At the time we already did a review about the small interesting details of Windows 11 that make the difference with respect to previous versions of this Microsoft operating system, and today we want to focus specifically on one of these characteristics. If you just updated your operating system, you probably enable and use voice typing in Windows 11 It will be very useful for you.
The first thing to say about it is that, despite what most people might believe, this is a feature that works really well, not like other voice dictations that we know of.
This recognition is precise and always acts according to the indications given..
Enable voice typing in Windows 11
At the moment of truth, there are two different mechanisms through which we will be able to take advantage of voice dictation in Windows 11. The first of them has to do with the tool incorporated by Microsoft for this, and the second with the solutions that the same people from Redmond give us but not for all Windows 11, but specifically for their Office application suite. There are even some commands that you should know.
With Windows 11’s built-in voice typing tool
The Native Speech Typing Tool in Windows 11 is a system-wide utility, and we think it covers the best alternative when trying to give directions to a computer in this way.
Before starting, keep in mind that you will always need a stable Internet connection for this.
With this clarification, when you see a text field you must invoke the voice writing toolbar, and you will be able to start with that dictation, thus avoiding having to write everything yourself.
- Simultaneously press the Windows + H keys to enable voice typing in Windows 11
- Click on the Microphone button to start talking, and test its general operation
- Indicates the different sentences of the final text, being precise in terms of its punctuation
- If you notice problems, check in Settings, Time and language, Voice, that the language is correct
If you want the Voice Typing Launcher always active, so that it runs every time you click on a text field, you have the ability to go to Settings, in the Voice Typing overlay, and mark it as activated via the «Voice dictation launcher» lever. It could save you a lot of time.
With solutions for the Office suite
As we had said before, one of the doubts about Windows 11 was if it also has wizards of voice dictation for the Office suite. Luckily, they have incorporated these essential tools.
Office applications come with the option “Dictate”, and it works in a similar way to what we described above, with full support for automatic scoring. It even works on Windows 10 too.
Another advantage is that those who use the free Office portal will still be able to take advantage of Microsoft’s voice services, so there are almost no limitations in this regard. There are small, almost imperceptible differences.
Finally, it is important not to confuse this feature with the Transcribe function in Word, which is different and is available only to paid users. Both concepts are often misunderstood.
To use voice typing within the Office applications on your Windows 11 PC, you first have to open any of these applications, such as Word or PowerPoint. In the upper right corner you will find the option «Dictate», present both in the downloaded programs and in its web portal, and you must click on it.
Once you have done it, you press on the «Microphone» button and you start talking without problems.
From Settings you can activate automatic scoring and other customizations that interest you.
Dictation and punctuation commands for better voice typing
Before concluding, and as to give you an idea of the potential of voice dictation in Windows 11, we want to go over some of the dictation and punctuation commands for better voice typing:
| To do this | Di This |
|---|---|
| Clear a selection | Clear selection; deselect that |
| Delete the most recent dictation result or currently selected text | Delete that; hit that |
| Delete a text unit, such as the current word | Delete word |
| Move the cursor to the first character after a specified word or phrase | Go after that; move after word; go to the end of the paragraph; move to the end of it |
| Move the cursor to the end of a text unit | Go after the word; move after word; go to the end of that; go to the end of the paragraph |
| Move the cursor back in a text unit | Go back to the previous word; go to the previous paragraph |
| Move the cursor to the first character before a specified word or phrase | Go to the beginning of the word |
| Move the cursor to the start of a text unit | Go before that; move to the start of that |
| Moves the cursor to the next unit of text. | Advance to the next word; go to the next paragraph |
| Moves the cursor to the end of a text unit. | Go to the end of the word; go to the end of the paragraph |
| Enter one of the following keys: Tab, Enter, End, Home, Page Up, Page Up, Back, Delete | Touch Enter; press Backspace |
| Select a specific word or phrase | Select word |
| Select the most recent dictation result | Select that |
| Select a text unit | Select the next three words; select the two previous paragraphs |
| Turn spelling mode on and off | Start spelling; stop spelling |
Over time, it is very likely that the number of dictation and punctuation commands for better voice typing will go multiplying in each language, which will give us even more versatility in its use.
