how to use speech to text in word windows 11

How to Use Voice Typing (Dictation) Tool in Windows 11

Learn how to use the new Voice Typing dictation tool in Windows 11 and take full advantage of the tool to type anything by voice on your PC.

Windows has a lot of secret tools. Okay, maybe they aren’t really “secret”, but not too many people know them. That makes them an awful lot like secrets. Like the dictation tool in Windows. Windows has an in-built speech-to-text tool that you can use to type whatever you say. You don’t have to install any additional software.

So, imagine you’re in class or a meeting, and instead of taking notes manually, you could just turn on dictation and Windows will type everything for you. How easy would that make everything? Instead of trying to jot everything down, you could turn your complete focus on listening. This is just one example. Dictation comes in handy in so many other situations as well.

Sometimes, you’re trying to gather your thoughts on something. Maybe, you’re writing your bridesmaid or best man’s speech. Or you’re trying to get down the next chapter of your novel. You have the perfect line, maybe even a paragraph in your mind. But by the time you get to typing it, the train has already left the station. Some thoughts are better captured in conversation. With dictation, you can do just that.

What is Voice Typing in Windows 11?

The dictation tool, voice typing, speech to text – whatever you might want to call it does exactly what it says. It listens to what you’re saying and converts it to text in real-time. And it works with any text box. That’s right, you can use it in text editors, or compose boxes of a chatting app, to type a mail, comment, virtually anything.

And Windows 11 has improved the dictation tool even further. On Windows 10, you could dictate the text to Windows. But it just threw up the words on the screen in continuous mumbo-jumbo. The burden of editing fell to you. You had to make outlines yourselves and punctuate them accordingly.

The new Voice Typing tool in Windows 11 detects the punctuation in your tone and auto-punctuates the text.

There are a few catches though. It only works with certain languages. And you should be connected to the internet.

The list of supported languages include:

• English (US, Australia, Canada, India, United Kingdom)
• French (France, Canada)
• German (Germany)
• Italian (Italy)
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Spanish (Mexico, Spain)
• Simplified Chinese

Using Voice Typing (Dictation) in Windows 11

Using the Voice Typing tool to dictate to Windows is pretty simple. Select the text box where you want to type. Essentially, your cursor should be in the text field, otherwise, you’d receive an error that you need to select a text box and try again.

With your cursor in the text box, press the Windows logo key + H keyboard shortcut to launch the Voice Typing tool on the screen.

It is a little pop-up box you can move anywhere. If it’s obstructing your screen view, just click and hold the bar at the top to drag and move it around the screen.

When Voice Typing for the first time on Windows 11, you’d have to turn on auto-punctuation. Go to the Voice to Typing pop-up, and click the ‘Settings’ (gear) icon within the box.

A menu will pop up. Turn on the toggle switch next to ‘Auto-punctuation’.

Now, while the tool is still active on the screen, you can either press Windows + H from the keyboard again or you can click the ‘Microphone’ icon to start dictating.

Note: When your PC is listening, the microphone icon color will be the accent color of your theme. And when not listening, it will be a plain white color.

To stop or pause dictation, either press the ‘Microphone’ icon or press Windows + H keys again or just say, “Stop Dictation” .

To close the Voice Typing tool, either press the ‘Esc key or click on the ‘Close’ button on the tool’s pop-up.

You can also enable the Voice typing launcher to automatically appear anytime you click inside a text field. If you plan to dictate often, you will find this very helpful to have the tool open and ready for dictating.

To turn on the Voice typing launcher, click the Settings gear icon in the toolbox. Then, turn on the toggle switch next to ‘Voice typing launcher’ option.

Useful Voice Commands to Help you Dictate Better

You can also use some Voice commands while dictating to go completely hands-free.

Note: The words in bold are just placeholders. Replace them with similar words to get the results you want.

Dictating Symbols, Punctuation, and Numbers

You can also insert punctuation characters and symbols by simply dictating the symbol’s name. In Windows 11, no other command is required to dictate symbols, punctuation marks, and even letters and numbers.

To enter a letter or number, simply dictate them without any need for additional comments.

