A computer-implemented method to perform audio playback of displayed textual content, the method comprising: obtaining, by one or more computing devices, data descriptive of one or more items of content that include a plurality of portions of textual content; determining, by the one or more computing devices, positional data that indicates respective positions of one or more of the portions of textual content on a display associated with the one or more computing devices; receiving, by the one or more computing devices, data indicative of a user input that modifies the respective positions of the one or more of the portions of textual content relative to a display; and responsive to receiving the data indicative of the user input: determining, by the one or more computing devices, updated positional data that indicates respective updated positions of the one or more of the portions of textual content; identifying, by the one or more computing devices and based at least in part on the updated positional data, that a first portion of textual content is positioned within a playback area of the display, wherein the one or more computing devices pauses for a period of time before identifying that the first portion of textual content is displayed within the playback area for automatic playback; and causing, by the one or more computing devices, automatic playback of an audio signal that includes speech of at least a portion of the first portion of textual content, wherein automatic playback is stopped responsive to identifying, by the one or more computing devices, that the first portion of textual content is positioned outside of the playback area. obtaining, by one or more computing devices, data descriptive of one or more items of content that include a plurality of portions of textual content; determining, by the one or more computing devices, positional data that indicates respective positions of one or more of the portions of textual content on a display associated with the one or more computing devices; receiving, by the one or more computing devices, data indicative of a user input that modifies the respective positions of the one or more of the portions of textual content relative to a display; and responsive to receiving the data indicative of the user input: determining, by the one or more computing devices, updated positional data that indicates respective updated positions of the one or more of the portions of textual content; identifying, by the one or more computing devices and based at least in part on the updated positional data, that a first portion of textual content is positioned within a playback area of the display, wherein the one or more computing devices pauses for a period of time before identifying that the first portion of textual content is displayed within the playback area for automatic playback; and causing, by the one or more computing devices, automatic playback of an audio signal that includes speech of at least a portion of the first portion of textual content, wherein automatic playback is stopped responsive to identifying, by the one or more computing devices, that the first portion of textual content is positioned outside of the playback area. determining, by the one or more computing devices, updated positional data that indicates respective updated positions of the one or more of the portions of textual content; identifying, by the one or more computing devices and based at least in part on the updated positional data, that a first portion of textual content is positioned within a playback area of the display, wherein the one or more computing devices pauses for a period of time before identifying that the first portion of textual content is displayed within the playback area for automatic playback; and causing, by the one or more computing devices, automatic playback of an audio signal that includes speech of at least a portion of the first portion of textual content, wherein automatic playback is stopped responsive to identifying, by the one or more computing devices, that the first portion of textual content is positioned outside of the playback area.