Read Copilot CLI Aloud — Hear gh copilot Explain
Select any text in your Terminal.app where `gh copilot` is running — an explain output, a suggested command breakdown, a `gh pr view` body, a code comment. A floating ▶ appears next to your selection. One click — natural voice with word-level highlight on the terminal.
macOS native · Free · No login · 40+ languages · Native terminal AX, no OCR
~/project $ gh copilot suggest
This command uses find with the -exec flag to run a custom script against every matching file. The curly braces are a placeholder for each path, and the trailing semicolon is mandatory for POSIX find. A safer alternative is to pipe find into xargs -0, which handles filenames with spaces correctly.
Highlight follows each spoken word directly inside Terminal.app.
One App Covers Every AI Coding Tool on Mac
Same gesture, same word-level highlight — across every IDE and CLI developers actually use.
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Copilot CLI
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Three Steps — Terminal AX Path
`gh copilot` runs in Terminal.app. CastReader reads its output through macOS AX — no Screen Recording, no OCR.
Install
Download CastReader for Mac (.dmg). Grant Accessibility permission. Terminal.app needs nothing else.
Select
Drag-select any text in Terminal.app — a `gh copilot explain` output, a suggestion breakdown, a PR body.
Click ▶
A play button appears. One click — audio starts and highlight glides across the terminal.
When Copilot CLI Users Add Read-Aloud
`gh copilot` generates plain-language explanations of shell commands, git operations, and code. That prose is ideal for listening while your hands stay on the keyboard.
Listen to `gh copilot explain` output
The whole point of `explain` is comprehension. Audio lets the concept land while your eyes scan the actual command — much stickier than reading alone.
Hear suggested command breakdowns
When Copilot suggests a command, it explains what each flag does. Listening to that breakdown embeds the syntax better than silent reading.
Audio-scan PR descriptions
`gh pr view` dumps the PR body in the terminal. Select and listen — easier to catch what the PR actually claims than to eye-skim.
Listen to issue discussions
`gh issue view` pulls issue threads into the terminal. Multi-turn debates are better absorbed by ear than by scroll.
Study new `gh` subcommands
`gh help` for unfamiliar subcommands returns walls of prose. Audio on replay helps the muscle memory form faster.
Accessibility for terminal-heavy workflows
Heavy `gh` users spend hours per day reading CLI output. Offloading the prose to ears halves eye strain.
Why CastReader Fits gh copilot Better Than `say`
You could pipe Copilot output to `say`, but you lose selection-aware reading, highlight, and speed control. CastReader reads your actual terminal selection with a highlight that tracks each word.
Word-level highlight on Terminal.app
A transparent overlay tracks each spoken word on the real terminal — not a clone window or side panel.
40+ modern voices
English shell explanations, Chinese prompts, Japanese docs — auto-picked per selection. Kokoro quality, not the old `say` voices.
Adjustable rate + click-to-jump
1.5× for verbose explain outputs, 0.8× for subtle shell semantics. Click any paragraph to jump — `say` can't.
Zero cost, zero signup
No account. No daily limit. Your Copilot subscription stays the same — CastReader is the free voice.
Common Questions
How do I read gh copilot output aloud on a Mac?▾
Install CastReader for Mac, grant Accessibility permission, run `gh copilot explain <cmd>` in Terminal.app, then select the explanation and click the floating ▶. Word-level highlight appears on your terminal.
Does Terminal.app need Screen Recording?▾
No. Terminal.app exposes text through macOS Accessibility APIs. CastReader reads it directly through AX — Accessibility permission alone is enough.
Does this work with `gh pr view`, `gh issue view`, etc.?▾
Yes. Any visible text in Terminal.app — `gh copilot`, `gh pr`, `gh issue`, `gh workflow`, anything — can be selected and read with the same gesture.
Does it work in iTerm2 / Warp?▾
Terminal.app has the cleanest AX path. iTerm2 works via AX with some quirks. Warp uses its own text system — partial support via Electron OCR path.
Will it read ANSI color codes?▾
No. CastReader strips ANSI escape sequences before synthesis. You hear only the underlying prose.
Can I read Chinese gh copilot output aloud?▾
Yes. CastReader auto-detects CJK and switches to native Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean voices. Mixed-language output switches voice at sentence boundaries.
Does it interfere with terminal input?▾
No. CastReader only triggers on selection + click ▶. Shell input, Ctrl-C, and `gh copilot`'s interactive prompts stay untouched.
Is it really free?▾
Yes. 100% free — no account, no credit card, no premium voice gate, no daily word limit. Download the .dmg and use it forever.
Ready to Hear gh copilot Speak?
Install once. Run `gh copilot explain` in Terminal. Select. Click ▶. Listen.