How to dictate,
step by step
Each guide starts with the operating system's built-in path, then shows how WhisperJot types into the focused app with one hotkey and local engines by default.
Choose a question.
How to dictate on a Mac
To dictate on a Mac, turn on Dictation in System Settings > Keyboard, then start with the Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or Edit > Start Dictation. On Apple silicon Macs, supported languages can run on-device; otherwise audio is sent to Apple. WhisperJot is a menu-bar alternative: press a hotkey and it types into the focused app using local engines by default.
Read the guide →How to dictate on Windows
To dictate on Windows 11, put the cursor in a text box, press Windows key + H (or the mic on the touch keyboard), wait for Listening, and speak. Voice typing needs internet, while Voice Access can work offline after a one-time language download. WhisperJot is a tray app with a global hotkey that types into the focused app using on-device engines by default.
Read the guide →How to do speech to text on Linux
GNOME and KDE do not ship built-in dictation today. Community tools such as nerd-dictation and Speech Note can transcribe offline, Fedora 42 offers ibus-speech-to-text, and Canonical has announced Myna for Ubuntu 26.10 but it is not released. WhisperJot for Linux is in beta: a hotkey captures speech and inserts text via wtype, ydotool, or xdotool, with a clipboard fallback.
Read the guide →How to use voice typing
Voice typing, also called dictation or speech to text, turns spoken words into text in the app you are using. You typically start it with a keyboard shortcut, a microphone key, or a menu command, then speak and stop with the same control or a spoken command. This guide covers those basics plus a first-session checklist, and how WhisperJot does the same job with one hotkey.
Read the guide →How to convert a voice recording to text
You can convert a voice recording to text with built-in tools on some operating systems, or with an app that imports the file. On Apple silicon Macs, Voice Memos and Notes can transcribe; on Windows, Word Transcribe in Microsoft 365 handles common audio formats; on Linux, Speech Note transcribes files offline. WhisperJot imports wav, mp3, m4a, aiff, and similar files of up to 60 minutes from the menu bar.
Read the guide →How to dictate punctuation
Voice to text can insert punctuation if you say the marks aloud — for example comma, period, question mark, new line, and new paragraph — or if auto-punctuation is turned on. macOS Dictation and Windows Voice typing both document spoken punctuation; Windows Voice Access can too, and its automatic punctuation is off by default. WhisperJot accepts spoken punctuation and also cleans filler words as you speak.
Read the guide →How to dictate faster
Studies suggest speech can be much faster than typing: conversational English is roughly 150 words per minute, while a large typing study put average typing around 52 words per minute. A Stanford and Baidu study found speech input about three times faster than typing on phones in English, with a lower error rate. Clear pacing, spoken punctuation, and a consistent hotkey help you use that speed at work.
Read the guide →How to properly transcribe an interview
To transcribe an interview, choose verbatim or clean verbatim, listen in short sections, and start each speaker turn on a new line. Document your timestamp and [inaudible] conventions, then check the transcript against the recording. For qualitative research or a dissertation, agree consent and anonymising rules before recording. On Mac, WhisperJot can transcribe the interview audio file as a draft; add speaker labels and check the detail yourself.
Read the guide →How to transcribe voice memos
To turn a voice memo into text, play the memo in your recording app and type short sections into a note. On Mac, if you have the memo as a local audio file, choose WhisperJot's Transcribe Audio File… command and export the result from History as text. Review names and separate the ideas before using the note.
Read the guide →How to transcribe a podcast
To transcribe a podcast, work from the episode audio, type or generate a draft, and check it while listening. Add host and guest labels manually. On Mac, WhisperJot imports a saved podcast audio file through Transcribe Audio File… and puts the result in History for text export. Write show notes separately; WhisperJot does not provide summaries or speaker labels.
Read the guide →How to transcribe a Zoom recording
To transcribe a Zoom recording with WhisperJot, start with its saved audio file on Mac. Choose Transcribe Audio File… from the menu bar, then export the result from History as text. WhisperJot does not capture calls or system audio. Live Meetings is microphone-only and can transcribe your side of a call, not directly capture remote participants.
Read the guide →How to transcribe a lecture
To transcribe a lecture, listen and type from a recording, use WhisperJot Meetings live in the room through your microphone, or import a saved lecture audio file on Mac. Meetings is microphone-only and runs on-device; it does not capture calls or system audio. Review terminology against the recording and write your own study summary separately.
Read the guide →How to turn off Dictation on Mac
To turn off Dictation on Mac, open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard, scroll to Dictation, and turn it off. This path applies to macOS Sequoia 15 and Tahoe 26. To stop only the current session, press Escape instead. WhisperJot works independently of macOS Dictation, so turning Dictation off does not disable WhisperJot.
Read the guide →App-by-app dictation guides.
Need steps for a specific editor instead of an operating system? See the dictation guides for the apps you already use.
Ready for a specific task? Browse practical dictation workflows with editable examples, or measure local dictation on your computer.
One hotkey, wherever you write.
WhisperJot types into the focused app and runs local transcription on your device by default.