We have introduced a new feature to FX Equation which will read your equation to you.

The first button will read the equation to you, using your operating system’s default text to speech engine and voice. On our machines, it sounds like this…

The second button will provide you with the same information in text form.

The definite integral from 1 to 2 of x squared dx
Equals x cubed over 3 from 1 to 2
Equals 8 thirds subtract 1 third
Equals 7 thirds

Why?

You might be asking yourself why this is important. We started work on the feature to increase your ability to create accessible content. In the near future, our MultiDocs system will add the text description to each equation you create which automatically provides students with sight issues with an accessible version of the equation that their screen reader can read. But it is more useful than that.

In order to be able to “read” mathematics, students need to “hear” mathematics – not just look at it. This new feature allows your students to hear how mathematics is “spoken” – which can only be helpful.

How Good Is It?

Generally, pretty good. The system will read mathematics in much the same way a mathematics teacher would. The further you get away from standard mathematics, the more likely you will find something that it cannot handle. When you do, send us an example and we will try to improve the system.

The other issue with spoken mathematics is that it is entirely dependent on your computer’s text to speech engine and voice. Sometimes this does an excellent job of reading what we have provided but we have noted that some of the voices can get things wrong. For example, on our machines the following equation is read properly by most of the voices we have access to – except one.

P(A) = 0.43

Most voices read this as “The probability of ‘ay'” whereas one of the voices reads it as “The probability of ‘uh'”. These sorts of differences are outside of our control.