BEST SPEACH RECOGNITION SOFTWARE
When it comes to writing fast, speech recognition software is a must.
If you’ve never heard of speech recognition software, it’s an application you use on your computer to turn speech to text.
There are many different types of speech recognition software that you can buy, and even some that are free. If you have a Mac, you will have built in speech recognition software that comes with the computer whether that be a desktop, a laptop, or an iPad
Microsoft has compatible built-in speech recognition software, but I personally have never used it. I’ve found it to be too difficult. Apple just seems to make it easier to use.
If you use Google Docs, there is a built-in speech recognition software program that comes with it. I’ve never used the speech recognition software for Google docs but I’ve heard it’s pretty good.
Microsoft word also has built-in speech recognition software right in its application. However, it’s not free. You have to either buy a subscription, or a one-time license.
I’ve had both a subscription and purchased the one-time license, and I personally prefer the one-time license. Anytime you don’t have to pay each month, it’s better. I think so anyway.
My go-to speech recognition software seems to always be Apple. I just sit down at my Mac Desktop and speak to my computer. I get things done in lightning speed, with little to no effort.
The downside to it is that the free software makes a lot of mistakes. Even Apple. It doesn’t learn your voice, or remember phrases, or words. Often times, it’s slow and cumbersome. I found so many mistakes, that I would rather type.
When I use Apple dictation, there are so many weird mistakes that make it impossible to use unless you follow along with your keyboard to correct things.
At first, I became frustrated with all the mistakes. I wanted a hands-free way to dictate speech to text in order to write faster. If you’re using any of the free speech to text software out there, be prepared to follow along with your keyboard, and correct ridiculous mistakes.
As soon as I decided that I was just going to follow along with my keyboard and fix mistakes as I dictated, I wasn’t so frustrated anymore. If I’m going to use free software, I might as well get used to double doing everything.
It’s still faster than typing.
My all-time favorite is Dragon dictation software. I bought it a few years ago for my Asus laptop that has since died on me.
Dragon software is speech specific and it becomes accustomed to how you speak. It’s AI software that learns specific phrases and words, and understands your own specific accent if you have one.
I love that about Dragon dictation software.
However, when my Asus laptop died, my dragon software died right along with it. Sure, I still have the software. At that time, it was a disc. I thought I could use it on another computer but I was wrong.
Because Dragon dictation software is specific to Microsoft, it would not work on a Mac. I spent hours researching how to get it to work on a Mac, only to find that I needed a new version. I needed Dragon for the Mac.
No problem, I thought. I’ll just go out and buy it. But to my dismay, it was twice as much as what I had paid for the Microsoft version. I was very disappointed. I didn’t have that kind of cash so I sucked it up and used the free Apple dictation software.
As soon as I can, I’m going to buy Dragon dictation software for Mac. Most places don’t carry it, but I know it’s still available online.
I don’t know why people don’t like using Dragon dictation software for the Mac. I’ve heard some negative reviews. But as long as it learns from your voice, it’s a great piece of software. Apple dictation can’t do that. Google can’t do that.
No matter what type of speech recognition software you decide to use, you will find that it is the best way to write fast.
It will take some getting used to, because speaking your thoughts out loud is not an easy thing to do. It takes a while to become comfortable enough to allow your creativity to flow through your mouth instead of your fingers.
WRITE IN BULK
To write fast, you’ve got to write in bulk.
What that means is, compiling everything at once onto one long page so that you can write the articles in bulk. I’ll give you an example. For this specific article, I created a word document with 10 article headings.
I would then write subheadings for each article title. I usually use about five subheadings for each article. When I have all the subheadings done for each article title, I start using my speech recognition software to drill through each section.
I don’t stop until I’ve gotten every section complete. That’s all 10 articles at the same time. Now that’s speed writing at its finest.
Editing can always come later, but at least now I have something to work with. I find that I have been able to get a lot more articles written in a very short time this way.
BEST WRITING SOFTWARE
Choosing the right software to write with is not easy. It totally depends upon your writing style, and what exactly you’re writing with.
