How to Use Voice Typing in Google Docs
- Ensure your microphone is installed and working properly.
- Open Chrome browser window.
- Open a New Document in Google Docs.
- To activate voice typing, click Tools > Voice Typing. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+S in Windows or Command+Shift+S in macOS.
- A new window will open with a microphone icon. Click on it when you are ready to begin dictation. Note: The first time using Voice Typing, you’ll need to grant Chrome permissions to use your microphone.
- If Voice Typing doesn’t automatically load your native tongue, click the three dots and then use the Language drop-down to select from over 100 languages and dialects.
- Speak clearly in your normal volume and at your normal pace so the tool can understand your dictation. Everything you say now appears in the body of your document. If it’s having trouble understanding you, make sure you have selected the correct dialect in the languages menu.
- When you finish speaking, click the microphone again to stop listening. You can also say “Stop listening.”
Adding Punctuation, New Lines, and New Paragraphs
To add punctuation, lines, or paragraphs to your document, just speak the phrase. This will insert the punctuation mark in the line.
- Period (I enjoy reading books about history period)
- Comma (I enjoy reading books about history comma clocks comma and unicorns period)
- Exclamation mark (I love peaches exclamation mark)
- Question mark (Do you know where the car is parked question mark)
- New line
- New Paragraph
Delete and Backspace
If you accidentally say something you want to be deleted, you can say “Delete” or “backspace” to remove the word before the cursor.
Other Useful Commands
Here are some other useful commands to get you started being more productive and making the most out of Voice Typing:
- Selecting text: Select [word, phrase, all, next line, next paragraph, next word, last word]”
- Format your document: Apply Heading [1-6], apply normal text, Bold, italicize, italics, underline
- Change font size: Decrease font size, increase font size, font size [6-400], make bigger, make smaller
- Edit your document: Copy, cut, paste, delete [word or phrase], insert [table of contents, bookmark, equation, footer, header, page break]
- Move around your document: Go to start/end of [line, paragraph, column, row, document], move to next/previous [character, word, page, column, heading, line, misspelling, paragraph, row]
You can find a full list by clicking the question mark in the tool’s window or by saying “Voice commands list.”