Dictating your PC to type for you can be a real lifesaver. And with auto-punctation in Windows 11 Voice typing tool, you don’t even have an excuse to not want to use this feature.

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How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word

Speech to text in Microsoft Word is a hidden gem that is powerful and easy to use. We show you how to do it in five quick and simple steps

Master the skill of speech to text in Microsoft Word and you'll be dictating documents with ease before you know it. Developed and refined over many years, Microsoft's speech recognition and voice typing technology is an efficient way to get your thoughts out, create drafts and make notes.

Just like the best speech to text apps that make life easier for us when we're using our phones, Microsoft's offering is ideal for those of us who spend a lot of time using Word and don't want to wear out our fingers or the keyboard with all that typing. While speech to text in Microsoft Word used to be prone to errors which you'd then have to go back and correct, the technology has come a long way in recent years and is now amongst the best text-to-speech software .

Regardless of whether you have the best computer or the best Windows laptop , speech to text in Microsoft Word is easy to access and a breeze to use. From connecting your microphone to inserting punctuation, you'll find everything you need to know right here in this guide. Let's take a look...

How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word: Preparation

The most important thing to check is whether you have a valid Microsoft 365 subscription, as voice typing is only available to paying customers. If you’re reading this article, it’s likely your business already has a Microsoft 365 enterprise subscription. If you don’t, however, find out more about Microsoft 365 for business via this link . 

The second thing you’ll need before you start voice typing is a stable internet connection. This is because Microsoft Word’s dictation software processes your speech on external servers. These huge servers and lighting-fast processors use vast amounts of speech data to transcribe your text. In fact, they make use of advanced neural networks and deep learning technology, which enables the software to learn about human speech and continuously improve its accuracy. 

These two technologies are the key reason why voice typing technology has improved so much in recent years, and why you should be happy that Microsoft dictation software requires an internet connection. 

Once you’ve got a valid Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection, you’re ready to go!

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Step 1: Open Microsoft Word

Simple but crucial. Open the Microsoft Word application on your device and create a new, blank document. We named our test document “How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word - Test” and saved it to the desktop so we could easily find it later.

Step 2: Click on the Dictate button

Once you’ve created a blank document, you’ll see a Dictate button and drop-down menu on the top right-hand corner of the Home menu. It has a microphone symbol above it. From here, open the drop-down menu and double-check that the language is set to English.

One of the best parts of Microsoft Word’s speech to text software is its support for multiple languages. At the time of writing, nine languages were supported, with several others listed as preview languages. Preview languages have lower accuracy and limited punctuation support.

Step 3: Allow Microsoft Word access to the Microphone

If you haven’t used Microsoft Word’s speech to text software before, you’ll need to grant the application access to your microphone. This can be done at the click of a button when prompted.

It’s worth considering using an external microphone for your dictation, particularly if you plan on regularly using voice to text software within your organization. While built-in microphones will suffice for most general purposes, an external microphone can improve accuracy due to higher quality components and optimized placement of the microphone itself.

Step 4: Begin voice typing

Now we get to the fun stuff. After completing all of the above steps, click once again on the dictate button. The blue symbol will change to white, and a red recording symbol will appear. This means Microsoft Word has begun listening for your voice. If you have your sound turned up, a chime will also indicate that transcription has started. 

Using voice typing is as simple as saying aloud the words you would like Microsoft to transcribe. It might seem a little strange at first, but you’ll soon develop a bit of flow, and everyone finds their strategies and style for getting the most out of the software. 

These four steps alone will allow you to begin transcribing your voice to text. However, if you want to elevate your speech to text software skills, our fifth step is for you.

Step 5: Incorporate punctuation commands

Microsoft Word’s speech to text software goes well beyond simply converting spoken words to text. With the introduction and improvement of artificial neural networks, Microsoft’s voice typing technology listens not only to single words but to the phrase as a whole. This has enabled the company to introduce an extensive list of voice commands that allow you to insert punctuation marks and other formatting effects while speaking. 

We can’t mention all of the punctuation commands here, but we’ll name some of the most useful. Saying the command “period” will insert a period, while the command “comma” will insert, unsurprisingly, a comma. The same rule applies for exclamation marks, colons, and quotations. If you’d like to finish a paragraph and leave a line break, you can say the command “new line.” 

