1. Best Voice-recognition Software For Dyslexics
2. Best Voice Recognition Software Android
3. Best Voice Recognition Software For Mac 2019

1. Shop Best Buy for Dragon Naturally Speaking and Dragon Dictate software for your Mac or Windows PC. Shop voice recognition software options available at Best Buy.
2. Discover the best Voice Recognition in Best Sellers. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Software Best Sellers.
3. Apple Dictation is one of the best speech to text software that uses Siri’s servers in order to dictate your voice on a sheet. The best part is that it has an enhanced dictation feature which allows you to create long content by just using your voice.

Why spend hours typing when you can dictate texts in less than half the time? Speech recognition technology can save you time, money and stress so we’ve taken a look at the very best dictation software for Mac in 2019.

Castel Detect is speech recognition software, and includes features such as blended call center, call logging, call recording, call scripting, campaign management, escalation management, inbound call center, IVR / voice recognition, knowledge base, live chat, manual dialer, outbound call center, predictive dialer, progressive dialer, queue manager, virtual call center, Reporting/Analytics, and real-time chat. Discover the best Voice Recognition in Best Sellers. Find the top 100 most popular items in Amazon Software Best Sellers.

The average person can type anything up to 1000 words in a half hour. Most people can speak however up to 4000 words in the same time period – that equals a massive potential increase in your productivity especially if you’re having to tediously document business operations.

Dictating rather than typing not only drives document productivity, it’s also safer for you.

Excessive typing is one of the most common reasons for repetitive strain injury on hands and the more we type on both keyboards and mobile phones, the bigger the problem is getting. Other keyboard related injuries on the rise include Tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Quadriplegia.

If your career or work depends on your ability to type, this is a compelling reason enough to start enjoying the benefits of dictation.

Other reasons to use dictation tools include:

• You can note down things hands free (for example when cooking, eating, doing the laundry etc).
• You think much faster than you can type which means you can get a lot more down on paper in half the time.
• It prevents you forgetting ideas that you meant to type out later.
• It’s a good way for creative writers to get all their ideas down on paper without editing along the way.
• It’s more confidential than dictating notes to a secretary or colleague.
• Dictating cuts down on scribbled notes on pieces of paper if you want to go paperless in your office or home.

Dictation Software On Mac In 2019

Unfortunately even in 2019, the market for desktop dictation software for Mac is extremely small.

For years the leading solution has been Dragon Dictate Professional for Mac but the developer Nuance dropped a bombshell in October 2018 that it was discontinuing the product.

Dragon Dictate Professional still delivers by far the best voice recognition in the industry. Dragon products use unique Deep Learning technology that actually learn your accent and speaking style to deliver accuracy rates of up to 99%.

There’s simply nothing that comes close in the world of voice recognition software and so we’re still recommending Dragon Dictate Professional but by installing Windows on your Mac and running it using Parallels.

In fact, one of the World’s leading Dragon Dictate teachers recommends using the Windows version of Dragon on Mac anyway. The main reason is the Windows version has always been better than the Mac version anyway with more features,

The best desktop alternative to Dragon Dictate for Mac is now Apple’s Dictation tool in macOS but it comes a distant second. This doesn’t deliver anything like the same results as Dragon but it’s free, works on your Mac desktop and doesn’t require an internet connection to use.

There are also a few web-based voice recognition software that Mac users can use but they require a permanent internet connection in order to work. We have therefore also covered the best online voice-to-text recognition apps that Mac users can use in this article too.

So whether you’re a business report writer, lawyer, secretary, author, journalist, technical writer, medical professional or anyone that finds themselves stuck in front of a keyboard more than they should, you’ll find speech-to-text software here that saves you valuable time and fits your budget.

Best Voice-recognition Software For Dyslexics

Here then is our selection of the best voice recognition software for Mac in order of ranking.

1. Dragon Professional Individual

The reason Dragon Professional Individual is our number one pick is the amazing accuracy and sophistication it offers compared to any other solution.

