Typing isn’t easy or even possible for everyone, which is why many prefer to simply talk. Speech-to-text software, also sometimes called dictation software, can help with that; it turns what you say into typed text. You likely don’t need to install software to dictate text to your computer or phone, either, since every major operating system has a speech-to-text feature that works just about as well as anything else on the market. Here, we highlight where to find these features on your devices and discuss a powerful commercial product that offers additional features. Below are the best apps and tools we tried.
Recommended by Our Editors
Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Microsoft Office
Why We Picked It
You can dictate text in Microsoft 365 apps by clicking the prominent Dictate button in the ribbon menu. This brings the excellent engine that Microsoft offers all Windows users, complete with the auto-punctuation option, to nearly every platform—the Android, iOS, macOS, and web versions of the Office suite apps all include this feature. That’s great news if you don’t get along with your operating system’s built-in speech-to-text engine.
Who It’s For
Impatient creators: Do you think quicker than you can type? Simply press the Dictate button and begin speaking to capture your ideas on the page before you lose your train of thought.
Microsoft 365 subscribers: No matter what device you use, a Microsoft 365 subscription gets you full-featured dictation features in PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, and Word. Most operating systems have a default option, but this provides you with more flexibility.
Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Apple Devices
Why We Picked It
Apple’s macOS has a Dictation feature. To enable it, head to System Settings > Keyboard and scroll down to Dictation, where you can also set a keyboard shortcut. Newer Macs have a dedicated function key that looks like a microphone (F5) in the top row of the keyboard to toggle dictation. The speech detection is highly accurate, and the text appears in near real time. You can add punctuation with spoken commands. Potentially incorrect words get a blue underline after you’re done dictating, and you can right-click or Command-click on them to see potential revisions, similar to how spellcheck works. Note that Apple silicon Macs can do dictation for the most common languages offline, whereas Intel Macs send audio to Apple servers for processing.
If you use the default keyboard on iOS or iPadOS, you should see a microphone icon to the left of the space bar or sometimes below the space bar on the right side. Tap that Dictation button, and a microphone icon will appear next to your cursor. Start talking, and your text will appear. You can add punctuation and formatting via spoken commands, similar to those on macOS. The text recognition is just as accurate as on a Mac, too.
Who It’s For
Apple device users: If you have an iPad, iPhone, or Mac, Dictation is the most convenient speech-to-text feature available to you. A wide range of customization options is available to help you get the most out of the experience.
Most Powerful Speech-to-Text App
Why We Picked It
Microsoft-owned Dragon is one of the most sophisticated speech-to-text tools for Windows. You use it not only to type with your voice but also to operate your computer. Dragon Professional, the most general version, isn’t cheap at $699. A mobile-only version, Dragon Professional Anywhere, is available for a $15-per-month subscription. However, it’s recommended to sign up for the one-week trial first, as recent reviews are fairly negative. Additional versions of the software for healthcare, law enforcement, and legal professionals focus on understanding the specialized language used in those sectors. Dragon is worth considering if you need a business-grade speech-to-text tool that’s more powerful than the default software that comes with your operating system.
Who It’s For
Business professionals: Dragon Professional is extremely expensive, so it’s likely best to obtain it through your company. Volume licensing is available.
People who need more than Voice Access offers: Dragon Professional goes deeper than the Voice Access feature in Windows 11. The app promises to learn the words and phrases you use the most; it also enables you to create custom voice commands.
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Best Speech-to-Text App for Android
Why We Picked It
Android’s default keyboard, Gboard, includes a dictation feature. Simply tap the microphone in the top-right corner of the keyboard and start talking. It works in any Android app where you can type text, and the recognition is quite accurate. You can add punctuation with spoken commands, such as saying “comma” and “period,” just as you would on other systems.
Who It’s For
Android users: Gboard’s dictation feature works as well as any other speech-to-text feature we tried and doesn’t require you to install a new app.
Pixel phone owners: If you have a Google Pixel 6 or newer, you get more advanced voice typing features, such as automatic punctuation and emoji support. Owners of the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro or later can make detailed edits to text via voice commands.
Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Google Docs
Why We Picked It
Google Docs has a built-in dictation feature called Voice Typing. Google says it works only if you’re using the Chrome, Edge, or Safari browsers. Click Tools > Voice Typing, and a large microphone icon appears. After you click the microphone, just start talking. Voice commands handle punctuation and formatting. Text recognition works about as well as with Gboard, which makes sense—they likely use the same engine.
Who It’s For
Google Workspace users: If you or your company relies on Google Workspace, you already have access to a reliable dictation tool without installing another app. It works in Google Docs on all the most popular browsers, so all you need to do is sign in to your account.
Online Collaborators: Google Docs offers best-in-class collaboration tools. If you plan to eventually share the document in which you are dictating text, it makes sense to start in Google Docs.
Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Windows
Why We Picked It
Microsoft’s Voice Access feature is available for free on devices running Windows 11 22H2 or later. Simply search for it in the Start menu and follow a quick setup process. The Voice Access feature then appears as a bar at the top of the screen. Tap the microphone icon in the upper left corner or say “Voice Access Wake Up” to start using it. In testing, the feature performed a laudable job of capturing what we dictated to a test notepad file, and it recognized punctuation once we enabled the automatic punctuation setting.
It’s worth noting that Voice Access does much more than speech-to-text; you can use it to control pretty much every aspect of your computer. We didn’t have any trouble getting Voice Access to open specific apps or browse through File Explorer, for example. A full list of commands is available online or via the help icon in the Voice Access feature bar. Note that if you use an older version of Windows, the Speech Recognition tool remains as accurate as it ever was. You can try it out via the Windows Key + H shortcut anywhere you can type. You can add punctuation and otherwise navigate using commands.
Who It’s For
Windows 11 users: If you have a Windows 11 PC, Voice Access is free, easy to access, and reliable. Don’t bother searching for other speech-to-text solutions.
Fans of voice control: As mentioned, Voice Access also functions as a semi-complete voice control interface. It allows you to simply instruct your PC to perform tasks, rather than requiring you to interact with your keyboard and mouse.
The Best Text-to-Speech Apps
(Credit: René Ramos)
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can use your tech for accessibility and productivity, check out our roundup of the best text-to-speech tools and wider accessibility coverage.