These tools are easy to use. In our testing, the software was consistently accurate in discerning words versus punctuation commands.

Microsoft’s speech to text software is powerful. Having tested most of the major platforms, we can say that Microsoft offers arguably the best product when balancing cost versus performance. This is because the software is built directly into Microsoft 365, which many businesses already use. If this applies to your business, you can begin using Microsoft’s voice typing technology straight away, with no additional costs. 

We hope this article has taught you how to use speech to text software in Microsoft Word, and that you’ll now be able to apply these skills within your organization. 

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How to Enable and Use Voice Typing in Windows 11

Enable and Use Voice Typing in Windows 11 (2021)

How to use windows 11’s built-in voice typing tool.

4. In case your dictation is not being picked properly, you can navigate to “Settings -> Time and Language -> Speech”. Here, select the appropriate “ Speech Language ” from the drop-down menu based on your region or accent.

Enable Voice Typing Launcher in Windows 11

2. For example, I am on Google Review’s page on Chrome and the Voice typing launcher automatically comes up when I click on the text entry field.

Use Voice Typing in Office Apps on Windows 11

1. To use voice typing within Office apps on your Windows 11 PC, open one of these apps – Word or PowerPoint. On the top-right corner, you will find a “ Dictate” option . The same step is applicable for Office on the web as well.

Use Voice Typing in Windows 10

While Windows 11 has a much smarter voice typing utility, Windows 10 also comes with a native Dictation Tool. You can use the same “Windows + H” keyboard shortcut, and the dictation pop-up will appear at the top of the screen.

Dictation and Punctuation Commands for Enhanced Voice Typing

• English (US – Advanced Dictation Commands)
• Simplified Chinese
• English (Australia, Canada, India, United Kingdom)
• French (France, Canada)
• German (Germany)
• Italian (Italy)
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Spanish (Mexico, Spain)

Smart Voice Typing with Auto Punctuation in Windows 11

Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.

Wow! Thank you for this amazing article.

I was wondering if you’ve discovered a way to begin the dictation process with simply your voice. Ideally, I was thinking it’d be something like “ start dictation” to begin the dictation process.

I’m not sure if something like this exists. I’m hoping you may know.

Thanks again, appreciate the article.

Yes, there is a way to do it. https://beebom.com/what-is-voice-access-windows-11-how-use/

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October 09, 2023

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How to get the most out of voice typing

Whether you prefer brainstorming ideas out loud, can talk faster than you can type, or need an accessible, hands-free option for getting words on the screen, the Windows 11  voice-typing feature has you covered. Learn how to use this voice typing to your advantage and get the most out of the speech-to-text functionality on your Windows 11 device .

How does Windows speech-to-text software work?

The built-in speech-to-text software in Windows 11  turns your spoken words directly into text. If you’d like to compose a document or write anywhere you see a textbox by talking instead of typing, you can! As long as you’re connected to the internet and have a working microphone, you should be able to use this feature to type with your voice.

How to enable voice typing

If you’re ready to try voice typing on your Windows 11 computer, follow these steps:

• Select Windows logo key + H to open the voice typing menu.
• Select the microphone icon. 
• Wait for the Listening alert before you start speaking. Once it’s listening, you should see your spoken words turn into text on the screen almost instantly.
• When you’re ready to stop voice typing, say “Stop listening” or select the microphone button in the menu.

Within Settings , you can also toggle on Voice typing launcher . This will launch the voice typing menu whenever you are in a textbox. For punctuation support, select the Settings icon and toggle on Auto punctuation .

Setting and switching between voice typing languages

To help the speech-to-text software properly understand your dictation, make sure it’s set to the right language, region, or dialect:

• Navigate to Settings > Time & language > Speech .
• Select your preferred language, region, or dialect.
• If the language you want isn’t installed on your device, you may be able to add it in Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Preferred languages .

Would you like to switch between voice typing languages ? No problem! Select Windows logo key + Spacebar to access the language switcher.

