ListNote Speech-to-Text Notes (Android) Best for: Recording voice and turning it to text at the same time With over 20,000 reviews on the Google Play Store, ListNote Speech-to-Text Notes is one of the most popular speech recognition apps for Android.
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1 | Voice Insert ActiveX SDK |
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| Insert SpeechToText in any Windows Application with Read Aloud Mouse Target Use Voice Insert API to Insert SpeechToText in any Windows Application. Recognizes Full 60000 Word English/Chinese Dictation. Features Limited Dictation, Voice Commands and .. | |
| Size: 50.7 MB, Price: USD $299.00 , License: Shareware, Author: Research Lab Inc (guruperl.net) |
2 | Embedded Speech Recognition Kit |
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| Embedded Speech Recognition Developers Kit using x86 CPU Single Board Computer running Windows CE. Complete Embedded Speech Recognition or SpeechToText Circuit Solution for Development of Speech Recognition System at electronics level. Embedded Windows .. | |
| Size: 1.9 MB, Price: USD $799.00 , License: Shareware, Author: Research Lab Inc (guruperl.net) |
3 | Amacsoft PDF toTextforMac |
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| PDF toTextforMac is an easy way to convert multiple PDF documents totext documents on Mac. Only requires three steps you can convert PDF to TXT on Mac successfully. Amacsoft PDF toTextforMac will help you convert PDF toText document on Mac OS .. | |
| Size: 5.8 MB, Price: USD $39.95 , License: Shareware, Author: Amacsoft Studio (amacsoft.com) |
4 | Enolsoft PDF toTextforMac |
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| Enolsoft PDF toTextforMac is specifically tailored forMac users to reuse and edit content from PDF files to get a head start on new project, allows Mac users to save PDF files as Text documents and retain layout, fonts and formatting. Enolsoft PDF .. | |
| Size: 6.2 MB, Price: USD $29.00 , License: Free to try, Author: Enolsoft (enolsoft.com) | |
| Best Mac Pdf To Text Software, Convert Pdf To Text On Mac, Extract Text From Pdf On Mac, Mac Pdf Conversion, Mac Pdf To Text, Mac Pdf To Txt Converter, Pdf To Text For Mac |
5 | Simpo PDF toTextforMac |
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| Simpo PDF toTextforMac is a simple and easy-to-use PDF toText Converter forMac users to convert their PDF files to plain text documents. Simpo PDF toTextforMac is a simple and easy-to-use PDF toText Converter forMac users to convert their PDF .. | |
| Size: 3.4 MB, Price: USD $19.95 , License: Free to try, Author: Simpo Technologies (simpopdf.com) | |
| Convert Pdf To Text On Mac, Convert Pdf To Txt On Mac, Pdf Converter, Pdf To Text Converter For Mac |
6 | Clean TextforMac |
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| Apimac Clean Text eliminates all text formatting, preparing it for pasting. Moreover, the application performs other useful functions, such as removing empty lines, removing multiple spaces, removing tab characters etc. Apimac Clean Text eliminates all .. | |
| Size: 5.0 MB, Price: USD $24.95 , License: Shareware, Author: Apimac (apimac.com) | |
| Automatic Text, Clean Text, Formatting Text, Mac Os X, Text Tool |
7 | Nuance Dragon NaturallySpeaking |
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| Dragon NaturallySpeaking is faster and more accurate speech recognition system than ever. Your transcribed words now appear on the screen in half the time it took in the past and with up to 99% accuracy. Our professional speech recognition system is .. | |
| Size: 1024.0 MB, Price: USD $199.99 , License: Shareware, Author: Nuance Communications, Inc. (speechocrpdfconverters.com) | |
| Dragon Naturallyspeaking, Naturally Speaking, Naturallyspeaking, Speech Recognition, Speech To Text |
8 | Proloquo forMac OS |
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| A multilingual speech solution forMac OS X that provides: (1) a full-fledged communication system (AAC) for people who cannot speak; (2) provides speech feedback in any application while typing for children and people with learning disabilities; (3) .. | |
| Size: 25.1 MB, Price: Free, License: Freeware, Author: AssistiveWare (assistiveware.com) | |
| Proloquo |
9 | SayO'Clock |
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| SayO'Clock is a talking Digital Clock which speaks 'on demand' or according to a schedule, using either pre-recorded 'Real Speech' or TextToSpeech (TTS). SayO'Clock is a talking Digital Clock which speaks 'on demand' .. | |
