The pop-up menu below the microphone icon in the Dictation pane of Keyboard preferences shows which device your Mac is currently using to listen. On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Dictation. Open the Dictation pane for me. Click the pop-up menu below the microphone icon, then choose the microphone you want to use for keyboard dictation. Speech to Text Online Notepad. The Professional Speech Recognition Text Editor. Distraction-free, Fast, Easy to Use & Free Web App for Dictation & Typing.
Verdict: This speech to text software for Mac is a program that can help you deliver any kind of speech, whether it is a formal speech an informal speech or a joke. It take the form of a speech generator that would first need a sentence or a paragraph of the target language to be translated and then it would generate the proper text based on the grammar of that sentence. Turn on keyboard dictation. On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Dictation. Open the Dictation pane for me. If a prompt appears, click Enable Dictation. If you’re asked if you want to improve Siri and Dictation, do one of the following: Share audio recordings: Click Share Audio Recordings. App shows a menu of supported speech languages but some of the desired language cannot be selected I previously wrote a negative (2.) preview because after i purchased the Pro Version, I tried to set the app to do the voice-to-text in the language i selected but did not see any button or a box to confirm the selected language beside the “Dismiss” option.
We all know, sometimes to write a text becomes a huge task that can take a huge time. And if they especially long ones, it increases the time span as we want our work to be perfect. So, in this scenario, a good alternative is to use voice recognition programs, which will be responsible for transcribing everything we dictate to a text document. So here are 11 free voice recognition software for Windows.
11 Best Voice Recognition Tool for Windows, Mac, iPhone & Android
The best part about Voice recognition software is that it converts speech to text and thus saves your time. I have listed some of the best yet free 11 speech recognition software that works with Windows 10, Mac, iPhone, Android, and other operating systems.
Quick Overivew
Speechnotes
In Speechnotes.co on a search engine, you will find an interface that will help you to create audio documents from voice recognition. Classified by the Chrome Web Store at almost 5 stars, this web application, accessible from all over the world, allows you to edit professional text, either dictation or typing. Speech notes, which can be considered as a software tool, was created by Speechlogger and TTSReader in 2015, following requests from users who have multiplied, given that most of today’s organizations advocate collaborative intellectual work with new technologies.
Taking on the appearance of a notepad, Speechnotes is a rather fast text editor that works from voice recognition. Available on Chrome, its use does not require installation or registration. This software also does not require specific disk space since it does not have to be installed, you just need to be online and work in professional conditions. You can also download it on Playstore for those who like Android and work offline.
Key Features
- This program has thought of the smallest details to the disruptive elements that could interfere with a task.
- In addition to hiding the elements that could distract, the display of a new blank page is shaped for any new text so that any user can focus without being dissipated by any sign or note.
- The typing speed will be as fast and clear as the activation of thoughts in the brain and the texts will be transcribed in a common way. This means that the speaker will have to make clear and uninterrupted thought formulations.
- The instruction is, therefore, to make clear and audible statements so that the sounds are very distinct and above all audible.
Official link: https://speechnotes.co
System Support: Web-Based tool, support all Operating System
Cortana
Cortana, this name is quite famous among Halo players as artificial intelligence, since it is, in games, the voice that helps and guides characters such as Master Chief. Microsoft has chosen to give its name to the voice assistant of Windows 10, dressed in the same voice as the video game character. Anyone with a notebook ) with Windows 10 can, therefore, use it, on two conditions: create a Microsoft account, and have a microphone (or a headset) connected to the PC.
If these two conditions are met, you can control certain features of your computer with your voice after a few simple settings. Note that Cortana activates in two ways: by starting your sentence with “Hey Cortana”, or by clicking on the small microphone located in the “Type here to search” box next to the start menu.
Key Features
- Cortana can do Internet research for you. Depending on the request, it may be able to respond to you by voice, but will generally seek information via the Bing search engine, which is owned by Microsoft.
- You can ask Cortana to give you details about the song you are listening to. It will launch the listening module, and the assistant will give you details on the music in question.
- It is not necessarily useful if you listen to an audio file, but for the radio, for example, it can be interesting.
Download link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/windows/cortana
System Support: Windows, iOS, Android, Xbox OS, PlayStation
Dictation.io
Dictation.io is a free online tool that will instantly transcribe any message your PC dictates. It is ideal to save time when writing, for example, an article or a presentation for work. Among its many advantages is the fact that it is able to perfectly recognize a total of 100 languages, among which is Spanish.