Ways to get the most out of voice typing

Now that you have voice typing set up in the way you want it, here are a few ways to make the most of it:

• Write a truly fast first draft. Especially if you’re having a hard time getting started on the first draft of something, try speaking it aloud and letting voice typing capture all of your ideas on the spot. Within minutes, you’ll have a fast first draft to polish into something great.
• Call out your shopping list. Instead of having to type your shopping list, turn on voice typing and let it write the list for you as you look around your kitchen to confirm what you need.
• Capture family history. Family stories are precious, and now you can capture them as text. The next time you’re celebrating a holiday with loved ones, turn on voice typing to capture some of the family history and stories that mean so much.
• Speak in your Teams chat. Instead of typing your side of the conversation in your Microsoft Teams  chat, let voice typing turn your speech into chat messages for your colleagues.

With Windows 11 speech-to-text software, getting your lists, ideas, stories, and insights written down is as easy as speaking them aloud. Learn about other standout Windows 11 features in the Windows Learning Center .

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How to Start Voice Typing on Windows 11

Ready to skip the keyboard and use your voice to type in Windows 11? Here's how.

Windows 11 comes packed with plenty of tools that make our lives easier and simpler. One of these great tools is voice typing. The built-in voice typing or dictation tool can type everything you say without installing any third-party applications.

So, what is this tool, how can you enable it, and what can you do with it? Read on as we discuss everything you need to know about voice typing on Windows 11.

What Is Voice Typing on Windows 11?

Voice typing, also known as "speech-to-text" or "dictation," is Microsoft’s powerful speech recognition tool. It can transcribe speech into text perfectly on any Windows application. Windows 11 offers its users cloud-based speech recognition technology in addition to the existing standard device-based speech recognition features.

If you have previously used the dictation tool on Windows 10, then you’re bound to love the Windows 11 voice typing tool too. Voice typing on Windows 11 is much more accurate, offers a reliable auto-punctuality feature, and has hundreds of new possible use cases.

Currently, Voice typing supports English, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Spanish, Estonian, Finnish, Hindi, Japanese, and Korean, among others. You can find the complete list of supported languages on the Microsoft support website .

How to Enable Voice Typing on Windows 11

If you're excited to get typing with your voice, the good news is it's really easy to enable and use the voice typing or dictation tool on Windows 11. First, you need to click on a field that lets you enter text. This could be a text box on your browser, a word processing application, or even a messaging app.

Once you see a flashing cursor in the text field, press Win + H , and the rectangular voice typing tool window will pop up. If you instead see an error, make sure you’re connected to the internet and have correctly placed the cursor inside a text field.

You can then click on the gear icon and enable Auto punctuation . You will also find an option to turn on the Voice typing launcher to help you quickly enable voice typing if you’re in a textbox.

Once you’re ready to start voice typing, click on the Microphone icon or press Win + H . Windows will automatically recognize your speech, transcribe it into text and punctuate as required.

You can stop Voice typing by saying “Stop Dictation” or “Pause voice typing.” Alternatively, you can also press the Microphone icon or press Win + H to stop voice transcription.

Why Use Voice Typing?

Compared to using a regular keyboard, voice typing can be a huge time saver. Most people talk faster than they can type, and you can save valuable time by speaking your ideas rather than typing them up.

Why type an essay when you can just dictate it and have it transcribed to near-perfection. You can even use Voice typing to jot down meeting notes, to-do lists, brainstorming, and much more.

Voice typing can be especially beneficial for those people who experience reading and writing difficulties such as dyslexia. These users can make use of voice typing on Windows 11 to dictate their ideas and thoughts without constantly fixing spelling issues. Accessibility is critical, and Windows 11 prioritizes it ten-fold.

Related: How to Set Up Accessibility Options on Windows 11

Normalize Voice Typing on Windows 11

Voice typing is a valuable tool in Windows 11, and every Windows user can utilize it to improve accessibility and productivity. You can use it to easily take notes while keeping your hands-free, or dictate an essay you dread writing; the uses of Voice typing are bound only by your creativity.

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How to use voice dictation in Windows 11

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You’re working in Windows 11 and are unable to use your mouse and keyboard. No problem. You can still work via voice dictation. Like previous versions of Windows, Windows 11 offers a feature through which you can dictate text and commands. After enabling voice dictation, you choose a specific language and train the feature to recognize your own voice. After that initial setup, you can then use the feature in any Windows application. Here’s how it works.

