Easy to Use Tools for Dictation & Transcription
Note: If you’re just looking for a quick list of options, scroll to the TL;DR at the bottom.
If typing or writing on paper is a barrier for you to communicate — or even to figure out what you think, because writing can help clarify your understanding, beliefs, and opinions on a subject — you might want to consider using dictation, transcription and possibly even text to speech tools. While many of these were originally designed to help people who couldn’t read, they’ve become popular productivity tools for many people.
When I have the option, I tend to type or write by hand. But sometimes I need to dictate because I’m doing something else with my hands — driving, cooking, sewing, knitting, etc. Times when I have my phone but not my computer, like when I’m standing in line at the grocery store or waiting for orders to come in on the DoorDash app, I’ll use dictation to get a few sentences written as I go about my day. The trick to dictation in public is to wear headphones so other people just assume you’re on a phone call (possibly a weird one, if you’re using obviously made-up names for things, but since everyone perceives me as different anyway, this doesn’t bother me).
For dictation, there are many many choices out there. You can use your phone, or a voice recorder, or a microphone connected to your computer…