When it comes to voice recognition, Dragon’s dictation products are by far the best on the market. Dragon Professional Individual For Mac offers accuracy of up to 99% and while you won’t always achieve this, the accuracy is truly impressive.

The difference between Dragon Professional and most voice recognition software is that it can actually learn to recognize your voice. As it becomes more familiar with your accent and speaking style, it interprets your voice remarkably accurately. Other dictation apps simply don’t feature this level of Deep Learning sophistication or accuracy.

Dragon Professional is ideal for office environments as it’s optimized for reducing background noise such as in cubicles. It also has Smart Format Rules which understand how you want phone numbers, dates, abbreviations and other data to appear.

Another nice touch is that you can import audio clips from a device such as your iPhone and Dragon Professional will transcribe it into text. The accuracy isn’t quite as good as live dictation but it’s a lot faster than typing it out. This is especially useful for journalists who have to record and transcribe long interviews.

Dragon Dictate Professional also works in many word processors on Mac including Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, Scrivener and more.

The downside is that, as mentioned earlier, Dragon decided in late 2018 to discontinue the Mac version. However, it’s still easy to run it on a Mac simply by installing Windows in macOS.

There are various ways to run Windows in macOS but the easiest and most reliable by far is by using Parallels. Parallels allows you to run macOS and Windows at the same time so that you can switch between the two with ease.

You then simply install the Windows version of Dragon Professional within your Windows environment and you can use it anytime on your Mac.

This is actually a better solution than using the Mac version anyway because the Windows version gives you slightly more control when tweaking and refining texts compared to on Mac.

Note that you can choose between installing the Home Edition and Professional Edition but we strongly recommend going with Dragon Professional Edition, not least because it allows you to dictate in Microsoft Office and other apps.

You can also watch Dragon Dictate Professional in action below.

2. Apple Dictation

Dictation is Apple’s own dictation software (and the equivalent of WSR – Windows Speech Recognition) that has been a feature on Macs since macOS Sierra. However, by default it’s only suitable for dictations of 30 seconds or less but you can turn-on Enhanced Dictation for unlimited transcriptions.

To activate Dictation, simply go to the Apple () logo in the top left of your screen > System Preferences > Dictation & Speech.

What we like about Dictation on macOS is that when you activate Enhanced Dictation, you can dictate offline without being connected to the internet. Be aware though that this requires 422MB of disk space to download some additional tools before it can work on your Mac.

You then simply configure a language and hotkey to start dictation or you can even activate it with a keyword. You can use this to start dictation in any application.

Dictation works with any app including Office applications (although not Google Docs which has its own voice recognition feature – see below).

What we like is that the voice controlled formatting commands are quite extensive and you can even create your own customized commands.

Apple Dictation supports 31 languages including English, Arabic, Chinese and Spanish.

The accuracy of macOS Dictation is surprisingly accurate although you won’t get the same results as professional software like Dragon Dictate.

If you’re looking for a free desktop dictation tool on your Mac, Apple Dictate is definitely worth trying.

3. Google Docs Voice Typing

Not many people are aware that Google Docs has a surprisingly powerful voice recognition engine which not only transcribes speech to text but also allows you to change the formatting of documents with voice commands.

In any Google Doc, simply go to Tools > Voice typing… and click on the microphone that appears to start transcribing.

Best Voice Recognition Software Android

Google Docs Voice Typing is pretty accurate for a free online text-to-speech tool. Arguably the most impressive thing though is the an extensive list of commands for formatting text.

You can simply say things like “go to end of paragraph” or “create bulleted list” to perform formatting actions. Note however that formatting commands are only available in English but the voice engine recognizes 43 languages.

The one downside is that it won’t work in Safari or Firefox – it only works in the Google Chrome browser.

4. Speechnotes

Speechnotes is a cheap and cheerful online speech-to-text service which works in Google Chrome and on Android devices. Speechnotes actually uses Google’s own voice recognition engine so it’s basically just an enhanced version of Google Docs Voice Typing tool.

