How to write emails by voice instead of typing
You can speak an email and watch it appear as text. Every Windows PC, Mac, iPhone and Android phone can already do it, with no extra software. Here is how on each one.
Windows: click in the email and press Windows key + H, then talk. Outlook: click Dictate on the Message tab. Mac: turn on Dictation in System Settings › Keyboard, then use the Dictation shortcut. iPhone and Android: tap the microphone on the keyboard. Say "period", "comma" and "new line" for punctuation.
Windows PC (works in Gmail, Outlook and any website)
- Click in the email where you want the text.
- Press the Windows key + H. A small voice typing box appears.
- Talk normally. The words appear as you speak.
- Press Windows key + H again, or say "stop listening", to finish.
This works on Windows 10 and 11 and needs an internet connection and a microphone (most laptops have one built in). Because it works in any text box, it is the easiest way to dictate in Gmail on a computer, which has no dictation button of its own.
Outlook's Dictate button
In Outlook for Microsoft 365, new Outlook, Outlook.com and Outlook on the web, click in the body of your email, then click Dictate on the Message tab and start talking. Click the microphone again to stop.
Mac
- Turn it on: System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation.
- Click in your email and start dictation with the microphone (Dictation) key or the shortcut shown in those settings, such as pressing Fn twice.
- Speak. Dictation stops by itself after about 30 seconds of silence.
Recent Macs add commas, periods and question marks automatically while you talk.
iPhone and iPad
In any email, tap the microphone on the keyboard and speak. Tap it again to stop. You can keep typing while dictation is on, and fix words by tapping them.
Android
With the Gboard keyboard, tap the microphone at the top of the keyboard, wait for "Speak now", and talk. Gboard understands "period", "comma", "question mark", "exclamation point", "new line" and "new paragraph".
Words that add punctuation
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| "period" or "full stop" | . |
| "comma" | , |
| "question mark" | ? |
| "exclamation point" | ! |
| "new line" | A line break |
| "new paragraph" | A blank line and a new paragraph |
Supported words vary slightly between Windows, Apple and Android, and by language.
Tips for dictating emails
- Always proofread. Names, numbers, email addresses and words that sound alike come out wrong most often.
- Dictate somewhere quiet, close to the microphone.
- Speak in full sentences at a normal pace; it is more accurate than slow, single words.
- Type the tricky parts, such as web addresses and account numbers.
- Tidy it up after. Spoken emails tend to ramble; see how to write an email for a quick structure.
Questions people ask
- Can I dictate in Gmail?
- Gmail on a computer has no dictation button of its own, but Windows voice typing (Windows key + H) and Mac dictation work in it. On phones, use the keyboard microphone.
- Is voice typing free?
- Yes. Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android dictation are built in at no cost.
- Does voice typing need the internet?
- Windows voice typing does. Many recent phones and Macs can dictate some languages offline.
Sending one email to a whole list? Check the addresses first with Veml, which removes bad and risky emails before you hit send. (Veml and EmailNa have the same owner.)