Speech to Text — Free Voice Dictation in Your Browser

About Speech to Text

This transcribes what you say into text using your microphone, live, as you speak. It's handy for dictating a note, email or message faster than typing, capturing thoughts hands-free, drafting when your hands are busy, or accessibility. Press start, talk, and watch the words appear; you can copy the result or keep dictating to add more. Want the reverse — text read aloud instead of speech typed out? Try Text to Speech.

How it works

Microphone icon with sound waves turning into a text box, showing interim text settling into final text

It uses the Web Speech API's speech recognition, built into supporting browsers. When you start, it asks for microphone permission, then listens continuously — showing interim words as it hears them and committing them to final text once it's confident, so you see live feedback that firms up as you go. You can pick the recognition language, and it appends new speech to whatever is already in the box, so you can dictate in stretches.

Assumptions and behaviour

Continuous dictation with live interim results — partial words show as you speak and settle into final text.
Language is selectable, so recognition matches how you're speaking.
New dictation is appended to the existing text rather than replacing it.
It needs microphone permission, which your browser will prompt for the first time. Want a word count once you're done dictating? Paste the result into the Word & Character Counter.

Limitations and how your audio is handled

This is the one tool here that isn't purely on-device. Browser speech recognition typically sends your audio to the browser vendor's cloud service to be transcribed (Chrome, for example, processes it via Google's servers). So unlike our other tools, your spoken audio may leave your device, and an internet connection is required. Don't dictate anything highly sensitive.
Browser support is limited. It works best in Chrome and Edge; Firefox and Safari have little or no support, and the tool will tell you if your browser can't do it.
Accuracy depends on conditions — accent, background noise, microphone quality and clarity of speech all affect the result, and punctuation isn't added automatically.
If microphone permission is denied, transcription can't run.

Privacy

Be aware this tool differs from the rest of the site: to transcribe speech, the browser's recognition service usually uploads your audio to its vendor (e.g. Google in Chrome). The text stays in your browser, but the audio may be processed in the cloud. Avoid dictating confidential information.

Frequently asked questions

Is this speech to text tool free?

Yes — free, no sign-up, no limits. It uses your browser's built-in speech recognition.

Is my audio private / kept on my device?

Not entirely. Unlike our other tools, browser speech recognition usually sends your audio to the vendor's cloud service (Chrome uses Google's) to transcribe it, and needs an internet connection. The resulting text stays local, but avoid dictating sensitive information.

Which browsers does it work in?

Best in Chrome and Edge. Firefox and Safari have little or no support for the speech recognition API; the tool will tell you if yours can't run it.

Why isn't it very accurate?

Recognition quality depends on your accent, background noise, microphone and how clearly you speak. It also doesn't add punctuation automatically.

Can I dictate in another language?

Yes. Choose the recognition language to match how you're speaking for better accuracy.

Does it need microphone permission?

Yes. Your browser prompts for microphone access the first time; if you deny it, transcription can't run.

Does it keep adding to my text?

Yes. New dictation is appended to what's already in the box, so you can dictate in several stretches, then copy the result.

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