Dictation on Windows 10 is the most sought feature because the majority of users are on Windows PC. In a smartphone, it is very easy to voice type using any standard keyboard but when it comes to PC it becomes cumbersome to voice type your text. Well, this feature was always available in Windows, but it was never been so perfect in understanding the human voice compared to smartphones’ voice dictation.
Well, dictation becomes extremely useful when we are going to write a big article. So voice dictation is one of the best ways to write a long passage. If you are also willing to learn the best way to enable dictation on Windows 10 then continue the below article.
How to enable dictation on windows 10
There are basically two methods how to enable dictation on Windows 10. Both methods are equally capable of dictation but both have their own pros and cons which we will discuss in the below article.
Method 1: Using Windows built-in settings
This method is one of the easiest methods to start any kind of dictation on a Windows device. This works perfectly e in Windows 10 and above also it doesn’t require any kind of software installation. So this is basically a simple setting in Windows 10 which is kind of hidden.
To restart dictation press Win + H key on your keyboard. This will enable a small stripe panel with an option of microphone detection. Just press on the microphone icon and start dictation. Yeah, this is how easy it is to start dictation.
Also read: How to Read Fast on Mobiles using this simple trick
There are many dictation commands which you can use while using windows dictation. Here is the list of the dictation commands, letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols.
Pros
- No software installation
- It works anywhere and everywhere within Windows 10
- Easy to start
Cons
- Accuracy is not as good as it should be
- No language support other languages other than English
Method 2: using Chrome extension
In this method, you have to install a Chrome extension which will work like a dictation tool for Chrome browser only. Not only Chrome browser but this will work on all web browsers based on chromium open source project such as Google Chrome, Edge, Opera browser Brave etc.
Install the above extension and follow the onscreen steps.
Step 1: After you install the extension, you will be taken to the setup page.
Step 2: Click on “Allow Microphone access” to enable permissions for the microphone.
Step 3: Select your dictation language and click Next. That will take you to the next page which says Setup Successful.
Step 4: No pin the extension to the address bar by going to the list of extensions and selecting the pin icon.
Step 5: To dictate, place the cursor in the text area. Then use one of three ways to start/stop voice recognition:-
Also read: Top 3 Best Ways to Use Voice Typing in Computer/laptop
a)Button
Tap on the microphone button in the address bar to start/stop recognition. When it starts dictating, the microphone button in the address bar will turn red. To stop dictation, click on the button again. The button will turn black/grey once recognition stops.
b) Right Click
In this method, you have to place the cursor inside the text box, right-click on the mouse, and then, in the drop-down menu click “Start Recording”. To stop, you can right-click and select “Stop Recording”.
c) Keyboard Shortcut
And the quickest way to stop/start dictation is to use the keyboard shortcut key CTRL+SHIFT+9.
Note: When you start dictation, the Voice In language button (also called pop-up) shows up on the page. It shows the current dictation language. Clicking on it opens up a pop-up in which you can change the current language.
Pros
- It supports multiple languages so basically, you can use your local language also to dictate any text.
- It works on chromium-based browsers such as Google Chrome, Edge, Opera browser Brave, etc.
- Almost all basic features are free of cost
Cons
- Advanced features are available for paid users only
- It doesn’t work system-wise instead it works only on chromium-based browsers. So basically you cannot use this on windows applications other than Browser.
- It requires one-time extension installation
Note: To use dictation, your PC needs to be connected to the internet.
Final Words
So these are the two methods which I use frequently for typing any kind of long text. And this can be very beneficial to you too. If you are using any other methods and that is even better than the above-mentioned methods. Then please mention in the below comment section and we will try to feature that method and you as well here.