Microsoft Mary Voice
Classic Windows Female TTS Voice Generator
Experience the authentic Microsoft Mary voice - the classic female text-to-speech voice from Windows. Known for its clear, friendly tone perfect for accessibility features and system notifications.
Text Input
Enter text for Microsoft Mary to speak
Audio Output
Mary Voice Settings
How to Use Microsoft Mary TTS
Generate classic Windows female voice audio in just a few simple steps
Enter Your Text
Type or paste the text you want Microsoft Mary to speak in the input area
Adjust Voice Settings
Fine-tune the pitch and speed to customize the Mary voice experience
Generate Speech
Click "Speak as Mary" to generate audio using the classic female voice
Download & Use
Download the generated WAV file for your projects or play it directly
Pro Tips for Microsoft Mary
- • Mary works best with friendly, conversational text - perfect for narration
- • Use punctuation to control pacing and natural pauses
- • The default settings (Pitch: 169, Speed: 170) provide the classic Mary sound
- • Try the Magic button to generate Windows-style messages automatically
About Microsoft Mary Voice
The classic Windows female voice that brought accessibility to millions
The Voice of Windows Accessibility
Microsoft Mary was part of the SAPI (Speech Application Programming Interface) voices included with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. As the primary female voice in the Windows TTS family, Mary played a crucial role in making computers accessible to visually impaired users.
Unlike her male counterparts Sam and Mike, Mary was designed with a warmer, more approachable tone. Her voice was commonly used in accessibility software, educational applications, and as a friendly guide for Windows help systems throughout the early 2000s.
Today, Microsoft Mary represents an important piece of computing accessibility history - a time when text-to-speech technology was becoming mainstream and making computing accessible to everyone regardless of visual ability.
The Windows TTS Family
Microsoft Mary was part of a trio of SAPI voices that came with Windows:
- • Microsoft Sam - The iconic robotic male voice, try it here
- • Microsoft Mike - Telephone-optimized male voice, try it here
- • Microsoft Mary - Female voice for general use (this page)
Microsoft Mary Technical Specs
Windows Era
Windows 2000 / XP (2000-2006)
Voice Character
Warm, Friendly, Approachable
Voice Quality
Clear, Natural, Feminine
Perfect For
Microsoft Mary TTS FAQ
Common questions about the classic Windows female TTS voice
What is Microsoft Mary TTS?
Microsoft Mary is a classic female text-to-speech voice from Windows, part of the SAPI (Speech Application Programming Interface) family. It was widely used in Windows 2000 and XP for accessibility features, system notifications, and general-purpose speech synthesis, providing a friendly female alternative to the male voices like Sam and Mike.
How is Microsoft Mary different from Microsoft Sam?
While Microsoft Sam is known for its robotic, iconic male voice that became famous in internet culture, Microsoft Mary offers a softer, more natural-sounding female voice. Mary was designed for general accessibility use and has a warmer tone, making it ideal for narration and help systems, while Sam has a more distinctive mechanical quality.
What is the difference between Microsoft Mary and Microsoft Mike?
Microsoft Mary is a female voice optimized for general use and accessibility, while Microsoft Mike is a male voice specifically designed for telephone systems. Mary has a higher default pitch (169) compared to Mike (113), giving her a distinctly feminine sound suitable for a wider range of applications.
Can I use Microsoft Mary TTS for commercial projects?
Microsoft Mary is based on classic SAPI technology. For commercial use, please ensure you comply with Microsoft's licensing terms. For personal projects, nostalgic content, educational purposes, and accessibility testing, you can freely generate and use the audio.
What are the best settings for Microsoft Mary voice?
The default settings (Pitch: 169, Speed: 170) are optimized for natural female speech. For a deeper, more mature voice, lower the pitch to around 120-140. For a younger-sounding voice, increase pitch to 200-250. Speed can be adjusted based on content type - slower for narration, faster for announcements.
What file format does Microsoft Mary TTS output?
Microsoft Mary generates audio in WAV format, which provides high-quality uncompressed audio. This format is compatible with virtually all audio editing software and media players, and can be easily converted to MP3 or other formats if needed.
Why was Microsoft Mary included in Windows?
Microsoft Mary was included as part of Windows' accessibility features to provide users with a female voice option for screen readers and text-to-speech applications. Having both male and female voices gave users more choice and made the computing experience more personalized and comfortable.
Is there a character limit for Microsoft Mary TTS?
Yes, there's a 1000 character limit per request to ensure optimal performance and quality. For longer texts, consider breaking them into smaller segments. This also helps maintain natural pacing and allows for better control over the speech output.
Explore More Classic Windows Voices
Love Microsoft Mary? Try our other classic SAPI voices including Microsoft Sam, Mike, and more nostalgic Windows TTS voices.