Using voice commands with a Windows PC is incredibly straightforward, allowing you to perform tasks like writing emails, accessing files, or even crafting articles in a browser without using your hands. Windows voice typing enables this hands-free functionality. Here are some key tips to enhance your efficiency when using voice typing on Windows.

Table of Contents

• Understanding Windows Voice Typing
• 1. Properly Configure Your Microphone
• 2. Make Sure Your Speech and Accent are Recognizable to Windows
• 3. Enable Automatic Punctuation
• 4. Use "Press Backspace" and "Press Enter" for Navigation
• 5. Learn Punctuation Symbols for Windows Voice Typing
• 6. Utilize the "No Space" Command for Combining Proper Nouns
• 7. Spell Out Acronyms Letter by Letter
• 8. Input Numbers with the "Press" Command

Understanding Windows Voice Typing

Windows Voice Typing is a feature found under Settings in your Windows device, accessible via Accessibility -> Speech, where you can activate Voice Access.

Upon activation, you'll be prompted with a question at the top of your screen: "Do you want to continue and set up voice access?" Choosing Yes, continue will configure your device's default microphone to accept voice commands.

Initially, voice access will be in Sleep mode. To activate it, say, "voice access, wake up," or press the Mic button if your laptop has one.

Alternatively, you can press Win H and click the "mic" icon with your mouse or trackpad. Note that this method only works if the cursor is in a text box; otherwise, you'll receive an error message: "To use voice typing, select a text box, and try again."

Though Windows voice typing is a sophisticated feature, it's often underutilized. If you encounter issues, refer to our troubleshooting guide.

Typing involves managing multiple elements like punctuation, capital letters, and special characters. Here are some tips to help you save time and increase efficiency in any typing task.

1. Properly Configure Your Microphone

To enable automatic voice typing in Windows, ensure your microphone is properly set up. Navigate to Settings -> Privacy & security -> App permissions -> Microphone.

Enable Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone. If you plan to use voice typing in applications like Copilot or Google Chrome, ensure these apps have microphone access.

Knowing the exact location of your laptop's microphone is crucial for effective communication. While you can refer to the user manual, I found it simpler to ask Copilot, which required my Dell model number. My microphone was located near the webcam at the top.

Some laptop manufacturers place the microphone on the keyboard or along the device's edges.

2. Make Sure Your Speech and Accent are Recognizable to Windows

This is crucial. Microsoft tests Windows speech settings with various accents and voice types, but you need to set up your specific speech type for optimal performance.

Go to Settings -> Time & language -> Speech, and select your Speech language. If you have a non-standard regional accent, choose Recognize non-native accents for this language.

Scroll down to review and add any relevant language packs.

3. Enable Automatic Punctuation

This feature saves time and allows you to pause mid-sentence. Instead of saying "period/full stop" or "comma" each time, go to voice typing settings and enable Automatic punctuation.

To ensure correct punctuation placement, emphasize words properly and maintain a natural speaking rhythm. It might take some practice to master this.

4. Use "Press Backspace" and "Press Enter" for Navigation

For those who prefer not to use the mouse to scroll, Windows voice typing offers an easier way to navigate text. To move the cursor to the next line, say "Press Enter," and you'll start typing on a new line. Depending on your line spacing needs, you might need to repeat the command.

To move back one step, simply say "Press backspace." If you need to type "press enter," precede it with a filler word like "now," and then selectively use the mouse to remove any extra text.

5. Learn Punctuation Symbols for Windows Voice Typing

Here's a list of useful punctuation symbols for voice typing in Windows. Most are easy to remember.

6. Utilize the "No Space" Command for Combining Proper Nouns

To join two words without a space, quickly say "no space" after the second word. If this doesn't work, you'll need to do it manually. This technique is useful for creating usernames, passwords, email addresses, or domain names.

7. Spell Out Acronyms Letter by Letter

When using voice typing in Windows, common words are inserted in sentence case. To type an acronym or spell out a common word, manually spell each letter.

For example, the acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for "Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, Time-related." You can spell it out as 'S,' 'M,' 'A,' 'R,' 'T.' Acronyms are automatically displayed in uppercase, but you can manually adjust them if needed.

8. Input Numbers with the "Press" Command

By default, voice typing in Windows spells out numbers, which can be inconvenient. To type a number like "2," say "Press 2." This method becomes challenging with multiple numbers in a text.

I find this to be the most significant limitation of Windows voice typing, as it necessitates using the mouse alongside voice commands, making a fully hands-free experience elusive.

Despite some challenges, these tips will help you use Windows voice typing more smoothly and efficiently. To type flawlessly, start by setting up speech recognition, and consider using an external microphone for better voice recognition.

Image Credit: DALL-E 3. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.

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