Fact · Dictation
8 to 15words per minute
Earlier reported composition speed using speech software was 8 to 15 words per minute, which the authors describe as much lower than normal speaking speed.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“The reported composition speed using speech software is only between 8 and 15 words per minute”
How productivity improves in hands-free continuous dictation tasks: lessons learned from a longitudinal study, Jinjuan Feng et al., Interacting with Computers, 2005, Abstract.
Open the original- What it measures
- The authors cite speed figures from earlier dictation studies, then study users composing documents by continuous dictation over several sessions.
- What it does not show
- The 8 to 15 figure is quoted from earlier work, not measured in this study, and it comes from recognizers of the late 1990s. Treat it as a historical floor, not a current limit.
Source
Used to calculate
- At the earlier reported composition rate of 8 to 15 words per minute with speech software, composing 1,000 words takes about 67 to 125 minutes.
- Composing by speech software at 8 to 15 words per minute runs at about 5 to 12 percent of normal speaking speed.
- At the 8 to 15 words per minute reported for composing by speech with earlier software, one hour of continuous composing would produce about 480 to 900 words.
- At the 480 to 900 words an hour of composing by speech, a 50,000-word draft would take about 56 to 104 hours of speaking, before any planning or editing time.
Cited on
- Typing Speed: Average WPM and How to Type FasterTopic
- Dictation for Work: Doctors, Lawyers, Writers, StudentsTopic
- Average Typing Speed: WPM by Age, Gender and DeviceGuide
- What Is Dictation? Voice Typing and Talk to Text ExplainedGuide
- Best Dictation Software and Apps, Compared by NeedGuide
- What Is a Good Typing Speed? WPM Levels ExplainedGuide
- Writing a Book by Dictation: Software and WorkflowGuide
- How to Dictate Emails Faster Than You Type ThemGuide
- How Much Time Dictation Saves at WorkGuide
- Dictation vs Typing: When Speaking Beats the KeyboardGuide
- Speaking vs Typing Speed: What the Research ShowsGuide
- Writing Speed: Words per Minute by Hand and per DayGuide
- Does Dictation Change How You Write?Guide
- How long does it take to write 1,000 words?Question
- How many words per hour can you dictate?Question
- How many words per minute can you dictate?Question
- Is dictating emails faster than typing them?Question
- Is dictation faster than typing?Question
- What is the best dictation software for writers?Question
- Oral compositionGlossary