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What is Speech-to-text?
Speech-to-text is technology that listens to speech and turns it into written words.
- Category Media & creative
- Also called transcription, voice typing, dictation
- Updated 20 Oct 2026
Speech-to-text, explained simply
Speech-to-text, also called transcription or dictation, writes down what people say. You talk, and text appears.
It is used for meeting notes, video captions and voice typing on your phone.
This matters because it saves time and makes content easier to search and read, including for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Accuracy depends on sound quality, accents and background noise. Always check names and numbers.
On ITG Now, free tool guides cover speech tools like Whisper that you can run on your own computer.
Related terms
WhisperText-to-speechOCRLocal AIVoice cloning
Where you'll see it on ITG Now
- GuideVibeVoice: Free AI Transcription Tool From Microsoft
- GuideVoiceStudio: Free ElevenLabs Alternative (2026 Guide)
- GuideHandy: Free Offline Voice Typing App (2026 Guide)
- GuideMeetily: Free AI Meeting Note Taker That Stays Private
- GuideAI Job Search: Tailor Your CV With AI for Every Job (2026)
- GuideBrag: A Free AI Launch Video Maker for Your Project
Questions people ask about Speech-to-text
Is speech-to-text free?
Yes, in many cases. Open source tools are free to run, and phones include basic dictation.
How accurate is speech-to-text?
It is good with clear audio and gets worse with noise or heavy overlap. Review the result.
Can speech-to-text work offline?
Some tools can. Open models you run on your own computer don't need the internet.