| Size: 2.2 MB, Price: Free, License: Freeware, Author: M.A.C Software (measureandconvert.com) |
10 | Exsense Speecher |
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| Speecher is a very easy program forspeechtext and string. Speecher is a very easy program forspeechtext and string. Features : - Very lite and little - Play, pause and stop speech - Multi tab and multi speech - Set font and font size - Set speech .. | |
| Size: 705.7 KB, Price: Free, License: Freeware, Author: Exsense Software (exsense-software.com) |
11 | Improve Your English Pro |
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| Improve Your English Pro is an all in one software Reading, Listening,Spelling, Pronunciation, Translator, Dictionaries, Texttospeech, Textto mp3 converter, Word Games etc. Improve Your English Pro is an all in one software Reading, Listening,Spelling, .. | |
| Size: 24.7 MB, Price: USD $49.95 , License: Shareware, Author: rentanadviser (rentanadviser.com) |
12 | SpeechToText - SMS Email Facebook and Twitter |
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| Speech and convert SpeechtoTextto share through SMS, Email, Twitter and Facebook. Speech and convert SpeechtoTextto share through SMS, Email, Twitter and Facebook. | |
| Size: 1.5 MB, Price: USD $0.99 , License: Shareware, Author: Sikander Naseem (uetengr.tripod.com) |
13 | VoiceTech |
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| VoiceTech mobile application converts your speechtotext and delivers it wherever you wish. VoiceTech mobile application converts your speechtotext and delivers it wherever you wish. | |
| Size: 2.7 MB, Price: Free, License: Freeware, Author: Intervox Ltd (phonetag.com) |
14 | MeNoSpeak |
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| Speechtotext - texttospeech translator. Translate your speech into 10+ languages.Choose your language, choose the target language, slide the central switch and speak! Speechtotext - texttospeech translator. Translate your speech into 10+ languages. | |
| Size: 2.7 MB, Price: USD $0.99 , License: Shareware, Author: AN Grupa (poverkhnost.tv) |
15 | Note, Listen for Deaf |
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| A handy application with speechtotext translation for deaf people, allowing a deaf person to write a note for a hearing person. This note will be displayed in large type and will be clearly visible on the device screen. This application allows .. .. | |
| Size: 2.1 MB, Price: USD $3.99 , License: Shareware, Author: Vasily Kiryakov (deaf-hearing.blogspot.com) |
16 | Read Genius |
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| Read Genius is a wonderful texttospeech software, It can read every word and sentence that you've just typed, read any selected text or whole article, tell you time and date, work as a speaking alarm clock, and support 11 languages and more voices! .. | |
| Size: 3.7 MB, Price: USD $29.95 , License: Shareware, Author: Text to speech software team (vioio.com) | |
| Alarm Clock, Audio, Clipboard, Read, Sound, Speak, Speaking, Speech, Text To Speech, Text To Speech Program, Text To Speech Software, Text-to-speech, Tts, Tts Software |
17 | 2nd Speech Center |
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| Converts any text into spoken words or even MP3/WAVE audio files. 2nd Speech Center is an award-winning text-to-speech player that lets you listen to documents, e-mails or web pages instead of reading on screen. Converts any text into spoken words or .. | |
| Size: 4.1 MB, Price: USD $39.95 , License: Shareware, Author: Zero2000 Software (zero2000software.com) | |
| Assistive Technology, Audiobook, Dyslexia, Ebook, Ebook Reader, Esl, Natural Voices, Reading Disability, Text To Mp3, Text To Speech, Text To Speech Software, Voice Mail |
18 | Text-to-Speech Master |
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| Very interesting texttospeech program which can read your documents aloud Text-to-Speech Master is very powerful and interesting program that lets you listen to documents, e-mails or web pages instead of reading on screen or even convert them to audio .. | |
| Size: 9.6 MB, Price: USD $29.95 , License: Shareware, Author: TTS Master Team (ttsmaster.com) | |
| Free Text To Speech, Free Tts Engines, Microsoft Text To Speech, Msagent, Natural Voices, Sapi, Speech To Text, Text Reader, Text To Mp3, Text To Speech Program, Text To Speech Software, Text To Speech Voice, Tts |
