AI voice dictation: talk instead of typing at work

In brief

Start with the dictation already on your computer: Windows key + H on a PC, the Microphone key or the Edit menu on a Mac, the Dictate button in Word. If you dictate every day, an AI dictation tool such as Wispr Flow or Typeless writes punctuated text, without the filler words, in all your apps; Superwhisper can do it offline. Always check names and numbers before you send.

What dictation changes at work

You speak faster than you type. A follow-up email, notes from a customer meeting as you walk out, the ideas for a memo: you say them, and the text appears where your cursor is. You review, you fix, you send.

There are two kinds of tools. The dictation built into Windows, the Mac, and Word, with nothing to install. And AI dictation tools, which remove the “ums” and repetitions, add punctuation, and work in all your apps, from your inbox to the ChatGPT message box.

Start with what you already have

On a Windows PC

Put your cursor in a text box, then press Windows key + H. Speak. To stop, select the microphone button again. You need an internet connection and a working microphone. Dictation follows the active input language: switch it with Windows key + Spacebar.

On a Mac

Apple menu, System Settings, Keyboard, then turn on Dictation. To dictate: the Microphone key if your keyboard has one, the shortcut chosen in those settings, or Edit, Start Dictation. On a Mac with Apple silicon, dictating everyday text is processed on the device in many languages, with no internet connection. It stops on its own after 30 seconds of silence.

In Word

Home tab, Dictate button. The feature is for Microsoft 365 subscribers only. In its settings, automatic punctuation turns on where it is available for your language; you can also say “comma” or “question mark.” On a Mac, the shortcut is Option + F1.

AI dictation tools, side by side

They go further than built-in dictation: clean text, in all your apps, with a dictionary for your customers’ names. Plans come from Nova’s tool pages, checked on October 12, 2026 on the vendors’ pages.

Tool	What it does with your voice	Without paying	Paid plan	Offline
Wispr Flow	Punctuated text, without the “ums,” where your cursor is. Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android	2,000 words per week on a computer, 1,000 on a phone	Pro, $15 per month ($12 billed yearly)	No: your voice always goes to its servers
Typeless	Removes hesitations, keeps your mid-sentence corrections, turns lists into bullet points. Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android	A weekly word limit the vendor does not publish	Pro, $12 per month billed yearly ($30 month to month)	No: servers in the United States, audio deleted right away
Superwhisper	One mode per situation: message, email, note, or your exact words. Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android	Unlimited dictation with the Whisper models, on the device	Pro, $8.49 per month	Yes, with a “Local” model
MacWhisper	Dictation in all your apps, on Mac only	File transcription only	Pro, €64, paid once	Yes: processing happens on the Mac

The Wispr Flow and Superwhisper apps are in English, and their dictation also supports many other languages. MacWhisper publishes its price in euros.

Which one to choose

You write a lot of emails and messages: Wispr Flow, Nova’s pick for talking instead of typing. You hold a key (Fn on Mac, Ctrl + Windows on a PC), you speak, and punctuated text appears. The 2,000 free words per week cover a few emails a day; go Pro the day you hit the limit before Friday.
You think out loud and correct yourself: Typeless. Say “meeting Tuesday, no, Wednesday at 10” and it keeps the last version. It can also write directly in another language while you speak.
Nothing can leave your computer: Superwhisper, with a “Local” model downloaded once: your voice is transcribed on the spot, even on a train. Allow fifteen minutes to set it up.
You are on a Mac and also want to transcribe recordings: MacWhisper. The free version transcribes your files; the Pro license, paid once, adds dictation, in the version downloaded from macwhisper.com.

The difference between dictating and transcribing: dictation listens to your microphone, live. For a recording you already have, a meeting or an interview, see AI for meetings.

Dictate well, in five steps

Start with built-in dictation or a free plan for a week: you will see whether dictating becomes a habit.
On day one, add the ten names you type most to the dictionary: customers, colleagues, products, in-house acronyms.
Talk as you would to a colleague, one sentence at a time. No need to find the perfect wording: the tool removes the hesitations.
For a long text, dictate your ideas as they come, then ask an assistant to shape them (prompt below).
Review before you send: a misheard name, number, or negative changes the meaning.

The prompt to copy, after dictating your notes into ChatGPT, Claude, or another assistant: “Here are my notes, dictated as they came after a meeting. Turn them into meeting notes: the context, what was decided, and the next steps with who and when. Do not add anything that is not in my notes.”

For more requests like this one, see how to write a good prompt and AI for email.

Your voice, your data

A dictation often contains customer names and figures. Depending on the tool, your voice stays on your computer or goes to servers.

On the device: Superwhisper with a “Local” model, MacWhisper, and Mac dictation on Apple silicon for everyday text.
On servers: Wispr Flow (in “Settings,” “Data and Privacy,” turn off “Improve the model for everyone” so your dictations are not used to improve it); Typeless, which says the audio is deleted as soon as the text comes back to you and is never used to train AI; and Windows dictation, which needs an internet connection.

For a medical file, a contract, or a personnel matter, choose a tool that works on the device, or follow your company’s rule. See what not to share with AI at work.

What Nova brings

Nova is subscription software that shows what these tools do in your job: sales representative, construction manager, real estate agent, or lawyer. You will find the up-to-date page for each dictation tool, with its check date, and demos to recreate step by step, prompt included. For the whole team: AI training for employees. Try the interactive demo.

Frequently asked questions

How do you dictate text on a computer?

On a Windows PC, put your cursor in a text box and press Windows key + H. On a Mac, turn on Dictation in System Settings, Keyboard, then press the Microphone key or choose Edit, Start Dictation. In Word, with Microsoft 365: Home tab, Dictate button.

Is voice dictation free?

Windows and Mac dictation are built into the system. AI dictation tools have a free plan: Wispr Flow up to 2,000 words per week on a computer, Superwhisper with no limit using its on-device models, Typeless with a weekly word limit. Plans checked on October 12, 2026.

Can you dictate without an internet connection?

Yes with Superwhisper and a “Local” model, with MacWhisper, and with Mac dictation on Apple silicon for everyday text. Windows dictation, Wispr Flow, and Typeless need a connection: your voice is processed on servers.

Does dictation handle other languages?

Yes, for the AI dictation tools in this guide, which all list many languages. Their apps are often in English only: that is the case for Wispr Flow and Superwhisper, and Wispr Flow’s writing styles only apply to English. Add your proper names and acronyms to the dictionary to avoid mistakes.

What is the difference between dictating and transcribing?

Dictating means speaking to write, live, into the field of your choice. Transcribing means getting the text out of an existing recording. Wispr Flow only listens to your microphone, live; the free version of MacWhisper transcribes your files, and Superwhisper does it with Pro.

Can you dictate to ChatGPT?

Yes: in the ChatGPT desktop app, Ctrl + Shift + D on Windows (⌃ + ⇧ + D on Mac) starts dictating your request. A tool like Wispr Flow or Typeless also writes into the message box of any assistant. Dictate your ideas as they come, then ask for a format: an email, meeting notes, a list of actions.

Sources

Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC, Microsoft, support
Dictate your documents in Word, Microsoft, support
Dictate messages and documents on Mac, Apple, support
Wispr Flow pricing, Wispr
Data controls, Wispr
Typeless pricing, Typeless
Privacy, Typeless
Superwhisper, SuperUltra
Sensitive data, Superwhisper, documentation
MacWhisper, MacWhisper

AI voice dictation: talk instead of typing