If you are using an iPad for example to write with, you won’t have the same opportunities as you would if you were using the desktop computer.
An iPad requires you to download an app. Personally I don’t like that. Apps don’t always do the same thing that their desktop counterparts do.
Take for example Microsoft Word. I spent my hard-earned money buying a onetime license for my desktop. That means I am able to use Microsoft Word only on my desktop. However, I had thought it would work with the app as well.
When I decided to use my iPad to write, I downloaded the app for it. I also downloaded it to my iPhone. The Microsoft word app allows you to write on the iPhone because of its small screen, but who wants to do that.
I wanted to be able to see what I was writing, and I couldn’t do that on my iPhone. So, I’ve concluded that the Microsoft Word app is completely useless on the iPhone.
I tried the app out on my iPad, but to my dismay, my specific iPad is too large and requires me to purchase another Microsoft Word license. I was very upset about this. Just because my iPad is a 12.9 inch, I couldn’t use it to write with the Microsoft Word app.
I had a smaller version of the iPad before my 12.9 inch that would’ve worked perfectly with the Microsoft word app for free. It just so happens I like to see what I’m writing.
Writing on my iPad is still a conundrum because of this. I have yet to purchase a second Microsoft Word license, and I really wish that Microsoft would change that so I can use it on a 12.9 inch iPad for free.
I suppose, in their defence, they see a 12.9 inch iPad the same as a second computer, therefore needing a second license or subscription. I get that. I just don’t like it.
There are different kinds of software apps you can use on the iPad to write with. I just don’t like them. When you used to using Microsoft word, nothing else compares.
I suppose I can use Google Docs. I suppose I can use Pages. I just don’t want to.
The end result is that I just can’t write on my iPad. Most of my writing is done on my desktop computer and I’m okay with that. I just wish there was a way to edit my Microsoft Word files on my iPad without buying another license.
If anyone else knows a way, please let me know. Writing would go a whole lot quicker if I could edit while I was sitting on the couch watching TV.
EDITING TECHNIQUES
While I’m in the creative process of writing, I don’t like to edit. Some people like to edit as they go, but that always takes longer.
I like to write fast. I like to get the job done at a fraction of the time it would take under normal circumstances.
Speed writing is the way to go, especially if you have a short amount of time to write like I do. I work full-time during the day, and I only have my days off to write, or a couple hours before and after work, which isn’t much.
I can move rather quickly through the editing process if I use the text to speech software on my Mac computer. Now that’s the opposite of speech recognition software. And it’s free.
All I have to do is highlight the text I want the computer to read, and it does it for me. I find that I can edit in half the time, and I can hear the mistakes much better than I can see them.
I usually like to go over articles or books two or three times. The first time is always done with my own eyeballs. The second time I get my computer to read it to me. And the third time I just read it over quickly, usually in a different font.
It works every time.
BEST WRITING TOOLS
I like to use free writing tools whenever I can, and one of the best ones out there is Grammarly. You can also get the paid version, but the free version works just as well.
Grammarly highlights parts of speech that need to be changed. It points out spelling mistakes as well as punctuation mistakes. The only problem is you can’t use it on an iPad.
Microsoft word also has grammar functionality. Because I have a license for Microsoft Word I can use this feature. It’s not as good as Grammarly in my opinion, but I like using both Grammarly and Microsoft Word together to do my editing.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I just wanted to say that writing doesn’t have to take you forever. Often times, writing takes longer than it needs to, simply because we don’t use techniques that help us write faster.
I like to use these techniques, and because of it I’ve been able to churn out over 20 books on Amazon. I’ve been able to write hundreds of articles for my websites in a fraction of the time, and that helps my writing tremendously.
If you’d like to learn to write faster, follow my suggestions and you will discover that writing doesn’t take you as long anymore. Not only that, you will save your fingers from years of abuse. You will save your wrists from carpal tunnel as well.
You may even prevent arthritis.
Now go and get some writing done!
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Author Kathleen Morris
Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and YouTuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world.