diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Toolbar.jsx b/frontend/src/components/Toolbar.jsx
index 6973cd5..952e50e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Toolbar.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Toolbar.jsx
@@ -1,10 +1,46 @@
-import { useRef, useState, useEffect } from 'react'
+import { useRef, useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react'
 
 export default function Toolbar({ editor, onImageUpload, fontSize, onFontSizeChange }) {
   const fileRef      = useRef()
   const [isReading, setIsReading] = useState(false)
   const isReadingRef = useRef(false)   // ref so closure in next() always sees current value
 
+  // ── TTS voice & speed ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  const [voices, setVoices]           = useState([])
+  const [voiceURI, setVoiceURI]       = useState(() => localStorage.getItem('sw-tts-voice') || '')
+  const [ttsRate,  setTtsRate]        = useState(() => parseFloat(localStorage.getItem('sw-tts-rate') || '1'))
+  const [showTtsMenu, setShowTtsMenu] = useState(false)
+
+  const loadVoices = useCallback(() => {
+    const all = window.speechSynthesis?.getVoices() ?? []
+    if (!all.length) return
+    setVoices(all)
+    // If no preference saved yet, auto-pick first English non-eSpeak voice
+    setVoiceURI(prev => {
+      if (prev && all.find(v => v.voiceURI === prev)) return prev
+      const pick = all.find(v => !v.name.toLowerCase().includes('espeak') && v.lang.startsWith('en'))
+              || all.find(v => v.lang.startsWith('en'))
+              || all[0]
+      return pick ? pick.voiceURI : ''
+    })
+  }, [])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    loadVoices()
+    window.speechSynthesis.addEventListener('voiceschanged', loadVoices)
+    return () => window.speechSynthesis.removeEventListener('voiceschanged', loadVoices)
+  }, [loadVoices])
+
+  useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem('sw-tts-voice', voiceURI) }, [voiceURI])
+  useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem('sw-tts-rate',  ttsRate)  }, [ttsRate])
+
+  // Keep latest voice/rate in refs so the reading closure always gets current values
+  const voiceURIRef = useRef(voiceURI)
+  const ttsRateRef  = useRef(ttsRate)
+  useEffect(() => { voiceURIRef.current = voiceURI }, [voiceURI])
+  useEffect(() => { ttsRateRef.current  = ttsRate  }, [ttsRate])
+  // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
   // ── Typewriter mode ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
   const [typewriterMode, setTypewriterMode] = useState(false)
   const typewriterRef = useRef(false)
@@ -79,6 +115,8 @@ export default function Toolbar({ editor, onImageUpload, fontSize, onFontSizeCha
     isReadingRef.current = true
     setIsReading(true)
 
+    const chosenVoice = window.speechSynthesis.getVoices().find(v => v.voiceURI === voiceURIRef.current)
+
     let idx = 0
     function next() {
       if (!isReadingRef.current || idx >= chunks.length) {
@@ -87,6 +125,8 @@ export default function Toolbar({ editor, onImageUpload, fontSize, onFontSizeCha
         return
       }
       const u = new SpeechSynthesisUtterance(chunks[idx++])
+      if (chosenVoice) u.voice = chosenVoice
+      u.rate   = ttsRateRef.current
       u.onend  = next
       u.onerror = () => { isReadingRef.current = false; setIsReading(false) }
       speechSynthesis.speak(u)
@@ -207,6 +247,38 @@ export default function Toolbar({ editor, onImageUpload, fontSize, onFontSizeCha
         ⌨
       </button>
 
+      <div className="tts-settings-wrap">
+        <button
+          className={`toolbar-btn${showTtsMenu ? ' active' : ''}`}
+          onMouseDown={e => { e.preventDefault(); setShowTtsMenu(o => !o) }}
+          title="Read-aloud settings (voice & speed)"
+        >⚙</button>
+        {showTtsMenu && (
+          <div className="tts-menu">
+            <label className="tts-label">Voice</label>
+            <select
+              className="tts-select"
+              value={voiceURI}
+              onChange={e => setVoiceURI(e.target.value)}
+            >
+              {voices.length === 0 && <option value="">Loading…</option>}
+              {voices.map(v => (
+                <option key={v.voiceURI} value={v.voiceURI}>
+                  {v.name}{v.localService ? '' : ' ☁'}
+                </option>
+              ))}
+            </select>
+            <label className="tts-label">Speed — {ttsRate.toFixed(1)}×</label>
+            <input
+              type="range" min="0.5" max="2" step="0.1"
+              value={ttsRate}
+              onChange={e => setTtsRate(parseFloat(e.target.value))}
+              className="tts-slider"
+            />
+          </div>
+        )}
+      </div>
+
       <button
         className={`toolbar-btn read-aloud-btn${isReading ? ' reading-active' : ''}`}
         onMouseDown={e => { e.preventDefault(); isReading ? stopReading() : startReading() }}
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/index.css b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
index a7fa36a..d24f3da 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
@@ -1486,6 +1486,54 @@ button { cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; }
   padding-bottom: 50vh;
 }
 
+/* ── TTS Settings ─────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.tts-settings-wrap {
+  position: relative;
+}
+
+.tts-menu {
+  position: absolute;
+  bottom: calc(100% + 6px);
+  right: 0;
+  width: 240px;
+  background: var(--bg-raised);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  border-radius: var(--radius);
+  padding: 0.75rem;
+  box-shadow: 0 4px 16px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
+  z-index: 300;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 0.4rem;
+}
+
+.tts-label {
+  font-size: 0.72rem;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  font-family: var(--font-head);
+  letter-spacing: 0.03em;
+}
+
+.tts-select {
+  width: 100%;
+  background: var(--bg-surface);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  border-radius: calc(var(--radius) - 1px);
+  color: var(--text);
+  font-family: var(--font-body);
+  font-size: 0.8rem;
+  padding: 0.3rem 0.5rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+.tts-select:focus { outline: none; border-color: var(--accent); }
+
+.tts-slider {
+  width: 100%;
+  accent-color: var(--accent-hi);
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
 /* ── Writing Prompt ───────────────────────────────────── */
 
 .prompt-wrap { position: relative; }