SEE: Windows 11: Tips on installation, security and more (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

To get started in Windows 11, go to Settings, select Accessibility, and then choose the setting for Speech ( Figure A ).

At the settings screen for Speech, turn on the switch for Windows Speech Recognition. A welcome window pops up inviting you to set up your computer to recognize your voice. Click Next ( Figure B ).

At the microphone screen, choose the type of microphone you normally use with this computer—headset microphone, desktop microphone or other. Click Next ( Figure C ).

Position the microphone if necessary. Click Next. Now read the onscreen text to start training the technology to understand your voice. When done, click Next ( Figure D ).

You’re told that your microphone is now set up. Click Next. At the next screen, you’re asked if you want to improve the accuracy of the voice recognition by allowing Microsoft to review any documents and email messages referenced in your search index. If you’re OK with this option, select “Enable document review.” If you’re concerned about privacy issues, select “Disable document review.” To learn more about this process and the privacy implications, click the link for Privacy statement. After you’ve made your selection, click Next ( Figure E ).

At the activation mode screen, choose one of the two options. With manual activation mode, you turn off Speech recognition by saying, “Stop listening.” To resume, you have to click the microphone icon or press Ctrl + Windows key. With voice activation mode, the recognition feature simply goes to sleep when you stop it and can be reactivated if you say, “Start listening.” After making your selection, click Next ( Figure F ).

At the next screen, click the button for View Reference Sheet to review a list of commands that you can dictate by voice. Click Next. At the next screen, keep the box for “Run Speech Recognition at startup” if you want the feature available every time you sign into Windows. If not, uncheck the box. Click Next. At the next screen, click the button for Start Tutorial to take the speech recognition for a test drive. Otherwise, click the button for Skip Tutorial ( Figure G ).

The Speech Recognition module appears at the top of the screen. To review or change other options for the feature, click the setting for Speech under Related Settings. If more than one language is installed in Windows, you can select the language you wish to use. Check the box for “Recognize non-native accents for this language” if you speak the chosen language with an accent ( Figure H ).

Next, open an app, email, document or other piece of content into which you want to dictate text and commands. Click the microphone icon on the module and start speaking. Remember that you also speak punctuation symbols and navigation commands (e.g., period, comma, new line, new paragraph) ( Figure I ).

To pause or stop the feature, click the microphone icon or say: “Stop listening.” To resume, press the icon again or say: “Start listening” if you chose voice activation mode during the setup. Finally, right-click on the module at the top to access a host of commands, including ones to change the activation mode, open a speech reference card, start a tutorial, open the speech dictionary to add a new word and access various configuration options ( Figure J ).

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How to use speech-to-text on a Windows computer to quickly dictate text without typing

• You can use the speech-to-text feature on Windows to dictate text in any window, document, or field that you could ordinarily type in.  
• To get started with speech-to-text, you need to enable your microphone and turn on speech recognition in "Settings."
• Once configured, you can press Win + H to open the speech recognition control and start dictating. 
• Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

One of the lesser known major features in Windows 10 is the ability to use speech-to-text technology to dictate text rather than type. If you have a microphone connected to your computer, you can have your speech quickly converted into text, which is handy if you suffer from repetitive strain injuries or are simply an inefficient typist.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Windows 10 (from $139.99 at best buy), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to turn on the speech-to-text feature on windows.

It's likely that speech-to-text is not turned on by default, so you need to enable it before you start dictating to Windows.

1. Click the "Start" button and then click "Settings," designated by a gear icon.

2. Click "Time & Language."

3. In the navigation pane on the left, click "Speech."

4. If you've never set up your microphone, do it now by clicking "Get started" in the Microphone section. Follow the instructions to speak into the microphone, which calibrates it for dictation. 

5. Scroll down and click "Speech, inking, & typing privacy settings" in the "Related settings" section. Then slide the switch to "On" in the "Online speech recognition" section. If you don't have the sliding switch, this may appear as a button called "Turn on speech services and typing suggestions."

