# Spoken Word

> Spoken Word has 90+ active installs, a 4.7/5 rating from 7 reviews and 126 downloads in the last 30 days. Health score 36/100, keyword rankings, version adoption and the best alternatives.

**Verdict: Consider an alternative.** Spoken Word shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 4.7/5 and was last updated 9 years ago, and scores 36/100 on our health check.

**Add text-to-speech (TTS) to content, with playback controls, read-along highlighting, multi-lingual support, and settings for rate, pitch, and voice.**

## Key facts

- **Overall rank:** —
- **Active installs:** 90+
- **Total downloads:** 6,643
- **Downloads (30 days):** 126 (+24.8% vs previous 30 days)
- **Rating:** 4.7/5 from 7 reviews
- **Health score:** 36/100 (At risk)
- **Version:** 1.0.1
- **Last updated:** Jan 21, 2018
- **Tested up to:** WordPress 4.9.33
- **Requires:** WordPress 4.7+, PHP 5.4+
- **Support resolved:** 0 of 0 threads (last 2 months)
- **Developer:** Weston Ruter (https://pageforge.pro/directory/authors/westonruter/)
- **WordPress.org:** https://wordpress.org/plugins/spoken-word/

## Category rankings

| Category | Rank | Plugins |
|---|---|---|
| [audio](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/audio/) | #55 | 210 |
| [speech synthesis](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/speech-synthesis/) | #1 | 4 |
| [text to speech](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/text-to-speech/) | #15 | 81 |
| [tts](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/tts/) | #9 | 44 |
| [voice](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/tag/voice/) | #7 | 49 |

## WordPress.org search positions

| Keyword | Position | Results |
|---|---|---|
| audio | >100 | 1,600 |
| speech synthesis | #38 | 41 |
| text to speech | >100 | 321 |
| tts | >100 | 153 |
| voice | >100 | 1,007 |

## Version adoption

- 1.0: 100%

## Alternatives

| # | Name | Active installs | Rating | Updated | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Presto Player](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/presto-player/) | 100K+ | 4.8/5 (343) | Oct 1, 2026 | 95/100 |
| 2 | [Seriously Simple Podcasting](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/seriously-simple-podcasting/) | 30K+ | 4.7/5 (329) | Aug 12, 2026 | 74/100 |
| 3 | [Compact WP Audio Player](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/compact-wp-audio-player/) | 20K+ | 4.1/5 (69) | Aug 17, 2026 | 82/100 |
| 4 | [AudioIgniter Music Player](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/audioigniter/) | 10K+ | 4.6/5 (64) | May 27, 2026 | 73/100 |
| 5 | [HTML5 Audio Player – The Ultimate No-Code Podcast, MP3 & Audio Player](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/html5-audio-player/) | 10K+ | 4.6/5 (167) | Oct 3, 2026 | 92/100 |
| 6 | [WP Photo Album Plus](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/wp-photo-album-plus/) | 10K+ | 4.7/5 (199) | Sep 29, 2026 | 87/100 |
| 7 | [ResponsiveVoice Text To Speech](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/responsivevoice-text-to-speech/) | 7K+ | 3.9/5 (34) | Aug 17, 2026 | 80/100 |
| 8 | [rtMedia for WordPress, BuddyPress and bbPress](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/buddypress-media/) | 7K+ | 3.7/5 (152) | Aug 27, 2026 | 63/100 |
| 9 | [Cue by AudioTheme.com](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/cue/) | 6K+ | 4.7/5 (36) | Apr 2, 2025 | 48/100 |
| 10 | [Buzzsprout Podcasting](https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/buzzsprout-podcasting/) | 5K+ | 5/5 (5) | Sep 4, 2026 | 84/100 |

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spoken Word free?
Yes. Spoken Word is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.

### Is Spoken Word safe to use in 2026?
Spoken Word shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 90+ sites, is rated 4.7/5 and was last updated 9 years ago, and scores 36/100 on our health check.

### How many websites use Spoken Word?
Spoken Word is active on 90+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 6,643 times since it launched in January 2018. It was downloaded 126 times in the last 30 days.

### Does Spoken Word work with WordPress 7.1?
Spoken Word is officially tested up to WordPress 4.9.33, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.

### What PHP version does Spoken Word need?
Spoken Word requires PHP 5.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.

### When was Spoken Word last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.1, was released on January 21, 2018 (9 years ago).

### Who makes Spoken Word?
Spoken Word is developed and maintained by Weston Ruter.

### What are the best alternatives to Spoken Word?
The most popular alternatives to Spoken Word are Presto Player (100K+ installs), Seriously Simple Podcasting (30K+ installs) and Compact WP Audio Player (20K+ installs).


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Source: live WordPress.org data · HTML version: https://pageforge.pro/directory/plugins/spoken-word/ · Generated 2026-10-04 00:57 UTC by PageForge