Dictation, or speech to text technology, has been around for a few decades. It used to be practically impossible to use for an everyday user, requiring speaking in a very particular way for speech to be recognized. Lately, speech recognition has been working fairly well, so much so that you can reliably convert speech to text on your computers and mobile phones every day. Are there tools other than the ones built into our phones and computers? Read on to find out how speech recognition works to convert speech to text, and which are the tools you can use right now.
In this article
Part 1: How Does Converting Voice into Text Work?
Haven’t you wondered just how this magic happens? How does the conversion from voice to text happen? Here’s how it happens.
Broadly speaking, voice-to-text conversion works in 2 steps:
- audio input,
- processing/ matching/ recognition.
User inputs audio by way of microphone, smartphone microphone, or any other recording equipment. Then, the audio is matched to the language models in the database to figure out the most probable textual equivalent.
Use of AI in Converting Voice into Text
Where does AI fit in in voice-to-text conversion? Machine learning and artificial intelligence greatly add to the accuracy of speech-to-text conversion. ML/AI systems continuously learn and evolve, so the effectiveness and accuracy of speech-to-text conversion keep getting better. Having access to dialects and speech patterns from around the world, AI/ ML systems make speech recognition far more precise and accurate than any one software could hope for without the use of these systems.
Part 2: Top Tools to Convert Speech into Text
We all use the built-in dictation tools in our smartphones and computers in a pinch. But what if we want something more, for any other purpose? Here are some tools you will find helpful.
2.1: Descript
Descript is a popular voice-to-text conversion tool that boasts 95% accuracy and real-time conversion.
Features
- automatic transcription.
- claims industry-leading accuracy (95%).
- fast, almost instantaneous turnaround!
- AI-powered automatic speaker labels.
- transcription in 22 languages.
2.2: Notta
Notta is another hugely popular software for converting voice into text online. It is designed to be an easy-to-use, 3-step process. All users need to do is record your speech or upload voice recordings, review and, if need be, edit the transcript, and finally, export the transcript or share it if so desired.
Features
- transcription in 50+ languages.
- AI-powered automatic summary of meetings with templates.
- number of share and export options including integration with apps such as Salesforce.
- privacy at its core with CCPA, APPI, and GDPR compliance among others.
- 98.86% accuracy rate claimed.
2.3: Speechtexter
At first glance, Speechtexter’s interface looks primitive. It does not even work with Firefox on macOS. Yet, we decided to give it a fair shot and talk about its feature set, wherever applicable. Speechtexter works for those looking for a no-frills audio transcription experience on Windows and Android, especially when using the Chrome browser.
Features
- continuous transcription in real-time.
- users can create notes, emails, blog posts, and more.
- custom voice commands.
- support for over 70 languages.
- works on Chrome on Windows and Android and some other ones on Android.
2.4: Veed.io
Another popular speech-to-text website that allows users to convert speech into text is Veed.io. It is a powerful, feature-rich voice-to-text converter, but it seems it is more inclined towards upselling. It features a similar, three-step process as most other high-quality software do.
Features
- automatic audio-to-text conversion.
- over 100 languages supported.
- 98.5% accuracy rate claimed.
Part 3: Tips For Getting the Best Experience
Sure, all transcription software featured here is amazingly accurate, each with over 95% accuracy on average, but how to make sure that you get the best speech-to-text conversion experience? Here are some tips.
Tip 1: Remember GIGO?
A long time ago, we were taught something about computers, and it was an acronym – GIGO – standing for Garbage In, Garbage Out. What this means is that your output will only ever be as good/ accurate as the input was. So, if your audio input is not much legible to begin with, and even you are facing issues figuring out what was spoken, the speech-to-text software is certainly going to face difficulties with accuracy. So, ensure that your speech is clear, and words are legible to the ear.
Tip 2: Ensure Minimal Background Noise, If at All
Background noise can cause issues with speech detection even if the words spoken are legible to the ear. That is because software is still software and runs the risk of confusing words and noise on occasion. This would lead to errors in transcription and reduced accuracy. Ensure that your audio input is free from background noise to ensure the highest possible rate of accuracy.
Tip 3: About Punctuation
You can speak and the words will get transcribed from voice to text. But we also punctuate! How to punctuate in audio? How do the software recognize punctuation? Simple – speak it! Wherever you want a punctuation, or comma, just speak it.
Part 4: Convert Text to Speech with Wondershare Virbo
Is there any tool to convert text to speech just as easily? Of course, there is! Using Wondershare Virbo, you can easily generate audio from text, using the Text to Speech feature. Here’s how it can be done.
Step 1: Go to Wondershare Virbo online and click Text to Speech.
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Step 2: Now, input your text or upload Word or text file by clicking Upload Files.
Step 3: Choose voiceover and adjust speed, pitch, and volume. Then, click “Generate Audio”
Step 4: Click the Play button to play the generated audio. If you are satisfied with the audio, you can download it to save.
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Speech recognition technology, or the technology that converts voice into text, has come a long way indeed. Today, it runs on practically any and all devices you might own, from the desktop to the laptop to the smartphone to the humble smartwatch, even. While the main goal and use of that technology is to recognize your speech and enter the text in whichever app speech recognition is being used in, sometimes you need more. For that, you need online tools. This guide provides you with the top tools for speech-to-text conversion and also provides you an easy way should you want it the other way round – text-to-speech – for use in videos or whatever other reason.