How to use speech-to-text on Windows

Once you've turned speech-to-text on, you can start using it to dictate into any window or field that accepts text. You can dictate into word processing apps, Notepad, search boxes, and more. 

1. Open the app or window you want to dictate into. 

2. Press Win + H. This keyboard shortcut opens the speech recognition control at the top of the screen. 

3. Now just start speaking normally, and you should see text appear. 

If you pause for more than a few moments, Windows will pause speech recognition. It will also pause if you use the mouse to click in a different window. To start again, click the microphone in the control at the top of the screen. You can stop voice recognition for now by closing the control at the top of the screen. 

Common commands you should know for speech-to-text on Windows

In general, Windows will convert anything you say into text and place it in the selected window. But there are many commands that, rather than being translated into text, will tell Windows to take a specific action. Most of these commands are related to editing text, and you can discover many of them on your own – in fact, there are dozens of these commands. Here are the most important ones to get you started:

• Punctuation . You can speak punctuation out loud during dictation. For example, you can say "Dear Steve comma how are you question mark." 
• New line . Saying "new line" has the same effect as pressing the Enter key on the keyboard.
• Stop dictation . At any time, you can say "stop dictation," which has the same effect as pausing or clicking another window. 
• Go to the [start/end] of [document/paragraph] . Windows can move the cursor to various places in your document based on a voice command. You can say "go to the start of the document," or "go to the end of the paragraph," for example, to quickly start dictating text from there. 
• Undo that . This is the same as clicking "Undo" and undoes the last thing you dictated. 
• Select [word/paragraph] . You can give commands to select a word or paragraph. It's actually a lot more powerful than that – you can say things like "select the previous three paragraphs." 

Related coverage from  Tech Reference :

How to use your ipad as a second monitor for your windows computer, you can use text-to-speech in the kindle app on an ipad using an accessibility feature— here's how to turn it on, how to use text-to-speech on discord, and have the desktop app read your messages aloud, how to use google text-to-speech on your android phone to hear text instead of reading it, 2 ways to lock a windows computer from your keyboard and quickly secure your data.

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How to Make Windows 11 Read Text Out Loud With Narrator

• Microsoft’s Narrator is a screen-reading tool primarily designed for visually impaired individuals, but you can also use it to make Windows 11 read your screen out loud.
• With Narrator, you can navigate through your emails or articles while engaging in other tasks.
• You can either use a keyboard shortcut to enable Narrator or configure it to start automatically before or after signing in.

How to Enable Narrator on Windows 11

To get started, you first need to enable the Narrator tool on your Windows 11 PC. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Settings from the menu that appears.

Step 2: Navigate to the Accessibility tab and click on Narrator .

Step 3: Enable the toggle next to Narrator to start using it right away. Optionally, you can configure the Narrator to start automatically before or after you sign in or enable the Keyboard shortcut for Narrator toggle.

After you enable Narrator from the Settings menu or via the Windows key + Ctrl + Enter keyboard shortcut , a Narrator dialog will appear on your screen. If you don’t wish to see this dialog every time you launch Narrator, check the box that reads Don’t show this again and click Skip for now .

This will open Narrator Home, where you can read about some of its functions and commands. Uncheck the box that says Show Narrator Home when Narrator starts if you don’t want Narrator Home to pop up every time you use Narrator. Then, click on Minimize to start using Narrator.

How to Make the Narrator Read Your Screen Out Loud

Once you’ve enabled the Narrator tool, you can make Windows 11 read text out loud. To try it out, open any web page or document on your PC and press the Windows key + Ctrl + Enter to access Narrator. The Narrator will then start reading the text and display a blue rectangle to highlight the word being read.

You can also use your mouse to highlight a specific paragraph or line, and the Narrator will start reading the same. Similarly, you can use Narrator on any screen to make Windows 11 read emails, web pages, documents, and more.

How to Customize Narrator’s Settings on Windows 11

By default, the Narrator will describe everything on your screen, including interface elements such as buttons, icons, controls, and more. However, if you just want to use the Narrator to read emails, web pages, or documents, you will need to modify the Narrator’s settings using the steps below.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and go to Accessibility > Narrator .

