Speak into your computer’s speakers with a simple trick in Windows

Listening to yourself through a loudspeaker can be a good help when practicing, for example, a speech and showing how you can sound to others. More importantly, it’s a quick and easy way to check if your computer’s microphone and your speakers are working properly.

This setting can also be used to amplify your voice to reach a larger audience in the room even if you speak softly.

The same method can be used if you use headphones and want to listen to your voice through a headset using the microphone. The only difference then is that Windows has automatically selected the headphones as the default audio device, and you set them rather than the built-in system speakers.

Many users don’t know this feature exists, but it actually exists in Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.

Here’s how to use your computer’s built-in hardware to hear yourself through the microphone. You may need to adjust the volume to avoid howling feedback in the speakers.

1. Sound

Right-click the small speaker icon at the bottom right of the taskbar and select Sound.

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2. Microphone

Switch to tab Recording and then double-click the microphone that is marked as default (green tick).

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3. Listen

Switch to tab Listen and put a check mark next to Listen to this device.

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4. Standard

Also make sure that Default device for playback is selected at Play with this device.