The Best Speech-to-Text Apps and Tools for Every Type of User

Typing isn’t easy or even possible for everyone, which is why you might prefer to talk. Speech-to-text software, also sometimes called dictation software, makes it possible, by turning what you say into typed text.

Speech-to-text software is different from voice control software, although some apps do both. Voice control is the accessibility feature that lets you open programs, select on-screen options, and otherwise control your device using only your voice. Both macOS and Windows have voice control included. It’s called VoiceOver on macOS and Speech Recognition in Windows.

Don’t confuse speech-to-text software with transcription software, either, even if the categories overlap. Transcription software is typically for transcribing meetings or recordings, sometimes of multiple people, and generally after the fact. Dictation software, meanwhile, is a way to use your voice to type in real time. You talk to your computer or mobile device and immediately see the words on the screen. You can add punctuation by saying the name of the punctuation out loud—for example, “period,” “comma,” or “open quote” and “end quote.”

Speech-to-text features or apps also should not be confused with text-to-speech tools, sometimes known as screen readers, which read text on the screen to you aloud.

Most people don’t need to install software to dictate text to their computer or phone. That’s because every major operating system has a speech-to-text feature built in, and they work about as well as anything else on the market. Here we point out where to find these features on your device, and talk about a powerful commercial product with more features, should you need to do more with a speech-to-text tool than the built-in options offer.

Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Windows

Speech

Windows’ Speech, often referred to as voice typing, was among the most accurate tools I tested for this article. Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 come with Speech, which you can try out using the keyboard shortcut Windows Key-H in any text field. Up pops a window with a microphone icon. Tap the microphone and start talking. Text shows up more or less in real time. 

You can add punctuation manually using commands(Opens in a new window), or you can try the experimental auto-punctuation feature. As a writer, I prefer adding punctuation manually—I’m pretty particular about my punctuation—but the automated feature worked fairly well and I could imagine it being good enough for some people. See our complete guide to learn more about using speech recognition and dictation in Windows.

Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Microsoft Office

Dictate

You can dictate text in Microsoft Office by clicking the prominent Dictate button in all versions of Word, Powerpoint, OneNote, and Outlook. This brings the excellent engine Microsoft offers all Windows users, complete with the auto-punctuation feature, to just about every major operating system—the web, Android, iOS, and macOS versions of Office all include this dictation feature. It’s great news if you use one of those systems and don’t love the built-in speech-to-text engine.

Best Speech-to-Text Tool for macOS

Dictation

Apple has included Dictation in macOS since 2012. To enable the feature, 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 (F5) to enable and disable dictation in the top row of the keyboard that looks like a microphone. The speech detection is very accurate and shows up in near real time. You can add punctuation with spoken commands(Opens in a new window). Potentially incorrect words are underlined in blue after you’re done with dictation, and you can right-click or Command-click on them to see other potential options, similar to how spellcheck works.

Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Apple Mobile Devices

Dictation (Mobile)

$0.00

at Apple App Store

See It

(Opens in a new window)

If you use the default keyboard on the iPhone and iPad, there’s a microphone icon to the left of the space bar that you can tap to use dictation. It works almost exactly the same as on macOS. Tap that microphone key and a microphone icon will show up next to your cursor. Start talking and your text will appear. You can add punctuation and formatting using spoken commands(Opens in a new window), just like on the Mac. The text recognition is accurate, the same as on the Mac.

Best Speech-to-Text App for Android

Gboard

$0.00

at Google Play

See It

(Opens in a new window)

Android’s default keyboard, Gboard, also has a built-in dictation feature. 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, like saying “comma” and “period,” just like on other systems.

Best Speech-to-Text Tool for Google Docs

Google Docs Voice Typing

Google Docs has a built-in dictation feature called Voice Typing. Google says it only works if you’re using the Chrome browser, but it works in Microsoft Edge and perhaps other Chromium-based browsers. Click Tools > Start voice typing and a large microphone icon appears, which you can click to start talking. Punctuation and formatting is handled by voice commands(Opens in a new window). Recognition works about as well as Gboard, which makes sense—they’re likely using the exact same engine.

A More Powerful Speech-to-Text App

Dragon

$200.00

at Nuance

See It

(Opens in a new window)

Dragon by Nuance is one of the most sophisticated speech-to-text tools. Dragon also lets you operate your computer using voice control, so it does more than translate what you say into typed words. The company makes specific versions of Dragon for law, health care, and law enforcement, each with a focus on understanding the complex language common in those professions. If you need a speech-to-text tool that’s more powerful than the default software that comes with modern operating systems, Dragon is worth looking into, but it’s not cheap. The Home version has been discontinued; the Professional version starts at $699. The mobile-only version, Dragon Professional Anywhere, is a $14.99 per month subscription. (Note: Nuance was acquired by Microsoft(Opens in a new window) in March 2022.)

(Credit: René Ramos)

The Best Text-to-Speech Apps

If you’re interested in learning more accessibility and productivity uses for your tech, see our overview of the best text-to-speech tools, also called screen readers.