How to disable the Read Aloud feature?

What if it all turns to ****, no pop up, it just starts reading aloud and disables everything. Just stop it - my computer never used to do it, I haven't installed it, it has no purpose, it is costing me hours of time a week, you need to remove it, it is worse than a virus. 

So no way of manually disabling, so many people are experiencing problems with it ....why is it not a virus, why aren't you sorting it out today?

Agree - it is driving me nuts, makes me want to throw my laptop out the door. Read aloud completely disables all other functions and efffectively, because it can't be stopped, means one has to delete the doc or restart what might have been a very long online procedure. I don't know why it starts but it is making me not want to start anything. It will, if not adressed, be the biggest imobiliser of modern IT. If not adressed I am going back to paper and pen

I agree.  I finally spoke with someone in the assistive device section of MS and they informed me that when it does engage you can stop it by hitting the "X" button.  It almost always happens to me while in AOL.  This works.  Not sure why so many sites did not contain this helpful information.  Still begs the questions - why was it set up to allow it to trigger when shut off.

Microsoft Support,

The narrator settings in the ease of access center set to off. The shortcut is set to off. It is still launching with bumps to my keyboard and AUTOLAUNCHING without my consent.

  If the  narrator setting is off. It should mean that at NO time should read aloud launch.  Correct?

Any function that a user turns off, yet still operates, accesses other  physical devices (speakers) , content, and auto launches without user consent  with a prompt is serious defect.

If this add on software accidentally  auto launches audibly disclosing on screen information to third parties without user permission, it could result in a legal violation of state or federal laws such as HIPPA,   or breaches of confidential information/ data that is required by law or contract.   Auto launch runs so fast without prompt it will broadcast whatever the user is working on to whatever speaker the PC its connected to... NOT COOL.

Hopefully, I have missed a new support post  that details the uninstallation  or shut off of the function please advise.

Thanks,

Don't know if anyone else answered this question in a "deal with it now" manner, or simply how to disable it from ever appearing.

I can't help with preventing it from happening, but the solution to make it go away if you turn it on by accident:

In Edge, it appears to be tab specific.

right at the top of the page, under the address bar, you will see a bar. Towards the right of the page, you will see a play/pause button and an "x".

click the "x" to close out the live read aloud.

lol. 

I didn't want to leave my laptop on mute for eternity.

:)

James