Step 2: Scroll down to the Verbosity section. Then, use the drop-down menu next to the Verbosity level to select Text only .

Step 3: Use the drop-down menu next to the Context level for buttons and controls to select No context .

Optionally, you can enable the Narrator cursor from the same menu so that the cursor moves as the Narrator reads your screen out loud.

How to Change Narrator’s Voice on Windows 11

The Narrator’s default voice on Windows 11 while reading the text out loud may sound robotic to you. Fortunately, Windows lets you change and adjust the Narrator’s voice to your liking.

Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type in narrator voice , and select the first result that appears.

Step 2: Use the drop-down menu next to Choose a voice to select a voice that you like.

Step 3: Under Choose a voice, you can use the sliders to adjust the narration’s Speed , Pitch , and Volume .

Additionally, you can also download natural voices for the Narrator. For that, click the Add button next to Add natural voices .

Select the voice that you wish to download and click on Install . You can also preview the voice before downloading it.

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Last updated on 17 April, 2024

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DID YOU KNOW

Pankil Shah

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides on Android, iOS, Windows, and the Web at Guiding Tech. When time permits, he also writes at MakeUseOf and Techwiser. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and continues to plan his international travels with his wife.

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Use speech-to-text in windows 10, 11 and microsoft word will write what you speak. here’s how.

With speech-to-text, you can dictate content instead of typing it manually. This is especially useful for those, who struggle with typing efficiency.

Here’s how to turn on speech-to-text

• Can I use speech-to-text in any application or window? Yes, you can use speech-to-text in any window or field that accepts text input. This includes word processing apps, Notepad, search boxes and more.
• What keyboard shortcut do I need to use for speech-to-text? The keyboard shortcut for speech-to-text on Windows is Win + H. Pressing these keys will open the speech recognition control at the top of the screen, allowing you to start dictating.

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How to Use Windows Text to Speech Feature

Press Win+Ctrl+Enter to read text aloud with Narrator

• University of Pune (India)

• Western Governors University

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• What Is Narrator?
• How to Enable Narrator
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Frequently Asked Questions

What to Know

• Press Win + Ctrl + Enter to start and stop Narrator from the keyboard.
• Or, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator . Toggle on/off Turn on Narrator .
• Use keyboard shortcuts to navigate and read the screen.

This article explains how to use the Windows 10 text-to-speech feature.

Is There a Text-to-Speech Option in Windows 10?

The Windows 10 text-to-speech option is called Narrator . It's accessible through Ease of Access settings and a keyboard shortcut.

Narrator is a screen reader designed for the visually impaired, but anyone can use it to give their eyes a rest. With the text-to-speech features, you can navigate apps and web pages. For instance, it can read entire web pages, spreadsheet tables, and describe formatting attributes like font types and font colors to help you work with any content. 

Here are some of the key features of Narrator:

• Change the voice and install other text-to-speech voices.
• Personalize the speaking rate, pitch, and volume of the voice.
• Use Narrator's scan mode to navigate apps and web pages faster with keyboard shortcuts and arrow keys.

How Do I Turn on Text-to-Speech on My Computer?

Narrator is switched off by default. The easiest way to trigger it is to press Win + Ctrl + Enter , but it's also accessible through Settings:

Select the Start button and choose Settings .

Go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator . 

Enable Narrator by toggling the button to the On position. 

You can quickly jump to the Narrator settings by pressing Win + Ctrl + N .

A Narrator dialog box will appear on the screen explaining keyboard layout changes. The blue border around the text highlights the parts read by Narrator. 

Select OK to stop the message narration and exit the dialog. Also, check the box next to Don’t show again if you don’t want the box to appear every time Narrator starts.

A welcome screen will appear when you start using Narrator for the first time. From here, you can learn how to use the screen reader and find related learning resources like the comprehensive Narrator guide available online. 

How Do I Use Text-to-Speech in Windows?

Different keyboard shortcuts are associated with navigating everything on the screen with Narrator.

The keyboard shortcuts use the Narrator modifier key, which, by default, is the Caps lock key or the Insert key. You can choose another modifier key in Narrator Settings, but no matter what you choose, you want to press-and-hold the modifier key while also pressing the other keys mentioned below.

