© Shutterstock It only takes a few clicks to enable Word's speech-to-text mode. Shutterstock- You can use speech-to-text on Microsoft Word through the 'Dictate' feature.
- With Microsoft Word's 'Dictate' feature, you can write using a microphone and your own voice.
- When you use Dictate, you can say 'new line' to create a new paragraph and add punctuation simply by saying the punctuation aloud.
- If you're not satisfied with Word's built-in speech-to-text feature, you can use a third-party program like Dragon Home.
While typing is certainly the most common way to create and edit documents in Microsoft Word, you're not limited to using a keyboard.
Word supports speech-to-text, which lets you dictate your writing using voice recognition.
Speech-to-text in Word is convenient and surprisingly accurate, and can help anyone who has issues typing with a typical keyboard.
You can use speech-to-text in Microsoft Word in the same way on both Mac and PC.
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How to use speech-to-text on Word using Dictate
Make sure you have a microphone connected to your computer. This can be built-in, like on a laptop, or a separate mic that you plug into the USB or audio jack.
It doesn't matter which type you use, though the best kind of mic to use is a headset, as it won't need to compete with as much background noise as a built-in microphone.
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Dragon Talk To Type
Eliminate the barrier of typing. Dragon provides students an easier way to control a computer that is less physically and cognitively taxing. Simply speak and the words appear on the computer screen transcribing up to 160 words a minute. Or use simple voice commands to conduct research. Use dictation to talk instead of type on your PC. Dictation uses speech recognition, which is built into Windows 10, so there's nothing you need to download and install to use it. To start dictating, select a text field and press the Windows logo key + H to open the dictation toolbar.
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1. In Microsoft Word, make sure you're in the 'Home' tab at the top of the screen, and then click 'Dictate.'
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider Click 'Dictate' to start Word's speech-to-text feature. Dave Johnson/Business Insider2. You should hear a beep, and the dictate button will change to include a red recording light. It's now listening for your dictation.
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider You know Word is listening when the Dictate button has a red light. Dave Johnson/Business Insider3. Speak clearly, and Word should transcribe everything you say in the current document. Speak punctuation aloud as you go. You can also say 'New line,' which has the same effect as pressing the Enter or Return key on the keyboard.
4. When you're done dictating, click 'Dictate' a second time or turn it off using your voice by saying, 'Turn the dictate feature off.'
You can still type with the keyboard while Dictate is on, but if you click outside of Word or switch to another program, Dictate will turn itself off.
Dragon Talk To Type Software
Want to change languages? You can click the downward arrow on the Dictate button to choose which of nine or so languages you want to speak. You might also see additional 'Preview Languages,' which are still in beta and may have lower accuracy.
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider Open the Dictate button's drop-down menu to see your language choices. Dave Johnson/Business InsiderSpeech-to-text alternatives
You're not limited to using the Dictate feature built into Word. While not as popular as they once were, there are several commercial speech-to-text apps available which you can use with Word.
The most popular of these, Dragon Home, performs the same kind of voice recognition as Word's Dictate, but it also lets you control Word, format text, and make edits to your text using your voice. It works with nearly any program, not just Word.
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