Free Speech to Text Online
Free speech to text, right in your browser: click the mic and talk, and your voice becomes text instantly. A voice-to-text and dictation tool in 35+ languages — no signup, no install.
How to convert speech to text
- 1Choose your language from the dropdown (English is the default).
- 2Click “Start dictating” and allow microphone access when your browser asks.
- 3Talk normally — your words appear as text the moment you speak them.
- 4Copy, download, or read the text back. Your draft saves automatically.
What you get
Instant live dictation
Words appear as you speak using your browser's built-in speech engine. No lag, no upload step, no waiting for a file to process.
Private on-device mode
Switch to Whisper and transcription runs entirely on your device with WebGPU. Your audio and text never leave your computer.
35+ languages
Dictate in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, and dozens more — switch anytime.
Transcribe audio files
Already have a recording? Upload it in Whisper mode and get the text back, transcribed locally in your browser.
Copy, download, save
Copy to the clipboard, download as a .txt file, and pick up where you left off — your text is saved in your browser automatically.
Read it back
Proofread by ear. The read-aloud button speaks your text back to you so you can catch mistakes before you send it.
Two ways to transcribe
Live uses the speech recognition engine built into Chrome, Edge, and Safari. It is the fastest option — text appears word by word as you speak — and it needs an internet connection because the browser processes the audio through its own speech service.
Whisper runs OpenAI's open Whisper model directly on your device using WebGPU or WebAssembly. The model downloads once, then works in any browser (including Firefox) and fully offline. Because nothing is uploaded, your audio and text stay on your computer — the private choice for sensitive notes.
What you can use it for
It works as a free voice-to-text converter, an online dictation pad, and a talk-to-text notepad — whatever you'd rather say than type. Because voice typing is faster than the keyboard for most people, it's handy any time you have more to say than time to type:
- •Dictate emails, messages, and replies hands-free
- •Draft notes, essays, and documents by speaking
- •Capture meeting notes or a quick thought out loud
- •Turn an audio recording into text (audio to text)
- •Write in a language that's faster to speak than type
- •Type hands-free for accessibility or when injured
Frequently asked questions
Is this speech to text tool free?
Yes — completely free, with no signup, no install, and no usage limits. Both the live dictation and the on-device Whisper transcription run in your browser at no cost.
Which browsers support speech to text?
Live dictation works in Chrome, Edge, and Safari, which ship a built-in speech recognition engine. Firefox has no live support, so the tool automatically switches to the on-device Whisper engine, which works in every modern browser.
Is my voice private?
It depends on the engine. In Live mode, Chrome and Safari send audio to the browser's own speech service to recognise it. In Whisper mode, everything runs locally on your device — your audio and transcript never leave your computer.
What languages can I dictate in?
More than 35, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Choose your language from the dropdown before you start.
Can I transcribe an audio file instead of speaking live?
Yes. Switch to the Whisper engine and use the Audio file button to upload a recording. It's transcribed on your device and the text appears in the editor.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. There's nothing to install and no account to create. Open the page, allow microphone access, and start dictating.
Online Notepad
Want a full notepad you can type and dictate in, with autosave and export? Use the same voice engine in a writing pad.
More free voice tools
Voice recorder, audio converter, and more — all free and running in your browser.