Dictation.io is really easy to use, we just have to start our session on your website, choose the language with which we are going to work and start speaking through the microphone. This tool also allows you to transcribe the audio of a video, so it is perfect if we want to add subtitles or have clear notes of everything said during this one.
Key Features
- If you have a very fast speech rate, some mistakes could indeed be seen, but at any time, you could always come back to the text and rework the formatting, proofreading, and correction.
- You should know that Dictation.oi supports ten languages and respectively, the tool will treat punctuation marks or specific remarks like making line breaks, depending on the language used.
- Documents are only saved if you make sure it is in text format and the browser will store them in the cache pane.
Official link: https://dictation.io/
System Support: Web-based
Google Docs
Google Docs is the online office suite of the Internet giant. Your word processor includes a voice dictation function that works really well. This technology works in the cloud, which means you can take advantage of Google’s server capabilities.
It is a free tool that will surprise you for how well it works, includes support for many languages, and will allow you to review the text as if you were writing it manually. Undoubtedly the most interesting option, especially since you will not have to install anything on your PC.
Key Features
- Voice commands can completely facilitate the task but that they are not functional on Google Slide at the level of the comments of the presenter. In addition, only English is taken into account and remains accessible in voice commands.
- All directives will be stated in English. Any clarification on formatting, colors, font, alignments will thus be directed in English. Likewise, to stop and/or resume voice input.
- This software is like an extension of Google Voice and is suitable if you are looking to systematize your daily life in simple tasks like composing, editing and also formatting a written document. As it takes into account sixty languages, it adapts well to polyglots. Especially since its free is a plus.
Official link: https://www.google.com/docs/about/
System Support: Web-based
Siri
Siri is a speech recognition utility in natural language and text-to-speech, used as an intelligent personal assistant, essentially to give orders that devices under the control of the Apple iOS operating system must execute and respond vocally to the user. Siri is part of the general march towards voice control of the devices. Siri was presented publicly by Apple on October 4, 2011. Siri is compatible with all Apple phones from iPhone 4S, iPad, iPad Mini, and iPod Touch.
There a security/privacy/privacy issue with Siri because what you say is not interpreted and executed locally, by your device (your smartphone …). What you say and record, as with a dictaphone, then compressed using a codec (Speex, an Open Source codec ) and sent to Apple’s servers (secure protocol https via TCP port 443). It is on Apple’s servers that your voice message is analyzed and is Apple which response with an action to be executed by your device. Each spoken word is stamped (timestamp).
Key Features
- To prevent the “service” from being used by applications other than those coming from an Apple device, your messages are accompanied by a stream of identifiers including the unique number of your phone, the IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity). The user is therefore identified personally since a telephone number cannot be anonymous.
- But the security/privacy/privacy issue with Siri is that Apple hears everything you say.
- It is not just a message, but all messages. Everything will be kept and used, just as any keywords entered in a search engine will be kept and used.
Download link: https://www.apple.com/in/siri/
System Support: iOS, iPad OS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS
Google Now
Google Now is a voice recognition service and app based on the voice assistant type, allowing you to fully control your phone/tablet by voice. Available on most Android devices and smartphones, Google Now was developed to compete with the Siri voice assistant developed by Apple and presented for the first time on the iPhone 4S.
The goal of Google Now is to do the research even before the user has had time to complete his sentence thanks to the Google Knowledge Graph and an index created from the habits of the user (restaurants, contact, agenda, etc).
Key Features
- The Google Now window contains a search box and a voice search icon. It is thus possible, unlike Siri which only listens to the voice of its user, to do a Google Now search by typing text.
- The detail is important because it allows you to search quickly without requiring the user to speak out loud (for example during a meeting).
- The operation of Google Now is based on “cards” which allow you to do different tasks, there are for example Google Now cards for currency conversion, another for restaurant reservations, etc.
- Each card has its specification and allows it to be adapted to the user’s request to bring it even more precision during its research.
Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.launcher&hl=en_IN
System Support: Android
Price: Free
Speechlogger
Speechlogger is the best voice recognition and instant translation software on the web. For best results, use Google’s text-to-speech technologies. It is the only web application with automatic punctuation, automatic saving, date and time, text editing capability, transcription of audio files, export options (text and subtitles) and much more.