19 | Sayz Me |
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| Simple text-to-speech application. Freeware. Sayz Me is a text-to-speech application for Windows. Text can be typed in or read from clipboard. Words are highlighted when spoken. Select voice, adjust reading speed, voice pitch, font and color. Hides in .. | |
| Size: 2.3 MB, Price: Free, License: Freeware, Author: Adam Bunter (sayzme.sourceforge.net) | |
| Speak, Speaking, Speech, Talk, Talking, Text, Text-to-speech, Voice |
20 | Embedded Speech Synthesis Kit |
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| 0 TTS Developers Kit is your complete Embedded Speech Synthesis or TextToSpeech Circuit Solution for Development of Speech Synthesis System at Electronics level. The design is based on Festival TTS and is Ported to WinCE Embedded Windows CE SAPI 5. | |
| Size: 1.3 MB, Price: USD $799.00 , License: Shareware, Author: Research Lab Inc (guruperl.net) | |
| Embedded Speech Recognition Circuit, Embedded Speech Synthesis Circuit, Embedded Speech To Text Electronics, Nokia Speech Series, Palm Os, Po, Symbian Os, Windows Ce Sapi |
21 | Power TexttoSpeech Reader |
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| Power TexttoSpeech Reader is an award-winning text-to-speech player that lets you listen to documents, e-mails or web pages instead of reading on screen. Power TexttoSpeech Reader is an award-winning text-to-speech player that lets you listen to .. | |
| Size: 3.7 MB, Price: USD $29.95 , License: Shareware, Author: 1SpeechSoft (1speechsoft.com) | |
| Listen To Emails, Read Text Aloud, Text To Mp3, Text To Speech, Text To Wav |
22 | TexttoSpeech Maker |
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| an easy to use text-to-speech player that lets you listen to documents, e-mails or web pages instead of reading on screen.It also allows you to convert textto WAV,MP3 or VOX files for listening later with your portabl MP3 player. TexttoSpeech Maker .. | |
| Size: 8.2 MB, Price: USD $24.95 , License: Shareware, Author: xrlly.com (xrlly.com) | |
| Text To Audio, Text To Mp3, Text To Speech |
23 | Research Lab Speech Engines Suite |
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| Research Lab Speech Engines 2005 Suite Includes Four Powerful Speech Engines: A-Speaker Verification Engine SDK, B- Speech Recognition Engine SDK, C- Voice Insert SAPI Speech Recognition SDK, D- TextTo Wave SAPI Speech Synthesis SDK. Research Lab Speech .. | |
| Size: 72.4 MB, Price: USD $1200.00 , License: Shareware, Author: Research Lab Inc (guruperl.net) | |
| Dragon, Sapi, Speaker Verification, Speech Recognition, Speech Synthesis, Speech To Text, Text To Speech, Text To Wave, Viavoice, Voice Recognition |
24 | Sayvoice Email for Pocket PC |
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| SayvoiceEmail for PPC is an email client program that can read email aloud to you using Text-To-Speech technology from your Pocket PC.It can Listen to your emails, reduce your eyestrain from reading email by eye. Include female male voice. SayvoiceEmail .. | |
| Size: 29.1 MB, Price: USD $19.88 , License: Shareware, Author: Sayvoice.com (sayvoice.com) | |
| Text To Speech, Text To Speech Software, Text To Speech Voices |
25 | IVONA Reader |
|---|---|
| Personal easy-to-use text reader. Converts any written text from your PC into spoken words. This text-to-speech reader allows computer to read any text aloud. It can read documents, news, RSS, books, web pages and emails. Personal easy-to-use text reader. | |
| Size: 31.5 MB, Price: USD $39.00, EUR 29 , License: Shareware, Author: IVONA Software (ivona.com) | |
| Free Text To Speech, Free Tts, Text Reader, Text To Speech, Text To Speech Software, Text-to-speech, Tts, Tts Reader, Tts Software |
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You can tell Alexa to turn on your lights or ask Siri to look up what year Die Hard was released (1988), but what else can you do with your voice and a little technology? With the best dictation software, you can compose memos, emails, speeches, and other writing using only your voice. Some dictation apps also give you the power to control your computer or mobile device with spoken words, too, letting you open apps and navigate the web when you aren't able to or don't want to with your fingers. While there are plenty of excellent options, we found eight dictation apps that we consider best in class.
