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 Edge an Other Browsers

Edge Browser

MS Edge Browser

Edge icon

Microsoft Edge is super special. At Totally Literate, we think it’s the cat’s meow. Why? Because when you close your eyes, you can practically hear it purr!

Ms. Wright, Totally Literate Executive VP of Marketing

  • It has several remarkable features. Herewith are just three:

  1. ​​It can read aloud our Totally Literate website in some 40 languages. 

  2. It can also translate English text into some additional 60 languages. 

  3. It enables users to put stories on the Immersive Reader platform, on a MS Word document, or on the Google Translate platform, where the stories can be read aloud, copied, and translated. 

 

  • Other browsers have their unique strengths. Edge stands out for its built-in Immersive Reader and seamless integration with Word, OneNote, and PDFs—features that make it especially helpful for dyslexic, bilingual, and multisensory learners.”​

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  • To read text aloud, select any word wherever you'd like the narration to begin. To do so, left click twice on the word then right click on it. Then, from the pop-up menu choose,"Read aloud from here." ​Henceforth, the toolbar will remain open, atop of every page you visit.

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  • However, before you visit another page you must stop the narration, otherwise the speaker will continue to read the page you are about to leave.

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  • Voice Controls and Voice options are located on the toolbar shown below. ​​

Voice Controls

Shows the 3 carets of voice controls
Voice controls and Voice options toolbar
Read out loud icon

  • In the Voice Controls box, a click on the middle pendant will activate Read out loud. And the other two pendants will either advance the narration or repeat it a sentence, a paragraph, or a bullet point with every click.

 

  • When you click on Voice options, a box like the one below will pop up. It allows you to change the voice (TTS speaker) as well as the speed of delivery. For now, however, we'll focus only on the latter function. To change the speed of delivery, merely slide the ball slightly one way or the other.​​

Photo shows how to adust speed & change TTS voice

The Microsoft Edge Browser facilitates the use of practically every activity on our website. Most of which have myriad functions. Firstly, to help students of all nationalities—regardless of age and ability, with or without learning handicaps—have fun and learn to read in a surefire manner; secondly, to help foreign speakers learn English so well that they will speak it clearly and be easily understood; lastly, to help all students—irrespective of their native tongue—embark on one, two or more other languages for which they may have a propensity and a desire to learn.

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Cartoon character with finger to his noggin

Alternative Browsers - Chrome, Firefox, Safari

Several other popular browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, also have some wonderful features, a few unique features of which Edge doesn’t natively include. Here’s a quick rundown

🟢 Google Chrome: Feature Highlights

  • Google Lens Integration: Chrome lets users search images on webpages using Google Lens—great for visual learners or ESL students exploring vocabulary.

  • Tab Grouping by AI: Chrome can automatically organize tabs by topic using Gemini-powered AI tools.

  • Offline Google Docs: Chrome offers the most seamless offline access to Google Workspace apps like Docs and Sheets.

  • Experimental Web Features: Chrome often gets early access to cutting-edge web APIs and developer tools.

🟠 Mozilla Firefox: Feature Highlights

  • Accessibility Inspector: Built-in dev tool that helps educators and developers audit web content for accessibility compliance.

  • Total Cookie Protection: Firefox isolates cookies per site, enhancing privacy—especially useful in school or shared environments.

  • Reader View Customization: Firefox’s simplified reading mode allows font, spacing, and contrast adjustments (though less robust than Edge’s Immersive Reader).

  • Open-source Extensions: Firefox supports niche accessibility add-ons not available in Chrome or Edge.

🍎 Safari (Mac/iOS): Feature Highlights

  • VoiceOver Integration: Deep system-level screen reader support, ideal for visually impaired learners.

  • Live Text: On macOS and iOS, Safari can extract and interact with text from images—useful for decoding scanned worksheets or bilingual signage.

  • Energy Efficiency: Safari is optimized for Apple hardware, offering longer battery life—handy for mobile classrooms.

  • Private Relay (iCloud+): Adds an extra layer of privacy by masking IP addresses during browsing.

Hence, educators and parents may choose any of these browsers over Edge. However, none offers a seamless interface with Word, OneNote and PDF workflows, none has the Built-in Immersive Reader, and none can match the number and quality of Edge's natural sounding voices.

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