A way to get the first draft down
Blank pages are slow. Some students find it easier to talk through an argument than to type it, and then tidy up what they said.
With Talkativ you click into your document, press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac, and speak. Press it again to stop. Your words appear at the cursor, with punctuation and capital letters added and “um” and “uh” taken out. You edit afterwards, like any first draft.
Free speech to text for students
The Free plan is 2,200 words a week, reset every 7 days, with no card and no time limit. It has no end date. Rough arithmetic: an essay of 1,500 words uses most of it, and short notes or discussion posts use very little.
Vocabulary and Advanced formatting are on the Free plan too. Words you dictate with Advanced formatting on count inside the same 2,200. If you need more in a heavy week, Pro is unlimited for $7 a month or $56 a year, and you upgrade inside the app. Here is exactly what the free plan covers.
Dictation for students, day to day
Here is where speech to text tends to help:
- Essays and reports. Talk through a section, then rework it.
- Notes after a lecture. Expand your bullets while it is fresh.
- Discussion posts. Write the reply you would say aloud.
- Emails to tutors. Short, clear and quick to write.
- Study guides. Explain a topic out loud and keep the text.
It works in Google Docs, Word, Notion, email and web forms. You do not install anything per app.
Names, terms and module codes
A lecturer’s name or a technical term can come out wrong the first time. Add it to Vocabulary and Talkativ listens out for it, so it is more likely to come out right next time. It is most useful for unusual names, course terms and module codes.
Advanced formatting for notes
With Advanced formatting on, Talkativ turns “firstly, secondly, finally” into a numbered list and writes amounts, times and email addresses the way you would type them. It is off by default, so turn it on in Settings if your notes are list-heavy.
If typing is hard
Some students find speaking easier than typing, whether for dyslexia, sore wrists or another reason. Talkativ is not a medical product and does not treat anything, but it can give you another way to write. See apps for dyslexia. If sore wrists are the reason, typing with RSI covers it.
Writing in your second language
If English is your second language, you can speak in your own language or in English, and Talkativ types it. It handles one language per dictation, so choose in Settings or leave it on auto-detect. Languages lists what works, and dictating in more than one language covers switching between them.
What it will not do
- It needs an internet connection and does not work offline.
- It types what it hears. It does not write the essay for you, or check your sources.
- It can mishear names and unusual words, so proofread.
- Words appear a moment after you press stop, not while you speak.
- Genius Mode and Smart Edits are on the Max plan only.
Works with the way you write
No plug-ins and no separate editor: if there is a text box, Talkativ can fill it, including the boxes in your course website. Check your course platform on a short test before you rely on it for a deadline.
Talkativ runs on Windows. It runs on a Mac too. Read about Talkativ for Mac. It types into Word and Google Docs the same way, with one shortcut.
Download Talkativ and dictate your next set of notes.