Voice typing is when you speak and the text appears on screen by itself. On Windows you can write emails, notes and messages this way without pressing keys. Below is how to turn on voice typing on Windows — and what to do if you want something simpler.

Built-in Windows voice typing (Win + H)

Windows 10 and 11 have built-in voice typing. Put the cursor in any text field and press Win + H — a small microphone panel appears. Speak, and the words type themselves.

  1. Open a document, an email or any input field.
  2. Press Win + H.
  3. Wait for “Listening” and start speaking.
  4. To stop, click the microphone or say “Stop dictating”.

It is free. The downsides: it needs the internet, you sometimes have to dictate punctuation as words (“comma”, “period”), and the panel does not save the text — you copy it by hand.

If the built-in tool is not enough

Sometimes you just want a window with a Record button so you can speak your text and save it to a file right away. For that there is a separate program, VoiceNote: press “Record” and speak — the app types your speech as text for you. You can copy or save the finished text, and everything runs on your own computer.

More about the VoiceNote program

How to speak so you fix less

  • Speak calmly and clearly, without rushing.
  • Use short phrases and make pauses.
  • Remove background noise — close the window, turn off music.
  • Check that the right microphone is selected in the system.

FAQ

Why does Win + H not work?
Check that the microphone is on and selected in sound settings, and that the system is up to date. On older Windows builds the feature may have a different name.

Can I dictate without the internet?
The built-in tool usually needs the internet. If you want something that runs on the computer itself, a separate program is a better fit.

Which language does it work in?
Russian and other languages — the language is chosen in the settings.

In short

  1. The quick, free way is the built-in Windows voice typing (Win + H).
  2. In it, punctuation is often dictated as words.
  3. If you want a window with a Record button and saving — VoiceNote.