Voice to text

How to convert voice to text

There are two different jobs hiding behind "voice to text": writing something new by talking, and turning a recording you already have into text. They need different tools.

The short answerTo write something new by voice, use the dictation built into your phone or Google Docs (Tools, Voice typing). To convert a recording you already have - a voice memo, a call, a meeting, a voice note - upload it to a transcription service such as SpeakToWords, which returns a punctuated, timestamped transcript in a few minutes.
Transcribe a file free See plans 15 free minutes, no card. 50+ languages. Files up to 500 MB.

How it works

  1. Find the recordingA voice memo, a WhatsApp or Telegram voice note, a call recording or a video - any common audio or video format.
  2. Upload itDrop it into SpeakToWords; the language is detected automatically, or pick it.
  3. Read, fix, copyEdit any line while it plays, then copy the text or download it.

Dictation versus transcription

Dictation listens live and types as you speak. It is ideal for drafting a message or a document, and poor at recordings: you would have to play the audio into a microphone in real time, and it stumbles on pauses and other voices.

Transcription takes a finished file and processes the whole thing at once, which is faster than the recording itself and far more accurate on real-world audio. If the words are already recorded, transcribe; if they are still in your head, dictate.

On a phone

iPhone Voice Memos and Android recorders save files you can share straight to a browser upload. Voice notes from messaging apps can be exported or forwarded as files - see WhatsApp voice messages to text.

Pricing

A free account transcribes 15 minutes with no card and shows the opening of each transcript; the full text unlocks with the 7-day trial or a plan from €9.99 a month for 500 minutes (€4.00 for 3 months until 6 December).

Questions

Is it free?

A free account transcribes 15 minutes with no card and shows the opening of each transcript; the full text unlocks with the 7-day trial or a plan from €9.99 a month for 500 minutes (€4.00 for 3 months until 6 December).

How accurate is it?

On clear speech, upwards of 99% of words come back right, punctuated and with a timestamp on every line. Background music, people talking over each other, strong accents and unusual names cost accuracy; the editor plays the audio from any line so you can fix those quickly.

Does it label who is speaking?

Not yet. Every line carries the second it was said, so you can jump to it and listen, and add names in the editor. If speaker labels are essential, see the comparison pages for tools that offer them.

What happens to my file?

It is processed for you only, encrypted in transit, and never used to train anything.

Related

Try it on your own recording

A free account transcribes 15 minutes with no card and shows the opening of each transcript; the full text unlocks with the 7-day trial or a plan from €9.99 a month for 500 minutes (€4.00 for 3 months until 6 December).

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