Google has come a long way to improve its speech recognition capabilities and, at this point, we can suppose it has the best acoustic models for Natural Speech.
“Speechlogger” belongs to that category of online applications. Transcription is fast and accurate and intermediate results are displayed in real-time.
Key Features
- Speechlogger makes your life easier by taking care of the maintenance and updates of your SaaS. A connection to the net and Speechlogger will be at your fingertips, thanks to the SaaS model.
- Speechlogger is endowed with a multitude of possibilities such as Mobile application, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Integration with social networks. Storage is no longer a necessity since it is via Speechlogger that all the data in your software will be kept.
- A good way to free the mind, Speechlogger is an ultra-efficient speech recognition application, has all the qualities you need to be really useful to you.
Download: https://talktyper.com/
System Support: All Operating System
Price: Free
Talk Typer
Talk Typer is super simple to use and very intuitive where the recording of your audio will convert and transcribe it into text in the blink of an eye. The good thing is that apart from doing the task of converting audio to text, it is the ease it gives us to copy and paste wherever we want, that is, suppose we have a foreign client and we urgently need to send you a statement To let you know, then simply by speaking to this tool and translating it immediately after, you would have it in a matter of minutes.
The program also has a feature to correct complete sentences or even a word within a sentence, through suggested phrases that it will offer to replace the wrong word. Punctuation marks can also be dictated aloud, although the recognition of punctuation marks is better when it was in English than other languages, so they must be inserted manually.
Key Features
- Talk Typer is an online application that captures phrases and complete texts through voice recognition.
- Talk Typer has pretty good recognition of what we are saying, even better than other dedicated programs.
- We can dictate a text to paste into an email or simply send it via Twitter, for which Talk Typer incorporates the corresponding button to tweet.
Download: https://talktyper.com/
System Support: All Operating System
Price: Free
Braina Pro
Mac Speech To Text
It is a powerful digital assistant and a very useful application to remotely control the PC-only subscription (not purchased at once). Braina is a voice recognition software created not only for dictations but also as a complete digital assistant to help you accomplish various tasks on your PC. It has the capability to enable dictation to third-party software. That is also not only in English, but it neatly gives access to nearly a hundred different languages. It does boast awesome voice recognition features also.
Ultra-secure, it’s Braina that takes care of your info but also the software storage. Powerful, Braina is endowed with a multitude of functions such as Mobile application, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Integration with social networks. Service regarding speech recognition software is also not a concern. Braina can be called up anytime, anywhere, on the internet, since it is a software as a service program.
Key Features
- Braina is ultrasecure that takes care of your info but also software storage.
- Braina is endowed with a multitude of functions such as Mobile application, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Integration with social networks.
- It neatly gives access to nearly a hundred different languages and does boast awesome voice recognition features also.
Download link: https://www.brainasoft.com/braina/speech-to-text.html
System Support: Windows, Android, iOS
File Size: 28.6 MB
Windows 10 Speech Recognition
Among other speech recognition software, there is the Windows 10 system through the Cortana assistant. In addition to Cortana which is a sort of virtual assistant, Windows speech recognition is quite accurate, but not at the levels of the software listed above.
Windows 10 in fact, offers basic commands, functional assistant and that are able to know the voice and follow a series of controls. This voice recognition allows you to perform a series of functions even if there are limitations on use, compared to other particular types of product.
PC dictation is widespread, especially for those who have to write long documents and perhaps want to take action in a shorter time. There are many solutions from a technical point of view that allow a very satisfactory dictation.
Key Features
- It offers basic commands, functional assistant and that are able to know the voice and follow a series of controls.
- The voice recognition allows you to perform a series of functions even if there are limitations on use.
- It has the capability to deliver basic commands and help the users to carry out the commands with the help of voice control.
Download link: https://www.microsoft.com/
System Support: Windows
Apple Dictation
The Dictation function was one of the features that Apple presented along with the new iPad. The tablet currently does not have Siri, but at least it has one of its functions: convert what we say into text. At the moment the functionality is not available for all languages. It is only available for the same languages as Siri, so if you have the iPad with the Spanish language it will be impossible to activate the function, although when Siri arrives in Spain and Latin America it will also be possible to activate it.