There’s also a Speechnotes Chrome extension which allows you to voice type directly into any website including Gmail, WordPress and most other text fields.

Speechnotes claims to be a free alternative to Dragon Naturally Speaking and although the accuracy can’t really compare with Dragons products, it’s pretty good. Unlike Dragon Dictate, Speechnotes also can’t be used to voice control your Mac either.

Speechless gives you the advantages of Google’s voice recognition engine but with the added advantage of things like an Android app although there’s no iPhone app.

Other Dictation App Options For Mac Users

One other option which may be of interest to Mac users is Rev. Rev is an iPhone dictation app which uses real humans to transcribe recordings. Rev isn’t cheap as it charges per word but it’s extremely accurate because the audio is being listened to and transcribed by an actual person instead of a voice recognition engine.

Rev is only available as an iPhone or Android app though. There’s no Mac app though and it doesn’t work in a browser.

Another option is Braina. Braina is both a Siri style personal assistant and dictation app although it only works on Windows, iOS and Android. However, if you install Windows on your Mac, you could run the Windows version on it.

Can You Use Siri To Dictate On Mac?

You can’t use Siri for dictation on a Mac but you can use it to compose short messages like emails and texts on macOS. However, you can ask Siri to turn on Apple Dictation for you.

Siri is designed as a personal assistant to launch apps, answer questions and generally speed-up your workflow on a Mac rather than dictation. Apple’s Dictation tool (see number 2 above) is the dictation equivalent of Siri on a Mac.

Dictation Microphones To Enhance Recognition

The in-built microphone on Macs is good but you’ll definitely get better results by using an external microphone or dictation headset.

The software installer includes 156 files and is usually about 492.15 KB (503,961 bytes). Scansoft paperport 11se software download. The main program executable is ImgPrnMigrate.exe.

External mics and headsets not only pick up your voice better because the microphone is closer to your mouth, but they’re better at reducing background noise.

You’ve got three different options when it comes to dictation devices: Wired Headsets, Wireless Headsets and Desktop Microphones.

The best option for you obviously depends on whether you want to wear something on your head, walk around, or just speak into a mic next to your Mac.

A good Wired Headset for dictation is the AAAPrice noise cancelling USB headset which is optimized for Dragon Dictate although works with any dictation software.

If you like to walk around, buy a Wireless Headset but just be careful with the range as it can vary wildly depending on the model. One of the best we’ve seen is the Logitech Wireless Headset which has an impressive Bluetooth range of up to 300 feet.

If you prefer not to wear something, Microphones deliver just as good results although you may find yourself craning over the desktop ones more than sitting up straight like you can with a headset. Dictation microphones vary in price with basic ones like the FIFINE USB microphone going for around $20 ranging up to the professional handheld Nuance PowerMic microphone costing over $200.

Useful Tips On Dictation

Dictation in itself can be a strange experience if you’ve never done it before. It can feel strange at first talking to a computer and hearing the sound of your own voice constantly. There’s a few other things to be aware of specifically related to the way dictation software works too.

• The most important thing in any dictation app is how accurate it is at recognizing your voice. You will inevitably have a certain amount of correction to do whichever app you choose but the more accurate it is, the less errors you’ll have to correct. Most apps require you to do a certain amount of speaking first before using it so it can familiarize itself with your voice and accent.
• All dictation apps have their own commands and way of working. Some definitely feel easier to use than others and once you get used to the way one works, it’s a pain to switch software at a later date.
• Dictation obviously limits when and where you can work. If you’re in a public space such as on a train or even in an open plan office, it’s less private to dictate not to mention more complicated due to background noise.
• You’ll make more mistakes constructing sentences dictating rather than typing. On a keyboard, you have more time to think, go back and revise, delete etc. It’s harder to formulate sentences perfectly thinking off the top of your head but the advantage is your output is more “uncensored”.
• Try to avoid filler words like “erm”, “so.” and “OK” because editing these out later is a real pain. It’s actually much harder than you think to avoid filler words as it’s such a natural part of most people’s speech. Try to just take a pause or be silent instead while you think what you’re going to say next. To help avoid filler words, before you start dictating, have a rough plan of what you’re going to say.