Here's the short list of the best dictation apps, with more information following, such as how we chose them, tips for using dictation software, and detailed descriptions of each app.
- Apple Dictation (iOS, macOS)
- Diction.io (Web)
- Dragon by Nuance (Android, iOS, macOS, Windows)
- Gboard (Android, iOS)
- Google Docs Voice Typing (Web)
- ListNote (Android)
- Speech Recogniser (iOS)
- Windows 10 Speech Recognition (Windows)
Why Use Dictation Software?
Dictation apps have a variety of use cases. They're well known among the accessibility community, as not everyone has full and dexterous use of their fingers and hands for typing, moving a mouse, or tapping a touchscreen. They're also quite popular with productivity enthusiasts because once you get comfortable dictating, it's typically faster than typing. Dictating also enables multitasking. You can write while walking, cooking, or even breastfeeding.
Some people also find that writing by dictating silences their internal editor. You might be more inclined to get all your thoughts out first and review them later, rather than revising ideas as you form them.
Here are more details about the best dictation apps and voice recognition tools, with a few words about what makes them different to help you choose.
What Makes a Great Piece of Dictation Software?
In the last few years, dictation software has become more readily available, easier to use, and much less expensive. Also sometimes called voice-to-text apps or voice recognition apps, these tools turn your spoken words into writing on the screen quickly and accurately. In looking for the best dictation apps, we tested both free and paid options for desktop and mobile devices, paying attention to accuracy, ease of use, and languages supported.
Some are standalone software programs while others are features that come inside other apps or operating systems. Take Google Docs Voice Typing, for example. It's a feature inside Google Docs, rather than a standalone app. You can use it to write in Google Docs as well as edit and format your text.
Missing from this article are Amazon Alexa, Siri by Apple, and Microsoft Cortana. Why? They're not true dictation services. They're better classified as AI assistants. You use them to perform simple tasks rather than dictate at length. They can make a shopping list, but they can't help you write a speech. So, you won't find them on this list.
Tips for Using Voice Recognition Software
Dictation apps are impressive, but they aren't perfect. You do need to change how you speak a little for them to work well. Keep these pointers in mind when dictating text.
1. Speak like a newscaster. With a dictation app, you need to enunciate clearly, but you shouldn't talk like a robot. Speaking like a newscaster is about where you need to be.
2. Punctuate. When you dictate, you have to say each period, comma, question mark, and so forth.
3. Learn a few commands. Take the time to learn a few simple commands, such as 'new line' to enter a line break. There are different commands for composing, editing, and operating your device. Commands may differ from app to app, so learn the ones that apply to the tool you choose.
4. Know your limits. Especially on mobile devices, some tools have a time limit for how long they can listen, usually around 30 to 45 seconds. Glance at the screen from time to time to make sure you haven't blown past the mark.
5. Practice. It takes time to adjust to voice recognition software, but it gets easier the more you practice. Some of the more sophisticated apps invite you to train by reading passages or doing other short drills. Don't shy away from tutorials, help menus, and on-screen cheat sheets.
Advice on Microphones
To use dictation software, you need a microphone. Depending on what you want to accomplish, the built-in microphone on your device could suffice. If you plan to dictate more than a few sentences, switch to an external microphone for better accuracy. Earbuds that have a mic on the cord will do. For more advanced uses, you'll get the best results by investing in a higher quality mic.
The options for microphones used for dictation fall into three broad categories: wired headsets, wireless headsets, and desktop microphones.
Among wired headsets, look for a device that puts the microphone close to your mouth, which minimizes the amount of ambient noise it picks up. The Wirecutter recommends the Jabra Evolve 40 (around $75), with a USB connector. If you prefer a wireless Bluetooth option, you'll likely end up spending a little more. The Plantronics Voyager 5200 (around $100) gets the thumbs up from Wirecutter as well. For desktop microphones, like the kind used in home podcasting, the Yeti by Blue ($100 to $130) is a long-time favorite.
