Say Can you read it out loud to me? when you can't see the text but they can, and you want them to say it aloud so you can hear it.
- A contract clause across the table is too small to make out: Can you read it out loud to me? You're asking the person holding it to speak the words.
Situations where you'd ask someone to read it out loud
Someone shows you a phone message you can't see clearly: Can you read it out loud to me? You're asking that person to say the words aloud so you can hear them, since you can't make them out yourself.
A letter sits across the table and you left your glasses at home: Can you read it out loud to me? I left my glasses at home. You're asking the person holding the page to speak it aloud.
Someone received a text you never saw: What did she say? Can you read it out loud to me? Here the words exist only on their screen, so reading aloud is the only way you'll hear them.
You already hold the document yourself: Can you help me with this word? Don't use the out loud request here, because saying it signals the text sits with them, not you.
You're typing, not speaking, and they can open the file themselves: send Could you take a look at page 2? The spoken out loud request fits when a person present or on the line reads to you.
The one thing that changes the wording
Where the text sits changes the wording. When it sits on their side of the table or on their screen, keep Can you read it out loud to me? The wording tells them the words are visible to them and they need to say them so you can hear.
If the page is already in your hands, the phrase sounds odd, because you're asking them to read something you could read yourself. In that situation ask for help with a specific word instead.
One exception: you hold the paper but the print is tiny or blurry, so you can't comfortably make out the words. Now Can you read this out loud to me? works again, because you're asking for their voice, not their access, and this points at the shared page.
The same logic covers distance and eyesight. A contract clause across the table or a letter read without your glasses puts the words effectively out of your reach, even if the paper is technically in front of you, so the spoken request still fits.
If they aren't present and the file is easy for them to open, a written message like Could you take a look at page 2? fits better. The out loud request assumes someone in the room or on the line can speak the words to you.