These are the best voice recognition tools available for Mac users. As you can see, the options are very limited by without doubt, Dragon Dictate Professional still leads by a mile.

If you have any thoughts, experiences or suggestions regarding them, leave them in the comments below.

If you want other ideas to speed up your workflow, you may also find our look at the best OCR scanning and PDF conversion software for Mac useful too as they save valuable time retyping text locked in PDFs, images , newspapers and other documents.

Best voice recognition software

Read on for our detailed analysis of each app

Voice recognition is a technology that has definitely come of age over the past decade.

With everything from Siri and Alexa now available as audio assistants, the ability for computers to accurately recognize and represent speech has now become an everyday reality.

Voice-to-text and text-to-speech applications have become common in the mobile app space, but for desktops there's surprisingly limited competition in the market.

This is a shame as this is one of the key areas where voice recognition can really develop, especially in a age where accessibility is key to an increasing number of people. And while voice recognition may be seen as a technology for those with additional needs, the truth is that when it works well it can be so much of a time saver, especially when it comes to typing up documents.

And because there's little need to wrestle with a QWERTY keyword, voice recognition software can be used to help prevent either the occurrence or development of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, which can otherwise be debilitating to those who have to do large volumes of typing.

While voice recognition isn't yet perfect, the amount of time required to train the software to both recognize and work accurately with your voice is very much reduced these days.

So if you're looking for voice recognition software, take a look at the best that we've featured below.

• We’ve picked out the best free software for small businesses

• Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line.

1. Dragon

Best Voice Recognition Software For Mac 2019

Platforms: Windows, Mac Features: Voice commands, dictation, transcription

Dragon has long been regarded as ruling the roost when it comes to speech recognition on the PC, with a long line of quality products which work at a high standard. This is not least because of the ‘deep learning’ technology which helps the dictation software achieve greater levels of accuracy the more you use it, learning common words and phrases that you employ, and also adapting to background noise or your accent.

The latest Dragon speech recognition software has a higher baseline accuracy right out of the box, as well. Overall, we found it noticeably more accurate and responsive than older versions.

This software provides full dictation capabilities, as well as voice commands to control your PC (to open programs, navigate web pages and so forth – and note that you can dictate wherever you want, for example, in Gmail in your browser). It’s also built to work with touchscreen devices as required. All of this is included in the Dragon Home edition, which retails at $150.

Additional features are available with the Dragon Professional Individual upgrade, including the ability to create boilerplate forms or email signatures which can be inserted into a document with a single command. There’s also a transcription facility which can analyze an audio clip, podcast or similar, turning it into text. Furthermore, there are advanced custom command options available, plus the ability to synchronize your work with Android or iOS devices.

Dragon Professional Individual retails at $300, but there is also an enterprise package available for business groups which includes all these capabilities and makes them available for multiple users, along with additional integration features.

2. Dragon Anywhere

Benefit from dictation capabilities wherever you may be

Platforms: Android, iOS Features: Dictation, sync with Dragon Professional and cloud services

Dragon Anywhere is the mobile product for Android and iOS devices, however this is no ‘lite’ app, but rather offers fully-formed dictation capabilities powered via the cloud.

So essentially you get the same excellent speech recognition as seen on the desktop software – the only meaningful difference we noticed was a very slight delay in our spoken words appearing on the screen (doubtless due to processing in the cloud). However, note that the app was still responsive enough overall.

It also boasts support for boilerplate chunks of text which can be set up and inserted into a document with a simple command, and these, along with custom vocabularies, are synced across the mobile app and desktop Dragon software. Furthermore, you can share documents across devices via Evernote or cloud services (such as Dropbox).

This isn’t as flexible as the desktop application, however, as dictation is limited to within Dragon Anywhere – you can’t dictate directly in another app (although you can copy over text from the Dragon Anywhere dictation pad to a third-party app). The other caveats are the need for an internet connection for the app to work (due to its cloud-powered nature), and the fact that it’s a subscription offering with no one-off purchase option, which might not be to everyone’s tastes.

