Before we dive in, I want to get a few things out of the way. While voice typing is very exciting, it does not replace learning to use a keyboard if you are able to do so. If you use a screen reader, voice typing will not replace the need for you to learn how to use your screen reader. Also, if you use a screen reader while dictating without a headset connected, your experience will be a mess because the microphone will pick up your screen reader’s voice and try to type what it hears. Use a headset for best results. In this article, I am specifically talking about voice typing for dictation and not full computer control via voice, which is a separate feature called Voice Access.
Now, with all that out of the way, let’s talk about Voice Typing in Windows 11.
What Is Voice Typing?
Voice Typing is a built-in Windows 11 feature that converts your spoken words into text. There’s nothing to download or install. It uses speech recognition powered by Microsoft’s cloud services, so you do need an internet connection for it to work. If you used dictation in Windows 10, Voice Typing is the upgraded version. It’s faster, more accurate, and supports auto-punctuation, which is a huge improvement.
How to Start Voice Typing
First, make sure you’re in a text field. This could be Notepad, a Word document, an email message, a web form, or just about anything that accepts text input. Then press WINDOWS+H to open the Voice Typing toolbar. A small floating toolbar with a microphone icon will appear. Just start talking, and your words will appear as text.
To stop dictating, say “stop dictation” or click the microphone button on the toolbar. You can also press WINDOWS+H again to toggle it off.
Auto-Punctuation
One of the best improvements in Windows 11 Voice Typing is auto-punctuation. When this feature is enabled, Windows will automatically insert periods, commas, and question marks based on your speech patterns and pauses. You don’t have to say “period” at the end of every sentence unless you want to.
To turn auto-punctuation on or off, click the gear icon on the Voice Typing toolbar and toggle the Auto punctuation setting. I recommend turning it on and trying it out. It isn’t perfect, but it saves a lot of time compared to saying every punctuation mark manually.
Voice Typing Commands
You can do more than just dictate text. Here are some of the most useful commands you can say while voice typing.
Punctuation
Say “period,” “comma,” “question mark,” “exclamation point,” “colon,” “semicolon,” “open quote,” “close quote,” “open parenthesis,” “close parenthesis,” “hyphen,” “ellipsis,” or “new line” to insert exactly what you would expect. If you have auto-punctuation turned on, you only need these for fine-tuning.
Editing
Say “delete that” to remove the last thing you said. Say “undo that” to undo the last action. Say “select that” to select the last spoken phrase, or “select all” to select everything.
Formatting
In supported apps like Microsoft Word, you can say “bold that,” “italics that,” or “underline that” to format selected text.
Spelling Out Words
If you need to spell out a word or enter letters individually, say “start spelling,” then say each letter or use the phonetic alphabet. Say “stop spelling” when you’re done.
Tips for Screen Reader Users
This is the part that matters most if you’re using a screen reader. Listen up.
Use a headset. I can’t stress this enough. If your screen reader is speaking through your computer’s speakers while the microphone is listening, Voice Typing will try to type whatever your screen reader says. This will create a hilarious but completely unusable feedback loop. Plug in a headset and your microphone will only hear you.
Mute your screen reader while dictating. For NVDA users, press NVDA+S to cycle through speech modes. You can set it to off or beeps while you dictate, then press NVDA+S again to bring speech back when you are done. For JAWS users, press INSERT+SPACEBAR followed by S to toggle speech.
Dictate a sentence or two at a time. Don’t dictate an entire page and then try to go back and check it. Dictate a couple of sentences, stop, review what was typed, make corrections, and then continue. This workflow is much more manageable with a screen reader.
Narrator users have the smoothest experience. Microsoft designed Voice Typing to work well with Narrator, so if you are already using Narrator, the integration is the most reliable.
Voice Typing vs. Voice Access
These two features sound similar but serve very different purposes. Voice Typing, activated with WINDOWS+H, is strictly for dictation. It types what you say into a text field and that’s it.
Voice Access is a completely separate feature that gives you full hands-free control of your entire computer. You can open apps, click buttons, scroll pages, switch windows, and dictate text, all with your voice. You enable it through Settings, Accessibility, Speech, or toggle it with WINDOWS+CTRL+S.
The big difference for screen reader users is that Voice Access works offline after a one-time language model download, while Voice Typing always requires an internet connection. If you need offline dictation, Voice Access is your answer.
I’ll cover Voice Access in more detail in a future article.
Supported Languages
Voice Typing supports over 40 languages for speech recognition, including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and many more. To switch languages, press WINDOWS+SPACEBAR to change your keyboard language, and Voice Typing will follow along.
Dictation commands like “delete that” and “bold that” work best in English but are expanding to other languages over time.
FAQ
Does Voice Typing require an internet connection?
Yes. Voice Typing uses Microsoft’s cloud-based speech recognition and always requires an active internet connection. If you need offline dictation, look into Voice Access instead, which works offline after an initial language model download.
Does Voice Typing work with NVDA and JAWS?
Yes, but with caveats. You must use a headset to prevent the microphone from picking up your screen reader’s speech. You should also mute your screen reader while actively dictating. NVDA users can press NVDA+S to toggle speech off during dictation.
What’s the keyboard shortcut for Voice Typing?
Press WINDOWS+H to open the Voice Typing toolbar. Press it again or say “stop dictation” to stop.
Is Voice Typing the same as Voice Access?
No. Voice Typing only converts speech to text in a text field. Voice Access gives you full hands-free control of your entire PC, including the ability to open apps, click buttons, and navigate the interface by voice. They’re separate features.
Can Voice Typing automatically add punctuation?
Yes. Windows 11 introduced auto-punctuation for Voice Typing. Enable it through the gear icon on the Voice Typing toolbar. It’ll automatically insert periods, commas, and question marks based on your speech patterns.
Conclusion
Voice Typing in Windows 11 is a significant step up from the old Windows 10 dictation. Auto-punctuation alone makes it worth trying. Just remember the golden rule for screen reader users: use a headset, or your screen reader and Voice Typing will have a very confusing conversation with each other.
Until next time, Qapla!
This was very informative. Have you heard how MS Dictation compares in accuracy and ease of use with Dragon Naturally Speaking? Have you heard how it works on a Mac using Parallels? Thanks very much.