The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update has many new features and changes, including dictation, so you can now input English text anywhere on the desktop without typing from the keyboard.
To get started with dictation, select the area on your desktop where you would like to translate the spoken words into text, then press the Windows + H keys to open the dictation toolbar. Then keep saying whatever you want to translate.
Click the Microphone icon to stop dictating. You can also stop dictation any time by saying "stop dictation".
Currently, US English is supported and your PC needs to have an Internet connection for dictation to work.
Dictation Commands
You can use available dictation commands to tell your PC to do some special tasks like “delete that” or “select previous word”.
|
Task |
Say |
|
Clear a selection |
Clear selection; unselect that |
|
Delete the most recent dictation result or currently selected text |
Delete that; strike that |
|
Delete a single word such as current word |
Delete <your desired word> |
|
Move the cursor to the first character after a specified word or phrase |
Go after that; move after <your desired word>; go to the end of <your desired paragraph>; move to the end of that |
|
Move the cursor to the end of a unit of text |
Go after <your desired word>; move after <your desired word>; go to the end of that; move to the end of <your desired paragraph> |
|
Move the cursor backward by a unit of text |
Move back to the previous <your desired word>; go up to the previous <your desired paragraph> |
|
Move the cursor to the first character before a specified word or phrase |
Go to the start of the <your desired word> |
|
Move the cursor to the start of a text unit |
Go before that; move to the start of that |
|
Move the cursor forward to the next unit of text |
Move forward to the next your <your desired word>; go down to the next <your desired paragraph> |
|
Move the cursor to the end of a unit of text |
Move to the end of the <your desired word>; go to the end of <your desired paragraph> |
|
Tab, Enter, End, Home, Page up, Page down, Backspace, Delete |
Tap Enter, press Backspace |
|
Select a specific word or phrase |
Select <your desired word suppose select word> |
|
Select the most recent dictation result |
Select that |
|
Select a unit of text |
Select the <followed by number of words you want to select suppose next three words or previous two paragraphs > |
|
Turn spelling mode on or off |
Start spelling; stop spelling |
Dictating Letters, Numbers, Punctuation, and Symbols
You can translate most of the letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols. To translate letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols, say “start spelling” and then the symbol and letter. When you are done with translation, say “stop spelling”.
Following is a list of available punctuation characters and symbols you can use.
|
Character |
Say |
|
uppercase |
uppercase followed by your desired letter suppose uppercase A |
|
lowercase |
Lowercase followed by your desired letter suppose lowercase b |
|
@ |
at symbol;at sign |
|
# |
Pound symbol; pound sign; number symbol; number sign; hash symbol; hash sign; hashtag symbol; hashtag sign; sharp symbol; sharp sign |
|
$ |
dollar symbol;dollar sign |
|
% |
Dollar symbol; dollar sign; dollars symbol; dollars sign |
|
^ |
caret |
|
& |
and sign;and symbol |
|
* |
Asterisk; times; star |
|
( |
Open paren; left paren; open parenthesis; left paren |
|
) |
Close paren; right paren; close parenthesis; right parenthesis |
|
_ |
underscore |
|
- |
Hyphen; dash; minus sign |
|
~ |
Tilde |
|
\ |
Backslash; whack |
|
/ |
Forward slash; divided by |
|
, |
Comma |
|
. |
Period; dot; decimal; point |
|
; |
Semicolon |
|
‘ |
Apostrophe; open single quote; begin single quote; close single quote; close single quote; end single quote |
|
= |
Equal symbol; equal sign; equals symbol; equal sign |
|
(space) |
Space |
|
| |
Pipe |
|
: |
Colon |
|
? |
Question mark; question symbol |
|
[ |
Open bracket; open square bracket; left bracket; left square bracket |
|
] |
Close bracket; close square bracket; right bracket; right square bracket |
|
{ |
Open curly brace; open curly bracket; left curly brace; left curly bracket |
|
} |
Close curly brace; close curly bracket; right curly brace; right curly bracket |
|
+ |
Plus symbol; plus sign |
|
< |
Open angle bracket; open less than; left angle bracket; left less than |
|
> |
Close angle bracket; close greater than; right angle bracket; right greater than |
|
“ |
Open quotes; begin quotes; close quotes; end quotes; open double quotes; begin double quotes; close double quotes; end double quotes |