The Best Dictation Software
Apple Dictation (iOS, macOS)
Best free dictation tool for Apple devices
Look no further than your Mac, iPhone, or iPad for one of the best dictations tools. Apple's built-in Dictation feature, powered by Siri (we'd be unsurprised if the two merged one day), ships as part of Apple's desktop and mobile operating systems. On iOS devices, you use it by pressing the microphone icon on the stock keyboard. On desktop, you turn it on by going to System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation and then use a keyboard shortcut to activate it in your app.
By default, Apple Dictation requires the internet to work and has a time limit of about 30 seconds for each smattering of speech. To remove those limits, enable Enhanced Dictation, which requires OS X v10.9 or later or iPhone 6s or newer. Enhanced Dictation adds a local file to your device so that you can dictate offline.
You can format and edit your text using simple commands, such as 'new paragraph' or 'select previous word.' Tip: You can view available commands in a small window, like a little cheat sheet, while learning the ropes. Apple also offers advanced commands for creating custom ones.
Price: Included with macOS and iOS devices
Accuracy: On a 200-word test using standard Dictation, three words were inaccurate. On a 250-word test with Enhanced Dictation, two were inaccurate.
Recommendation: I recommend Apple Dictation only when using Enhanced Dictation. The standard version is annoying and inconvenient for anything longer than 40 seconds. For short messages on mobile devices, it works fine. Enhanced Dictation is the way to go for continuous dictating, however.
Languages: Enhanced Dictation supports 20 languages. Apple's default Dictation supports 31 languages: Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Dictation.io (Web)
Best dictation software for one-time use
Dictation.io is a free website that lets you turn your speech to text without downloading or installing anything. You need an internet connection to use it because your speech gets processed through Google's servers in real time. In testing, it was reasonably accurate, with a need for cleanup in punctuation and capitalization in particular. There's no time limit, though you may need to reload the page if a pesky ad appears over the controls for switching the microphone between listening and stop mode.
Dictation.io has a list of preferred words for inserting punctuation and special characters, though it didn't always function flawlessly. For example, to insert a period, you can say, 'full stop,' which the app confused with 'stop listening,' the command to turn off the mic.
While the cloud offers real benefits in productivity, security, and total cost of ownership, we recognize that each customer is at a different point in their adoption of cloud services. Microsoft powerpoint for mac read text. We see the on-premises version of Office as an important part of our commitment to give customers the flexibility they need to move to the cloud at their own pace.
Everything runs in the browser with Dictation.io, so you'll have to move your text to do anything with it. When you finish dictation, you can copy and paste your work, export to a .txt file, tweet it, email it, or print it from the app. While the developer notes that your voice isn't being recorded or stored anywhere, it's worth mentioning that the site has no terms of service or privacy statement. It's a good tool when you need to dictate once here or there, or if you're looking for a hard-to-find language, as this app supports 67, including many Asian languages.
Price: Free
Accuracy: In a 250-word passage, Dictation.io had 30 inaccuracies, a mix of incorrect words, missed punctuation, and improper capitalization.
Recommendation: Text comparison tools for mac. Dictation.io is best for one-off dictation projects because it's free and you don't have to download anything or for anyone in need of language support that they can't find elsewhere.
Languages: Dictation.io supports text to speech in 67 languages, not counting dialects separately: Afrikaans, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bahasa Indonesian, Basque, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Bengali, Cambodian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonia, Farsi, Filipino, Finnish, French, Galician, Georgian, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Hebrew, Japanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Korean, Laotian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Mongolian, Marathi, Malay, Maltese, Nepali, Norwegian, Punjabi, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Sinhalese, Slovakian, Slovenian, Serbian, Spanish, Sudanese, Swedish, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Zulu.
Dragon by Nuance (Android, iOS, macOS, Windows)
Best overall dictation software
If you never want to touch your keyboard or mouse again, Dragon by Nuance is the voice dictation software for you. With a variety of software packages and mobile apps for different use cases (Dragon Legal, Dragon Medical, Dragon Professional), Dragon can handle specialized industry vocabulary, and it comes with excellent features, such as the ability to transcribe text from an audio file you upload. Dragon is a leader in speech recognition, and if you're committed to dictation and hands-free computer use, it's worth the investment.
