It’s not a secret that I am a fan of the dictation software Google Dictation, and as such I’ve used it on and off for several years. Because I’ve been using this tool on and off it’s only reasonable to assume that folks have been asking me how it goes, whether they should try it out for themselves, and so on.
As a freelance writer, I am often told to write articles on various topics. I have a pretty busy schedule and sometimes, I don’t have the time to finish an article within the time frame requested. If you’re a college student or a self-employed person who has to deal with deadlines, then you must try dictation software below
Microsoft Word ‘dictate’ function
When we’re talking diction apps for writers, we should spare a word for Word. The ‘dictate’ function isn’t exactly an ‘app’ in itself, but as the majority of writers use Word, it’s a tool that needs mentioning.
The dictate function is pretty straight-forward, and works in a number of different languages. With some brief testing in French and Spanish (‘Hello, my name is etc.’), those languages do seem to be recorded accurately, though it’s worth noting you need to install or enable the spelling and grammar checkers for these to check for sure.
Otherwise, if you say the name of the punctuation marker then it comes up most of the time, and the word accuracy is actually pretty good. How good? I wrote this section by dictating it in Word.
Microsoft Dictate 5.0 (64-bit version)
Use Cortana to dictate to Microsoft Office.Add to Watchlist Comment ShareRating:
(0)Operating Systems:Windows 10, Windows 8
License:Freeware
Developer:Microsoft Garage
Software Cost:Free
Category Office & Business
Speech recognition has come a long way. Most people speak quicker than they type, but Office has yet to fully embrace speech recognition. Dictate aims to change this – it’s a free plugin for Word, Outlook and PowerPoint that taps into Cortana’s speech-recognition engine to give you the power to dictate documents, emails and presentations.
Dictate is produced by Microsoft’s Garage arm, which houses small, self-contained teams who tinker with new technology. This means it’s low on fancy features, but high on key functionality.
Installation is simple enough, and then you’ll find a new Dictate tab on the Office ribbon. Select it and there’s a threadbare collection of options. First, set the ‘From’ drop-down to match your language and region (20 languages, plus regional variations, are supported), so Dictate can understand you better. The ‘To’ drop-down allows you to translate your dictation into another language if you wish – over 60 are supported out of the box, using Bing’s translation engine.
Finally, click the ‘Manual Punctuation’ button if you’d rather control punctuation through phrases like ‘period’ and ‘question mark’ rather than have Dictate attempt to automatically punctuate as you speak (it’s surprisingly good, but only works with English so far).
Dictate works with your default mic, so you’ll need to set that up via the Sounds icon in the Taskbar Notification area, then it’s just a case of clicking the Start button and you can start dictating. A response bar in the Dictation tab shows you if your voice is being picked up, and then reasonably quickly words will start to appear.
Dictate works reasonably well, but mistakes will be made, and you’ll need to keep an eye as you go – you can still type while dictating, so it’s up to you if you want to try correcting yourself while you carry on.
This download is for 64-bit versions of Office. Click here to get the 32-bit version (find out which version of Office you’re running from the File ribbon – choose Account and click ‘About Word’).
Siri Dictation
All iOS products have in-built dictation software, powered by Siri. This system is highly accurate and intuitive. It understood commands and could keep up even when I spoke faster. It works best while connected to Wi-Fi although it will still work when connected to 3/4G. But, this can be spotty dependent on your signal. The app is less accurate when there is background noise. But, a headset with a microphone solves that problem.
There are three disadvantages of Siri:
- You cannot delete words while dictating. Although, if you shake the device you can ‘undo writing’.
- It stops listening after 30 seconds. You need to either switch to typing or turn it on again. You can fix this problem by using ‘Enhanced Dictation’. But, it is only available on iPhone 6S or above and on OS X 10.9.
- At times it had trouble understanding my Scottish accent. A pain highlighted all too clearly in the video below!
Google Docs – Voice Typing
Google Docs, available on both desktop and on android, is quick and simple to set up. I signed in using my Gmail account and had access to everything in minutes. I activated the voice typing function in ‘Tools’ and was dictating within seconds.
Voice typing has a variety of editing and formatting choices. This allowed more in-depth alteration than the other two apps on this list. I had some issues with my accent again, but they were few and far between.
