Instead, you need to manually type such commands as 'Dictation mode on'. We rarely come across software that so completely locks down the menu bar almost every button slotted at the top of the screen is out-of-bounds in the free version. This easily connects to a computer on the same network, and even packs in a virtual keyboard and mouse, should you need to give your jaws a rest. At least if your microphone isn't up to scratch, you can grab the Siri-style app (iOS and Android). But the tool is flawed, since you need to copy and paste captured words into your word processor separately.ĭictation mode should let you directly dictate into third-party software such as Word, but the software demands a full purchase to use this feature – along with several others. Faster than its rivals, Braina Lite delivered the same overall accuracy as Google. The tool barely stumbles when transcribing. It might not steal the crowns of Google and Cortana, but that's down to poor design, rather than performance. Translation integration is expertly done and we wouldn't be surprised to see this become a true feature in later Office iterations.īraina Lite – the free version of an otherwise paid-for tool – is an AI-based virtual assistant, which is capable of opening files and programs on your computer. The real deal-maker-or-breaker is that, in running on Microsoft Cognitive Services, Dictate only works online.ĭictate is so good, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a fully fledged, Microsoft-supported product not a homebrew piece of kit. There are some peculiar word choices, and, like Google, it occasionally typed 'comma' and 'full stop' where punctuation marks would suffice. But the stand-out feature is the translator that converts speech into all major languages as you speak.ĭictate isn't the quickest horse in the stable, although it's fun to see your words gallop across the page three seconds after uttering them. Selecting the Dictation tab on the ribbon reveals a sparse interface featuring a Start/Stop button – click this and your spoken words whip along a Response bar, processed online, before appearing on-screen without too many mistakes an average hit-rate of 80 out of 84 words.Įlsewhere, you'll find an option to switch to manual punctuation. That power means Dictate does what Speech Recognition has always struggled with: recognising speech. After all, Windows already builds Speech Recognition into various Office products.īut this voice-recognition tool, which is compatible with Word, Outlook and PowerPoint, harnesses the might of Microsoft's Cognitive Services, the online AI that fuels Cortana and Translator. Despite being blocked on non-Chrome browsers, its sleek presentation and admirable performance makes it far less frustrating than similar tools, and a joy to use.Īt first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Dictate – a Microsoft Garage project created by developers in their downtime – is a needless add-on. Google Voice Typing delivers an effortless and impressively accurate speech-to-text experience. We'd like to see speech recognition rolled out to other Google products – it seems a logical evolution, considering the rise of smart speakers such as Google Home. Currently, the tool's only available for Docs and for adding speaker notes to Slides. Try to access the option in any other browser and you'll find it greyed out. The biggest irritation is that Voice Typing is locked to Chrome. Visit Google's support page for the full list of voice instructions. This helps maintain your flow, rather than breaking it as you pause to grab the mouse. You can highlight words, insert tables and shift around the page by ordering the cursor to relevant sections. There's more to Voice Typing than actual typing. You can also use the 'Delete ' command to make corrections on the fly. With any free voice dictation software, it's recommended you run through the content afterwards, manually correcting mistakes – Google Voice Typing's impressive accuracy makes that job a lot easier, especially since right-clicking underlined words displays possible suggestions for misheard words. Out of 84 words, Google Docs scored an average three errors typically two typos and a dropped word. We tested each tool by reading the opening paragraph of Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep' five times, using both built-in and external microphones. And Google is, by far, the most accurate of all contenders in this roundup. The tool is reasonably fast – there's a slight lag, because it uses cloud processing to figure out exactly what you're saying – but after a second or so, your words, punctuation and even formatting appear on the page.
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