers this week
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
How to use it
- 1
Drop a PDF, Final Draft, Fountain or Word script, or paste a few pages.
- 2
Press play. Use the scene buttons to jump around and the speed control to go faster or slower.
- 3
To run lines, pick your part under “My part”. When your line comes up it shows on screen and waits for you to say it, then tap Continue.
What should I listen for in a table read?
Listen for lines that sound alike no matter who says them, speeches that go on after the point has landed, and action that takes longer to hear than the moment would take on screen. Mark the page when you wince. You will not remember it by the end.
Switch off the action narration for a second pass. Hearing only the dialogue shows quickly whether each character has their own way of talking.
Why do the voices sound different on each device?
The reading uses the speech voices your browser already has. An iPhone, an Android phone and a Windows laptop all ship with different ones, and some have only a few. When there are fewer voices than characters, voices are reused with a different pitch and pace so speakers still sound apart.
Nothing is generated on a server and no audio is recorded or saved.
How do I rehearse my part with it?
Pick your character under “My part” and their lines go silent. The reading stops at each one, shows the line, and waits for your tap. It is a simple way to run lines for an audition or a self tape when nobody is around to read with you.
Questions writers ask
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes, in Safari and Chrome on iOS, and in Chrome on Android. Turn off silent mode if you hear nothing. The reading has to start from a tap, which is a rule of the phone, not of this page.
Is my script uploaded or kept?
The file is sent to our server only to read the pages, and nothing is stored. The voices run on your own device.
Can I download the audio?
No. Browsers do not let a page record their built-in voices, so the reading plays live only.
Why do two characters sound alike?
Your device has fewer voices than the script has speaking parts. Voices are then reused with a different pitch and pace. Desktop Chrome and Safari usually have the most voices to pick from.