My only real complaint was that it wrote ‘period’ or ‘full stop’ rather than punctuating. Despite this, the free app was accurate and user-friendly. It performs to a high-standard, not surprising when Google are the creators.
Dragon Anywhere
Nuance’s Dragon Anywhere app is the market leader. It’s not hard to see why.
The app’s understanding of speech is accurate at any speed. The interface is user-friendly and includes a three-minute ‘how-to’ video. This meant that within minutes I knew everything I needed to.
There are many ways to edit and adapt text while dictating. Crucially, you can delete during dictation; you just say ‘scratch that’ or ‘backspace’. You can also select individual words and phrases for easy editing. The app, besides note taking, also lets you dictate to other apps and write emails.
Dragon Anywhere handled background noise well but it struggled as the noise levels rose. If you use a set of headphones with a microphone this shouldn’t be an issue. What I really enjoyed about this app is that it had no trouble with my accent. The software was almost 100 percent accurate provided background noise wasn’t too loud.
The only potential downside of this app is its cost. There are three pricing packages available. These start at £14.99 for a monthly subscription to a £149.99 for a full year. You can also get a week-long free trial if you’re unsure if you want to buy.
There is also a free app available, ‘Dragon Dictation’. But it has limited functionality compared to Dragon Anywhere. You can’t see the text until you finish dictating. Also, there is less editing capability. Although this app has value for money, you pay for quality with Dragon Anywhere.
Speechnotes
Speechnotes comes with an on-screen keyboard that enables users to easily enter punctuation marks as opposed to having to say them out loud mid-sentence. It also includes emojis and symbols to make messages feel more realistic. Its other features include offline note-taking, automated support for Google Drive backups, a home widget, Bluetooth support, and continuous recording.
Speechnote – Android Dictation App
Download Speechnotes from the PlayStore
Voice Notes
Voice Notes is designed for taking quick, on-the-fly notes by recording quick notes that get transcribed to text, or saving the audio notes for listening in the future. It also offers a reminder for recurring alerts coupled with organizational tools such as coloured tags, import/export, and customizable categories.
Voice Notes – Android Dictation App
Download Voice Notes from the PlayStore
Live Transcribe
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Live Transcribe is designed for the Deaf and hard of hearing and it is powered by Google’s automatic speech recognition technology which it uses for real-time speech transcriptions in 70+ languages. Its feature highlights include switching between 2 languages and the ability to differentiate between actuall speech and random noises like a barking dog in the background.
Live Transcribe – Android Dictation App
Download Live Transcribe from the PlayStore 5 Best File Manager Apps for Android TV
SpeechTexter
SpeechTexter uses Google’s database to transcribe text to speech, create SMS, tweets, and emails and it features a custom dictionary for adding custom words, addresses, and mobile numbers. To use it offline, head to your phones Settings > System > Languages and input > Virtual keyboard > Google voice typing and select Offline speech recognition.
SpeechTexter – Android Dictation App
Download SpeechTexter from the PlayStore
Free Speech To Text
Free Speech To Text is popular for its ability to accurately transcribe speech to text in all languages. It has built-in keyboards for all supported languages and a simple UI for quick copy-paste actions.
Free Speech To Text – Android Dictation App
Download Free Speech to Text from Google PlayStore
Voice Notebook
Voice Notebook features a customizable list of punctuation marks, auto-replaced words e.g. brb -> be right back, the ability to import text files from Google Drive and file manage apps, on-screen word and character counters for each voice note and a voice-activated undo command.
In the premium app, users have access to a power-saving modern, Bluetooth support for transferring files, and an option for continuous dictation.
Voice Notebook – Android Dictation App
Download Voice Notebook from the PlayStore
e-Dictate
e-Dictate works as an application for transcribing speech to text as well as a translator application for almost any language. It has the ability to send SMS messages and emails, set reminders, create blog-type content, edit text mid-dictation, simulateanous voice recording with keyboard punctuation, etc.
e-Dictate – Android Dictation App
Download e-Dictate from the PlayStore Forget Windows Use Linux – A Distro Designed to Work with Android
Conclusion
Google Docs has a nifty voice typing tool that lets you dictate a document by just talking into a microphone. This is a great tool for those who may have difficulty typing because of a disability, or for those who want to focus on the content and not the mechanics of typing. I use this feature to make notes during telephone calls and produce transcripts later.