Voice Typing Online
Type with your voice for free. Tap the microphone, speak naturally, and see your words appear as text with a live WPM counter.
Browser voice typing vs. Steno voice typing
Voice typing that works in every Mac app
Steno lives in your menu bar. Hold a hotkey, speak, release — your words appear at the cursor in Slack, Gmail, VS Code, Notes, or anywhere else. AI-powered accuracy, instant results.
Download Steno FreeVoice Typing FAQ
Is voice typing faster than keyboard typing?
Yes, significantly. The average person types 30-40 words per minute on a keyboard, while natural speech ranges from 120-150 WPM. Voice typing lets you capture ideas at the speed of thought. Even after corrections, most people find voice typing 2-3x faster than keyboard input. With high-accuracy tools like Steno, corrections are rare, making the speed advantage even more pronounced.
What is the best voice typing app for Mac?
Steno is the leading voice typing app for Mac. It runs natively in the menu bar, works in every macOS application, and achieves 99%+ accuracy. Unlike Apple's built-in Dictation, Steno offers AI-powered text rewrites (fix grammar, make professional, translate), meeting transcription with speaker labels, custom vocabulary, and sub-500ms response time. It is purpose-built for Mac users who want reliable, fast voice typing across their entire workflow.
Can I use voice typing in any app on Mac?
Browser-based voice typing only works inside a single browser tab. Apple's Dictation works in most apps but has accuracy limits. For voice typing that truly works in every Mac app, Steno operates at the system level. Hold a hotkey, speak, release, and your text appears wherever your cursor is — Slack, Terminal, Notion, VS Code, Mail, or any text field on macOS.
Does voice typing work offline?
This browser-based voice typing tool requires an internet connection because audio is processed on remote servers. Apple Dictation has limited offline capability. Steno supports both cloud-based voice typing (for peak accuracy) and on-device processing for fully offline voice typing — your audio never leaves your Mac when using the local mode.
How accurate is voice typing?
Accuracy depends on the tool. Browser voice typing achieves 85-90% accuracy for clear English, but struggles with accents, technical jargon, and noisy environments. Steno reaches 99%+ accuracy across 50+ languages, including specialized medical, legal, and technical vocabulary. The higher accuracy means less time correcting mistakes, which makes voice typing genuinely faster than keyboard input.
What Is Voice Typing?
Voice typing is the act of speaking into a microphone and having your words converted into written text automatically. Instead of pressing keys on a keyboard, you simply talk — and your words appear on screen in real time. Voice typing is sometimes called speech-to-text, dictation, or voice recognition, but the core idea is the same: your voice becomes your keyboard.
The speed difference is dramatic. The average typist produces 30-40 words per minute on a keyboard. Natural speech averages 120-150 words per minute. That means voice typing can be up to 3-4x faster than traditional keyboard input, making it a powerful productivity tool for writers, professionals, and anyone who spends hours composing emails, documents, or messages.
How Voice Typing Works
The voice typing tool on this page uses the Web Speech API, a browser feature that streams your microphone audio to a cloud speech recognition service (Google's servers in Chrome, Microsoft's in Edge). The service converts the audio into text and sends results back to your browser in near real-time, showing both partial (interim) and final results as you speak.
More advanced voice typing applications use purpose-built AI models trained on hundreds of thousands of hours of multilingual audio data, achieving dramatically higher accuracy than browser-based recognition. Native apps like Steno deliver 99%+ accuracy voice typing directly at your cursor, in any application.
Voice Typing for Mac
Mac users have several voice typing options, each with different tradeoffs. Apple's built-in Dictation (accessible via the Fn key) works across macOS apps but has moderate accuracy and limited features. Browser-based voice typing tools like this page work only inside Chrome or Edge tabs.
Steno is a native macOS voice typing app built specifically for Mac power users. It lives in the menu bar and works in every application on your system. Key features that make it the best voice typing solution for Mac include:
- AI-powered rewrites — Long-press the hotkey and choose from Fix Grammar, Make Professional, Make Casual, Shorten, Translate, or Reply to refine your voice-typed text instantly
- Meeting mode — Transcribe entire meetings with automatic speaker labels and timestamps
- Custom vocabulary — Add industry jargon, product names, and proper nouns so voice typing gets them right every time
- Voice commands — Say "new line", "period", or trigger custom text snippets hands-free
- Sub-500ms latency — Text appears at your cursor almost instantly after you stop speaking
- Offline mode — Process audio on-device when privacy matters or you lack internet access
Voice Typing vs. Keyboard Typing
The debate between voice typing and keyboard typing comes down to speed, ergonomics, and use case. Here is how they compare:
- Speed: Voice typing averages 120-150 WPM vs. 30-40 WPM for keyboard typing. Even with correction time, voice typing is typically 2-3x faster for producing first drafts.
- Ergonomics: Voice typing eliminates repetitive key presses, reducing the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, RSI, and other strain injuries. For people who already experience wrist or hand pain, voice typing is a practical alternative that lets them keep working.
- Accuracy: Modern AI voice typing apps like Steno achieve 99%+ accuracy, rivaling careful keyboard typing. Browser voice typing lags behind at 85-90%.
- Use cases: Voice typing excels at drafting emails, writing long-form content, taking meeting notes, and capturing ideas quickly. Keyboard typing is still better for code editing, spreadsheet work, and precise formatting.
Many productive people combine both — using voice typing for initial drafts and idea capture, then switching to the keyboard for editing and formatting. This hybrid approach delivers the speed of voice with the precision of keys.
Best Voice Typing Apps in 2026
The voice typing landscape has evolved significantly. Here are the most notable options available today:
- Steno — Native macOS menu bar app with 99%+ accuracy, system-wide voice typing in any app, AI text rewrites, meeting transcription, custom vocabulary. Best for Mac users who want voice typing everywhere.
- Apple Dictation — Built into macOS and iOS. Free and convenient but limited accuracy, no AI features, and no custom vocabulary. Good for quick notes, not for professional use.
- Google Docs Voice Typing — Works only inside Google Docs in Chrome. Decent accuracy for casual use, but locked to a single app. No desktop integration.
- Wispr Flow — Mac voice typing app with AI features. Newer entrant in the space with growing capabilities.
- SuperWhisper — Mac app focused on local transcription and privacy with on-device processing.
For Mac users who want voice typing that works across their entire system — in Slack, Gmail, VS Code, Terminal, and every other app — Steno provides the most complete experience with the highest accuracy and fastest response time.