Even bearing in mind these limitations, though, it’s a definite boon to have fully-fledged, powerful voice recognition of the same sterling quality as the desktop software, nestling on your phone or tablet for when you’re away from the office.

Nuance Communications offers a 7-day free trial to give the app a whirl before you commit to a subscription.

3. Google Docs Voice Typing

A nifty freebie nestling within G Suite

Platforms: Chrome browser, Android, iOS Features: Dictation

Google has a free speech recognition facility built right into Google Docs (the word processor in G Suite).

The strength with Google’s voice solution is that it’s actually surprisingly accurate, particularly considering this is a freebie offering. If you’re happy using G Suite and want something for casual dictation which will cost you absolutely nothing, this is a great option to have.

However there is a caveat here, namely that you have to be using Google’s Chrome browser for voice to be supported on your desktop PC (Voice Typing can also be used with some Android and iOS devices).

Also note that this is purely for speech dictation within Google Docs, and the system doesn’t offer the likes of voice commands for the desktop. It’s all about dictating text, and issuing commands regarding formatting your document, but nothing outside that.

You can fire up the voice capability within Google Docs (remember, you have to be using the Chrome browser) by clicking on the Tools menu and then selecting Voice Typing.

4. Braina Pro

A virtual assistant for your PC

Platforms: Windows XP-10 Features: Voice commands, dictation, AI assistant, Android app for remote control of PC

Braina is speech recognition software which is built not just for dictation, but also as an all-round digital assistant to help you achieve various tasks on your PC. It supports dictation to third-party software in not just English but almost 90 different languages, with impressive voice recognition chops.

Beyond that, it’s a virtual assistant that can be instructed to set alarms, search your PC for a file, or search the internet, play an MP3 file, read an ebook aloud, plus you can implement various custom commands.

The Windows program also has a companion Android app which can remotely control your PC, and use the local Wi-Fi network to deliver commands to your computer, so you can spark up a music playlist, for example, wherever you happen to be in the house. Nifty.

There’s a free version of Braina which comes with limited functionality, but includes all the basic PC commands, along with a 7-day trial of the speech recognition which allows you to test out its powers for yourself before you commit to a subscription. Yes, this is another subscription-only product with no option to purchase for a one-off fee. Also note that you need to be online and have Google’s Chrome browser installed for speech recognition functionality to work.

5. Windows 10 Speech Recognition

Microsoft’s desktop OS has fully integrated voice recognition

Platforms: Windows 10 Features: Voice commands, dictation

If you don’t want to pay for speech recognition software, and you’re running Microsoft’s latest desktop OS, then you might be pleased to hear that Windows 10 actually has some very solid voice recognition abilities built right into the operating system.

Windows Speech Recognition, as it’s imaginatively named – and note that this is something different to Cortana, which offers basic commands and assistant capabilities – lets you not only execute commands via voice control, but also offers the ability to dictate into documents.

The sort of accuracy you get isn’t comparable with that offered by the likes of Dragon, but then again, you’re paying nothing to use it. It’s also possible to improve the accuracy by training the system by reading text, and giving it access to your documents to better learn your vocabulary. It’s definitely worth indulging in some training, particularly if you intend to use the voice recognition feature a fair bit.

This speech recognition capability is actually in previous versions of Windows as well, although Microsoft has honed it more with the latest OS. The company has been busy boasting about its advances in terms of voice recognition powered by deep neural networks, and Microsoft is certainly priming us to expect impressive things in the future. The likely end-goal aim is for Cortana to do everything eventually, from voice commands to taking dictation.

Turn on Windows Speech Recognition by heading to the Control Panel (search for it, or right click the Start button and select it), then click on Ease of Access, and you will see the option to ‘start speech recognition’ (you’ll also spot the option to set up a microphone here, if you haven’t already done that).

• Maybe you’ll use voice recognition with one of our best business laptops