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Ask Kim: 'Can you help me get better with speech-to-text?'
I would like to get talk-to-type software to use for emails and Word. What suggestions do you have? Anything free that does not violate my privacy too much? I have a Lenovo PC and Windows 11.
Brian, Ohio
Good news, Brian. It’s built right in!
For Word:
Open a new or existing document and go to Home > Dictate while signed into Microsoft 365 on a mic-enabled device. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening. Start speaking to see text appear on the screen. Easy peasy!
For Outlook:
Start a new email or reply to an existing one, select the body of the message, then go to the Message tab and select Dictate while signed into Microsoft 365 on a mic-enabled device. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening. Start speaking to see text appear on the screen.
For Windows 10:
To use the Windows 10 speech recognition, open a document, email, or other file you want to dictate within. Hold down the Windows key and press H to trigger the dictation toolbar. You can now dictate text. When finished, press the Win key + H to turn off the dictation toolbar.
For Windows 11:
Press the Windows key + H on the keyboard. Next, press the microphone key next to the Spacebar on the keyboard. To stop, say a voice typing command like “Stop listening” or press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.
For Mac:
- In an app on your Mac, place the insertion point where you want the dictated text to appear.
- Press the microphone button if available in the row of function keys, use the Dictation keyboard shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. Note: Press and release the microphone button to start Dictation; press and hold the microphone button to activate Siri (Siri must be enabled).
- When a microphone icon appears above or below a highlighted cursor, or you hear the tone that signals your Mac is ready for dictation, dictate your text. On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can type text even while dictating; there’s no need to stop dictation. The microphone icon disappears while you type and reappears after you stop typing so you can continue dictating.
- To insert an emoji or a punctuation mark or perform simple formatting tasks, do any of the following:
- Say the name of an emoji, like a heart or car emoji. Say the name of the punctuation mark, such as an exclamation mark. Say, “new line” (equivalent to pressing the Return key once) or “new paragraph” (equivalent to pressing the Return key twice). The new line or new paragraph appears when you’re done dictating. For a list of the commands you can use while dictating, see Commands for dictating text. Note: In supported languages, Dictation automatically inserts commas, periods, and question marks for you as you dictate. To turn this feature off, choose the Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Go to Dictation on the right, then turn off Auto-punctuation.
- Press the Dictation keyboard shortcut or the Escape key when you’re done. Dictation stops automatically when no speech is detected for 30 seconds.
5 easy ways to convert audio files to text
What comes to mind when you think of the word transcription? Does it evoke images of leaning over your computer, headphones on, while trying to stop and start an audio recording as you type?
It’s one thing to turn written notes into typed text. Tap or click here to find out how. But transcribing audio files on your own can be a huge pain, especially if you aren’t trained in transcription.
⚠️ Don’t lose your work: A bug in Microsoft 365 Word (version 2409, build 18025.20104) is deleting local files instead of saving them. The error happens after you edit a doc and then close Word. It’s more likely to happen if your file name includes a “#” character or a capitalized extension, like “DOCX” or “RTF.” Temporary fix? Hit Save manually instead of waiting for the prompt.
Free versions of Excel if you don’t want to pay for Microsoft 365
Smart penny pinchers know there are a ton of freebies around the web. You have to be savvy about where you search since there are a ton of dangerous downloads lurking. We’re always here to share safe tools, like the top free Excel alternatives.
Help Microsoft pick a new default font for Office
It’s time to kiss Calibri goodbye. For the first time in 15 years, Microsoft is changing its default Office font. Next year, it will have a completely new look — and you could even choose it.
That’s because Microsoft commissioned five potential new looks. Instead of leaving the decision-making to corporate, the company’s asking users like you to share their thoughts on social media. Give feedback and comment on social media, and your favorite fonts could be the future face of Microsoft Office.
📄 Office freebie: Unless you absolutely need Microsoft 365, don’t waste your money. For years, I’ve recommended LibreOffice, the free, open-source office software suite. It works on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Office freebie: Unless you absolutely need Microsoft 365, don’t waste your money. I’ve recommended LibreOffice, the free, open-source office software suite, for years, and it just got a major update. Plus, it works on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Microsoft wants to fix your crappy writing
Do you struggle at the keyboard? Do you cringe when you need to write a school assignment, work email, or other documents all because you don’t excel at spelling or grammar?
Relax, even those tasked with checking for writing errors have experienced the embarrassment of a misplaced apostrophe or misspelled word. Thankfully, with grammar and spell checkers, your writing errors don’t have to make the front page.