Dragon's desktop software lets you compose text using your voice in just about any app, G Suite included. It also lets you navigate the web and control your computer. Be sure to check the system requirements for the edition you want before buying.
You can also count on Dragon to be highly accurate and fast. The apps contain training modules that coach you on how to use it for dictating, editing, and whatever else you want to do with your voice. All those features don't come cheap, however, with the baseline Dragon Home edition running $150. There's a mobile app for an additional $14.99/month that syncs with a desktop version for added productivity.
Price: $14.99/month for Dragon Anywhere (iOS and Android); from $150 to $500 for desktop packages
Accuracy: Testing on Dragon Professional Individual, all words were correct in a 200-word passage, with one capitalized letter that should have been lowercase. Testing on the mobile app, only one was incorrect out of 250.
Recommendation: Dragon is a hefty investment. If you're committed to working hands-free, however, it's worth it because it's the most accurate dictation tool we've found.
Languages: Dragon desktop products are available in several languages, which vary by version, and include Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
Gboard (Android, iOS)
Best free mobile dictation tool without time limits
Gboard, available for both Android and iOS, is a powerful keyboard app that includes a dictation tool. Press and hold the spacebar, and you can dictate at length. Gboard transcribes everything you say in real time and without a time limit, although you need an internet connection to use it.
Be warned that Gboard is fast. It will cut you off if you take too long of a breath or even pause for a moment. Its speed is both its strength and its weakness, as it scored the lowest in accuracy of all our apps likely because it forces the speaker to rush through the text.
Price: Free
Accuracy: In transcribing a 200-word passage, Gboard flubbed about 20 percent of it.
Recommendation: Gboard works fast, but it pushes you to speak fast, too, which may not be your cup of tea. In getting the hang of it, I found myself rushing and not breathing at a natural rhythm. Use Gboard when you need speed, and when you're dictating a few short ideas at a time.
Languages: Not counting different dialects separately, Gboard supports 47 languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh, and Zulu.
Google Docs Voice Typing (Web)
Best free dictation app for typing in Google Docs
Google Docs contains a built-in tool for dictation and voice-driven editing. Called Voice Typing, this tool is only available in Docs when running Google Chrome. Turn it on from the Tools menu, and a microphone appears on your document. Click the mic to start and stop dictation mode.
Similar to Dragon, Google Docs Voice Typing gives you plenty of voice commands for formatting, editing, and navigating the page as you write. For example, you can say 'create bulleted list,' 'select word,' or 'go to end of paragraph.' In our testing, Voice Typing held up well with a natural speaking pace. It's a solid option if you work primarily in Google Docs and are looking for free dictation software.
Price: Free
Accuracy: Out of 200 words dictated, only one was incorrect.
Recommendation: Voice Typing is an incredibly helpful tool if you use Google Docs avidly, but it doesn't work anywhere else. That said, it's one of the only free voice dictation apps that gives you a wide range of commands for editing and formatting.
Languages: Not counting different dialects separately, Google Docs Voice Typing supports dictation in 62 languages; voice commands for editing are only available in English: Afrikaans, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bahasa Indonesia, Basque, Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Farsi, Filipino, Finnish, French, Galician, Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malayalam, Malaysian, Marathi, Nepali, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Sinhala, Sundanese, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Zulu.
Do more with Google Docs by learning 40 tips for Google Docs power users.
ListNote Speech-to-Text Notes (Android)
Best Android dictation app for also recording voice memos
ListNote Speech-to-Text Notes is one of the most popular speech recognition apps for Android in the Google Play store, with more than 26,000 downloads.
It combines the classic notepad functionality with voice dictation, using your phone's built-in Google Voice Search to turn voice to text while recording the audio at the same time. The app saves each recording as a searchable note that you can categorize and color code. You can share these notes via email, text, and to any other supported app you have installed, as well as play the recorded audio while reading the transcribed text to check it.
ListNote also offers a handful of unique features, like the 'Time to Breathe' option that lets you choose how long to wait before stopping speech input. It offers password protection as well, plus backup and encryption options.
