AI has a long way to go but writing with your voice is getting a lot easier! You might already be dictating some text or chat messages, but there’s a lot more that can be done when it comes to dictating for your work!
As someone who uses voice dictation quite frequently to help with writing reports for clients (I am a typing ninja but these poor fingers need a break sometimes!), I’ve been testing dictation alot over the last couple of years, and this year they have come along in leaps and bounds.
Here’s some information on how you can get started and some of the commands worth knowing!
For Word users: Open a new or existing document and go to Home > Dictate while signed into Microsoft 365 and a device that has a microphone. Wait for the dictate button to turn on and start listening before you start to talk.
For Outlook users: Start or reply to an email message, select the body of the message, then go to the Message tab and select Dictate. Wait for the dictate button to turn on and start listening beore you talk.
For Google Docs users: Open a Google Doc, click Tools then Voice Typing. When you are ready to speak, click the microphone box that appears. When you are done, click the microphone box again.
Handy commands! Depending on your operating system, software, versions, etc., some of these commands may or may not work.
Basic Commands
- “New Line”: This command will move the cursor to the next line.
- “New Paragraph”: This command starts a new paragraph.
- “Delete”: This command removes the last word that was dictated.
- “Go to” or ‘Go after”: This command will move the cursor before or after that word.
Editing Commands
- “Select word or phrase”: This command highlights a specific word or phrase.
- “Cut That”: This command cuts the selected text.
- “Copy That”: This command copies the selected text.
- “Paste That”: This command pastes the copied text.
Formatting Commands
- “Bold word or phrase”: This command makes a specific word or phrase bold.
- “Italicize word or phrase”: This command italicizes a specific word or phrase.
- “Underline word or phrase”: This command underlines a specific word or phrase.
Navigation Commands
- “Go to End”: This command moves the cursor to the end of the document.
- “Go to Start”: This command moves the cursor to the start of the document.
- “Scroll Down”: This command scrolls down the page.
- “Scroll Up”: This command scrolls up the page.
Punctuation Commands
- “Period”: This command inserts a period.
- “Comma”: This command inserts a comma.
- “Question Mark”: This command inserts a question mark.
- “Exclamation Point”: This command inserts an exclamation point.
- To insert a word that’s also punctuation, such as “comma” or “period,” say “literal comma” or “literal period.”
Other Handy Tips
- To correct the last thing you said, say “Correct that.”
- “Select that” will select the last thing you said.
- Say “Caps” and a word to capitalize the first letter of that word.
- Say “Select” and a word or phrase to select it, or say “Cut,” “Copy” or “Paste” to edit your doc.
- To format your text, say “Bold,” “Italicize,” “Decrease font size” or “Increase font size,” for instance. Saying “Highlight” plus a color will highlight your text in that color.
- Create lists by saying, “Create a bulleted list” or “Create a numbered list.”