Control Voice Playback

Here are some important Narrator shortcut keys that involve voice playback:

• Narrator + Ctrl + + to increase text-to-speech volume.
• Narrator + Ctrl + - to decrease text-to-speech volume.
• Narrator + + or Narrator + - to speed up or slow down voice playback.

Narrator can read any text on the screen. Navigate across the content with the arrow keys or use Scan Mode for more precise control over what you want to read. 

Use the Narrator modifier key with the correct shortcut to read text by page, paragraph, line, sentence, word, or character.

• Read the current page: Narrator + Ctrl + I
• Read from the current location: Narrator + Tab
• Read the current paragraph: Narrator + Ctrl + K
• Read the current line: Narrator + I
• Read the current sentence: Narrator + Ctrl + Comma
• Read the current word: Narrator + K
• Read the current character: Narrator + Comma
• Stop reading: Ctrl
• Navigate out of the content: Tab

Basic Navigation

With Tab and the arrow keys, you can jump between interactive controls like buttons, checkboxes, and links.

• To open a hyperlink on a web page, go to it with the tab and arrow keys. Then, press Enter to open the page.
• To find out more about a link, press Narrator + Ctrl + D and Narrator can tell you the page title behind the link.
• To find out more about an image, press Narrator + Ctrl + D and Narrator will read a description of the image.

Advanced Navigation With Scan Mode

Scan Mode in Narrator will help you work through page content like paragraphs using just the Up and Down Arrow keys. Turn it on or off with Caps Lock + Space and then use keyboard commands like H to jump forward through headings, B for buttons, or D for landmarks.

There are many Scan Mode commands. Refer to the Microsoft Support's Narrator Guide to learn more about them.

Narrator has an exhaustive list of commands to help navigate a screen with the help of sound and shortcuts. Remember these two keyboard shortcuts

• Narrator + F1 : Display the entire commands list.
• Narrator + F2 : Display commands for the current item.

Microsoft Support's Chapter 2: Narrator basics online guide explains the fundamentals of navigating a screen or a web page with Narrator. The complete online guide is a vital resource to learn how to use text-to-speech in Windows.

Select Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > and move the toggle to the left (off position) under Turn on Narrator . Alternatively, use the Win+Ctrl+Enter keyboard combination.

If you want to dictate text instead of typing,  turn on Windows Speech Recognition ; go to  Settings  >  Time & Language  >  Speech  >  Microphone  >  Get Started . Say, "Start listening," or press Win+H to bring up the dictation toolbar. For help using voice recognition for dictation, browse this list of  standard Windows Speech Recognition commands .

Try online text-to-audio file converters such as  VirtualSpeech  to create an MP3 file from a block of text. The Microsoft Store offers similar apps such as Any Text to Voice and Convert Text to Audio.

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Use the Speak text-to-speech feature to read text aloud

Speak is a built-in feature of Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. You can use Speak to have text read aloud in the language of your version of Office.

Text-to-speech (TTS) is the ability of your computer to play back written text as spoken words. Depending upon your configuration and installed TTS engines, you can hear most text that appears on your screen in Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. For example, if you're using the English version of Office, the English TTS engine is automatically installed. To use text-to-speech in different languages, see Using the Speak feature with Multilingual TTS .

To learn how to configure Excel for text-to-speech, see Converting text to speech in Excel .

Add Speak to the Quick Access Toolbar

You can add the Speak command to your Quick Access Toolbar by doing the following in Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote:

Next to the Quick Access Toolbar, click Customize Quick Access Toolbar .

Click More Commands .

In the Choose commands from list, select All Commands .

Scroll down to the Speak command, select it, and then click Add .

Use Speak to read text aloud

After you have added the Speak command to your Quick Access Toolbar, you can hear single words or blocks of text read aloud by selecting the text you want to hear and then clicking the Speak icon on the Quick Access Toolbar.

Listen to your Word documents with Read Aloud

Listen to your Outlook email messages with Read Aloud

Converting text to speech in Excel

Dictate text using Speech Recognition

Learning Tools in Word

Hear text read aloud with Narrator

Using the Save as Daisy add-in for Word

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