LazytypeWindows has built-in dictation: press Win + H in any text box and start talking. For better accuracy, punctuation and a faster hold-to-talk flow, install a dedicated app like Lazytype: hold left Ctrl, speak, release, and clean text appears where your cursor is.
You can dictate on Windows three ways, from zero-setup and free to fast and polished. Here is each option, who it suits, and the exact steps.
Option 1: Win + H (built into Windows)
Windows 11 includes voice typing. It is free, already installed, and works in most text fields.
- Click into any text box (an email, a document, a chat).
- Press Win + H to open the voice typing bar.
- Start speaking. Say "period", "comma" or "new line" for punctuation.
- Press Win + H again to stop.
It is handy for quick notes. The trade-offs: accuracy on accents and technical terms is average, the floating bar can feel clunky, and it leans on Microsoft's cloud. For occasional use, though, it costs nothing.
Option 2: A dedicated dictation app (recommended)
If you dictate more than occasionally, a purpose-built app is a different experience. Modern tools run OpenAI's Whisper, which handles accents, jargon and background noise far better than the built-in option, and they add a hold-to-talk hotkey so you never hunt for a button.
With Lazytype, the flow is:
- Download and launch the app. A small microphone sits in your system tray.
- Put your cursor anywhere you can type.
- Hold the left Ctrl key, say your sentence, and let go.
- Clean, punctuated text is typed straight into the app you were using.
Because it runs Whisper large-v3-turbo on Groq, a short sentence comes back in under a second, in 100+ languages. An optional AI pass can strip filler words or translate as you speak, and an on-device engine lets you work fully offline.
Dictate into every app on your PC
Lazytype is free for 14 days. Hold a key, speak, done.
Download for WindowsOption 3: Windows Speech Recognition (legacy)
The older Windows Speech Recognition (search for it in the Start menu) also works offline and free, and adds voice commands for controlling the PC. It is dated next to Whisper-based tools, but it runs entirely on your machine, which some people prefer.
Which should you use?
For the odd sentence, Win + H is fine and free. If you write all day, or you care about accuracy, languages and a flow that disappears into the background, a dedicated app such as Lazytype earns its place quickly. See our comparison of dictation apps to weigh the options.