Voice Typing in Google Docs

In Google Docs, you can now simply talk for speech-to-text dictation if your computer has a microphone! Use can even pause, issue a command, pause again, and resume dictating. Below, you will find some initial directions to get you started and some common commands that you may want to use. To see a list of all commands, check out this Help Center article or say “voice commands help” when you’re voice typing. A video overview appears at the bottom of this Tech Tip so you can see voice typing in action.

1. Check that your microphone works.

2. Open a document in Google docs with a Chrome browser.

3. Click Tools > Voice typing. A microphone box appears.

4. When you're ready to speak, click the microphone.

5. Speak clearly, at a normal volume and pace (see below for more information on using punctuation).

6. When you're done, click the microphone again.

• If you make a mistake while you're typing with your voice, you can move your cursor to the mistake and fix it without turning off the microphone.

• After you correct the mistake, move the cursor back to where you want to continue. To see a list of suggestions, right-click words underlined in gray.

• Period

• Comma

• Exclamation point

• Question mark

• New line

• New paragraph

You can use commands to edit and format your document when you voice type. For example, "Select paragraph," "italics," or "Go to the end of the line."

Note: Voice commands are available only in English. The account language and document language must both be English.

To select text, say these commands:

• Select [word or phrase]

• Select all

• Select all matching text

• Select list item

• Select list items at current level

• Select next character

• Select next [number] characters

• Select last character

• Select last [number] characters

• Select line

• Select next line

• Select next [number] lines

• Select last line

• Select last [number] lines

• Select paragraph

• Select next paragraph

• Select next [number] paragraphs

• Select last paragraph

• Select last [number] paragraphs

• Select word

• Select next word

• Select next [number] words

• Select last word

• Select last [number] words

• Deselect

• Unselect

• Select none

Remember, more Tech Tips can be found at whps.org/tech. Try searching by keyword or category!

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