You can now slow down or speed things up when asking for information with Alexa. Believe it or not, you have the option of several different talking speeds! A couple of years ago YouTube introduced an update that allowed users in America (and some other countries) to access Slo-Mo or Speed-Up videos on Youtube at 1080p resolution. So it makes sense that Amazon is following suit and allowing a similar feature with Alexa. By the way, watching informational videos on YouTube at 1.5x speed has been a game-changer for getting information quicker. We’ve tested the speed up and slow down feature on a handful of Alexa-enabled devices in our home and it appears that each speed is unique to the device (so that is a plus).
We think this is a really cool feature and there are some real-world applications to why this is important for different types of users. For example, I prefer Alexa to speak at a faster rate when I’m the only one around AND there isn’t a lot of noise around. On the flip side, I could see where having Alexa speak at a slower rate would be very beneficial to users who are either older and/or very hard of hearing (we like the “Alexa, repeat that feature). The “Preferred Speaking Rate” is available on all Echo devices.
BUY: Don’t Have An Echo Dot Yet? What Are You Waiting For?
How Do I Adjust My Alexa’s Talking Speed
Adjusting Alexa’s speaking rate is really easy. There are multiple speeds on both the fast and slow ends, so you’ll want to play around with what best fits your style. I’ll have to say getting used to the faster speeds took some getting used to (especially the speed up to 2x).
Here’s how you change the Preferred Speaking Rate of your Alexa:
- To Speed Up: Simply say, “Alexa, speak faster” to increase the speed. If that first initial faster speed still isn’t fast enough, you can perform the same command and Alexa will do faster (and it’s like Micro-Machine Guy fast).
- To Slow Down Alexa Speaking Rate: Simply say, “Alexa, speak slower.” Same thing as with fast, if that initial slow speed is still too fast, ask Alexa the same command again and you’ll get a slower speed.
- To Reset Alexa’s Speaking Rate: Say, “Alexa, speak at your default rate” and Alexa will go back to normal.
Again, this is a feature some may really like and take advantage of and others might not care much about it. You should try it out though. And if you’re down with a funny Alexa practical joke, you can really cranky up the speed rate of speech on someone’s Alexa without them knowing. It’s kind of funny and harmless.
One More Cool Alexa Tip (Feature) To Save You Some Time
Along the same lines as speeding up or slowing down Alexa’s speech, did you know you can also just cut down how much she responds back to you? Yup. This accessibility feature is one we’ve been playing around with for a while. It’s called “Brief Mode” and we love it. Unlike the speaking rate adjustment, you’ll have to use the Alexa app to utilize this feature.
Here’s how you enable Brief Mode on your Alexa:
- Step 1: Open the Alexa app on your phone or tablet.
- Step 2: Go to the Settings Menu.
- Step 3: You’ll have to find “Alexa Preferences and select “Voice Responses”.
- Step 4: Toggle Brief Mode to On or Off. You can always come back here and change it.
This is really easy to enable. It’s just another wrinkle Amazon has thrown at users (a good wrinkle) to allow them more customization and personalization over their devices. It doesn’t work as well when you really speed up the talking though and enable Brief Mode. Then again, you’ll have to play around with what you like.