Price: Free
Accuracy: In using ListNote to transcribe a 200-word passage, the app had six small errors that were easy to correct, but missed a few words in a row in three places.
Recommendation: On Android, ListNote is a speedy text-to-speech app that doesn't have a time limit. It's a good option if you need a free app that you can use quickly and easily, and if you don't mind making a few corrections when finished.
Languages: Supports all languages offered in Google's dictation services (see Gboard entry).
If you're looking for a similar option on Windows and iOS, you can use the Microsoft OneNote mobile app to record your voice, and then switch to the Window app to run an Audio Search to find words in it. The app doesn't transcribe the full text, however.
Speech Recogniser (iOS)
Best dictation app for translating text into another language
Speech Recogniser is a dictation powerhouse. You can use it to not only dictate but also translate text into more than 26 languages. The app also lets you post directly to Facebook or Twitter, copy your transcribed text to other apps, and send text via email.
Once you install and open Speech Recogniser, you choose a source language on the home screen and tap the start button to activate the dictation. When you're done, a new screen appears with your text. You can then translate, share, or even playback your recording.
It's a quick way to jot down transcribed notes and even translate them into another language when you need.
Price: Free
Accuracy: Out of 200 words, Speech Recogniser had four inaccuracies.
Languages: Not counting dialects separately, Speech Recogniser supports 25 languages: Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Cantonese, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Windows 10 Speech Recognition (Windows)
Best free dictation app for Windows
If you use a Windows 10 device, you're probably already familiar with Cortana, the AI voice recognition assistant from Microsoft. Cortana works in tandem with another tool called Windows 10 Speech Recognition, which is used for dictation and operating your device.
Using either a hotkey (Windows logo button + h) or a voice command, you can start dictating continuously in supported apps. In testing, dictation worked without a hitch in Notepad and Word, two apps made by Microsoft, but not at all in Evernote or Google Docs. Make sure the apps you want to use are supported before investing too much time in this tool.
Speech Recognition uses two different on-screen interfaces, depending on how what you're doing. There's one interface for dictation (shown above) and a separate one for voice commands, like opening programs and scrolling pages.
Speech Recognition improves the more you use it. You can optionally allow Windows to scan your typed documents to get a better sense of your linguistic choices.
As mentioned, Cortana is the other piece of the Windows speech recognition puzzle. Saying, 'Hey, Cortana,' wakes up this AI assistant, and you can ask it to search online, open apps, save short notes, and look up directions.
Price: Included with Windows 10; Speech Recognition (without Cortana) included in older versions of Windows
Accuracy: In transcribing 250 words, Windows Speech Recogniser had 12 errors. More than half were related to capitalization, and two were incorrect words.
Recommendation: Windows Speech Recognition and Cortana together offer a compelling dictation package for people who run Windows and use Microsoft apps. If you compose in many apps not made by Microsoft, you may want to look for another option, however.
Languages: Not counting different dialects separately, Windows Speech Recognition supports eight languages: Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazilian only), and Spanish.
Is Voice Dictation for You?
Once you become experienced with it, a dictation tool can speed up your writing, potentially making you more productive. It lets you multitask, and some people find it helps them generate ideas rather than get stuck on revising and editing. Dictation software can be a necessary tool for people with accessibility issues or who are trying to prevent repetitive stress syndrome from typing, too.
Dictation is not always right for every task, however. It's ideal for writing speeches and spoken remarks. It turns list-making into an afterthought. But depending on what kind of writer you are and what you're producing, typing with your fingers may be your preferred route.
Text To Speech Freeware
If you find yourself diving headfirst into dictation and using some features to edit or control your computer using your voice, you may want to invest in top-of-the-line software, such as Dragon by Nuance. Or, you may want to spend a half hour every day practicing and learning to use the tools that come with your operating system. If you're still dabbling, try a free dictation tool that's easily accessible, such as the one that came pre-installed on your smartphone.
Mac Pdf Text To Speech
As you become more comfortable with voice recognition technology, you can use it for anything you like on whatever device you have at hand. You just might get hooked.
Originally published April 14, 2016 by Emily Esposito; updated in 2017 and 2018.
Text To Speech Freeware Different Voices
Microphone photo by Antoine Beauvillain via tookapic.