Did you know there is a built-in Google Docs tool that allows you to type using only your voice?
It’s a fantastic service, especially if you’re not such a great typist, suffer from RSI, or simply don’t like staring at a screen. In these circumstances, Voice Typing is an excellent alternative to the standard input methods.
It’s such a useful feature, that I highly recommend it to all writers, whether you’re a student, professional writer or just writing a blog for fun.
One of the key benefits of the tool is that you don’t need to look at your screen while speaking. This seems so freeing to me. For example, instead of being chained to my screen – I can now dictate my text while enjoying the view into my garden.
So, how to use it?
The steps for using Google Voice Typing are straightforward:
1. Open a Google document in Chrome.
2. Click on tools.
3. Choose voice typing.
4. Select your language.
5. Hit the microphone icon.
6. Start speaking!
Now, I’ll be honest with you. The tool is certainly not perfect, so you’ll need to do some editing to bring your text up to scratch. However, it’s definitely an overall timesaver, and also a great way of getting your thoughts quickly into a written form.
If you’re willing to spend some time learning the voice commands (e.g. “Select paragraph,” or “Go to the next line.”), then you’re likely to be able to gain even more benefits from the tool.
Is this article written using Voice Typing?
Yes and no. I created the majority of the content by speaking. I then went back through and added a few things, as well as tidying up the overall wording and formatting. (Unless you speak in perfect English, you’ll probably want to make some changes to your text.)
In conclusion, if you’re already using Google Docs, then I definitely recommend you give the Voice Typing tool a go. It’s fun, fast – and free!
Let your fingers take a rest, and put your voice in charge of your writing.
