Why use your voice?

For some people, using a keyboard or mouse (or both) can be very difficult or impossible. This obviously makes essential tasks like typing and navigating the computer more difficult. Thankfully, there is a solution: you can use your voice to dictate what you want to type and navigate around your devices.  

You don't have to choose

Voice control, dictation, keyboards and mice all work well together. You can use whichever method suits the task you're doing.

Dictation – you talk, it types

In its simplest form, dictation software (speech-to-text) allows you to speak and as a result it will type anywhere you wish to input text on your device. Dictation enables you to work for longer periods independently as it reduces the need to interact with the keyboard; you simply speak your text, grammar and basic commands into your device.

Show description Man sitting at a table in front of a computer with a head set on

It can take some time to get used to dictation, so it is worth playing round with it for a while before trying to use it for a last-minute deadline. 

Who might find this useful?

Students who find it difficult to operate a keyboard, use a keyboard for prolonged periods, and students with conditions like dyslexia, processing disorders or ADHD all benefit from being able to speak their work. Physical conditions – long term, temporary or fluctuating – may also make the act of typing painful or simply impossible.

Benefits of dictation

Typing can be mentally demanding as well as physically tiring. Some people worry about spelling and grammar. Others find it difficult to hold ideas in their memory while typing. Speaking your ideas aloud can reduce some of that effort. By dictating the text, you can confidently get the information you want onto the page as quickly and as accurately as possible.

The software will automatically choose the correct spelling and the most appropriate word based on the context of the sentence being dictated. Fuller sentences will improve the accuracy of the dictation as the context helps to identify which word to use if there are multiple similar sounding words (homophones).

Getting started with dictation

Microsoft Word and similar apps will have inbuilt dictation features in the tool or ribbon bar, usually with a name like Dictate, Dictation or Voice Typing. Your device will likely also have a system-wide dictation option which allows you to dictate into any text input field.

For Windows or MacOS devices search your settings for Voice Typing (Windows) or Dictate (MacOS) to turn it on. For mobile devices and tablets, a microphone symbol will appear anywhere the keyboard appears if dictation is available.  

Things to try: speak for two minutes

• Open a blank document and dictate a short paragraph about your day.
• Don't worry about mistakes.

The aim is simply to get used to speaking to your device.

Voice control

If you find that you would like to do more with your voice, because you want to or you find you need to, you can use your voice to access most of the features on your device.

How voice control works

Voice Access on Windows and Android, and Voice Control on iOS, will allow you to tap, click and press controls, menus and applications with simple commands. For example, you can say ‘Tap <control name>’ and it will tap the button or item you have just said.

The same works for mouse actions if you say ‘Click <control name>’. To move the mouse pointer up say, ‘Move Mouse Up’ (or left, right or down). To click say ‘Click’. If you know the name of any control or button, you can say ‘Click’ (or ‘Tap’ for touchscreens) and the name of the item and it will behave as if you have physically clicked (or tapped) it.  For keyboard controls say ‘press’ and the computer responds as if you have pressed those keys.

Using grids and number overlays

If you don’t know the names of the controls or buttons, or if the app you are using has poor accessibility, you can use the grid or numbers overlay features in your voice control/access.

For the grid, when you say ‘Show Grid’ a grid appears over the screen content. By saying the number of the square in the grid you would like to move the pointer to, a smaller grid will appear only in that area. You can continue to choose ever decreasing grid sizes until you can say ‘click’ on the control or button in the grid square you want to activate.

With the numbers overlay, every control, setting or button on the screen is given a number and you can simply choose the number that matches the control you are looking for.

Who might find this useful?

These features can benefit everyone. Whether you just want to get information down as quickly as possible or you need to operate your device hands-free, dictation and voice control will help. Pain, fatigue, injury, speed, confidence in spelling and dexterity are all great reasons to try it out.

We have become more accustomed to speaking to our devices with Siri, Alexa and other digital personal assistants that making the move to dictation and voice control has become more natural for people to try. It is worth remembering though, just because you can do everything with your voice doesn't mean you have to. Dictation and voice control also work well alongside your usual keyboard and/or mouse activity.

Paid options for voice-controlled software are available, such as Dragon and TalkType. These are great pieces of software and have a range of additional features, but they’re expensive. The versions we’ve spoken about and listed below are free and available for everyone to experiment with.

• Apple Voice Control on iOS
• Windows Voice Access
• Android Voice Access 

It takes practice

Dictation and voice control aren't usually perfected on day one. Accuracy often improves as you become more comfortable speaking naturally and using longer sentences.