By default, the Voice Dictation function is not active, although like any other configuration in iOS it is very easy to activate it. To do this we will have to go to Settings – General – Keyboard (Settings – General – Keyboard) and activate the option called Dictation.
Key Features
- When you move your finger to activate the function we will see a notice that informs that the function will send data to Apple so that the dictation works correctly, we accept and we will already have the function fully active.
- Now that we have activated the Dictation function we have to learn how to use it and as always it is something really simple. When we run an application in which you can enter text we will see a new icon appear on a keyboard.
- This icon shows a microphone and we just have to press it and start talking. At that time the iPad will start sending data to Apple servers so that they convert it into text and appear ” by magic ” on the screen of our new iPad.
Download link: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210539
System Support: Mac
I have also listed some of the best-paid voice recognition software that you may use if you are willing to improve your work and spend some amount:
Free Voice To Text App For Macbook
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Free Voice To Text Software Mac
Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a wonderful tool that can facilitate professional tasks. Many users use it for updates and daily tasks. Whether you are a pupil, student, employee, boss, housewife or geek, it is possible to update your status in real life as virtual from this software.
Dragon NaturallySpeaking has also greatly improved the accuracy of the options presented to the user in the correction window. As we could see, the correction options presented during the tests invariably included the correct word among the alternatives to choose from. This is valid for general vocabulary words; only in the case of infrequent names, denominations or brands was it necessary to resort to the spelling function.
During installation, the program asks the user their age, sex, and accent. Then perform an audio test, detecting the sensitivity of the microphone and its performance with the available hardware. Finally, listen to the user’s voice during a brief training session of 5-6 minutes. The program also offers the user the option to examine documents stored on the hard disk and/or sent an email in order to detect not only the words most frequently used by it but also their personal writing style.
Key Features
- The program asks the user their age, sex, and accent during installation.
- It performs an audio test, detecting the sensitivity of the microphone and its performance with the available hardware.
- It also has the option to examine documents stored on the hard disk and/or sent email
Download link: https://www.nuance.com/index.html
System Support: Microsoft Windows, macOS
Dragon Anywhere
It is Dragon’s mobile product for Android and iOS devices. However, it is not a “lightweight” application, but rather offers full dictation functionality, powered by the cloud. So you get basically the same excellent speech recognition as on the desktop software – the only significant difference we saw was a very slight delay in displaying our spoken words on the screen (presumably due to processing in the cloud). However, note that the application was still sufficiently responsive.
It also supports standard text fragments that can be configured and inserted into a document using a single command. These words, along with custom vocabularies, are synchronized in the Dragon mobile app and desktop software. In addition, it gives you the ability to share documents on devices through Evernote or cloud services.
Key Features
- Automatic transcription of audio recordings from compatible portable peripherals (digital dictaphone, smartphone, etc.) of the user or another single speaker.
- Dynamic profiles allow you to use Dragon from any shared computer without prior configuration. The centralized definition and storage of parameters.
- Centralized customization management, to manage user settings and share custom commands and vocabularies.
Download link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dragon-anywhere-dictate-now/id1024652126
System Support: iOS
File Size: 64.8 MB (for iOS)
Google Cloud Speech API
Cloud Speech-to-Text is one of many cloud services from Google. It is an API based on Machine Learning technology, allowing you to convert audio to text using artificial neural network models.
This API recognizes more than 120 different languages and their variants. It is capable of processing both prerecorded audio content and audio streamed in real-time. This technology is used in particular to automatically generate subtitles for YouTube videos.
Speech-to-Text technology turns any audio content into written text. It is also called automatic voice recognition, or computer voice recognition. This technology is part of the interdisciplinary field of computational linguistics. It is based on both knowledge and advances in the fields of linguistics, computer science, and electrical engineering.
Key Features
- The software separates the words dictated by the user into short samples (samples). These samples are then associated with phonemes or pronunciation units.
- Complex algorithms sort the results, in an attempt to predict which word or sentence was spoken by the user.
- It is capable of processing both prerecorded audio content and audio streamed in real-time.
Official link:https://cloud.google.com/speech-to-text/
System Support: Web-Based
Conclusion
There is no doubt that a good voice recognition software can save a lot of time and effort. The only thing that is required is to choose the best speech to text software from the above list. If you know any other such tool, then do let me know.