What is the best free speech to text app for students?

The best free speech to text for most students is the tool already on their device. Built-in tools need no install and no extra purchase, and they are good enough for a first draft, notes or a homework answer. A separate app is worth trying only when the built-in tool fails at something you need. The right built-in tool depends on the device, so the table below lists each one with its main limit.

The built-in tool on your device is the best free starting point

Two of these rows need a closer look. Word for the web needs a Microsoft 365 sign-in, so check whether your school gives you access before you plan around it. Windows voice typing needs a connection, so it fails on a train or in a place with no signal.

Choose by the limit you will actually hit

Work through these questions in order, because each one can rule a tool out.

1. Do you need to work offline? Windows voice typing needs the internet, so if you must work without a connection, test a Mac first, since Apple says general text Dictation on a Mac is processed on the device ⁹. Run the test before a deadline.
2. Do you dictate in more than one language? Check the language list for each tool. On a Chromebook, a mismatch between the spoken language and the device language stops dictation ², so set the device to the language you speak.
3. Is the device a school machine? The school may control these settings, so ask the IT team before you rely on a tool.
4. Do you write long documents? Test the tool on a full page you already know, and check how many words you must fix by hand.

The UK Department for Education reviewed the speech to text software on offer for students in its consultation on funded assistive software. It found that free-to-access tools are easy to get and simple to set up, and that they support basic transcription, which makes them suitable for students with general dictation needs ¹⁰. That is a government judgment, not an independent test. It does not say how free tools cope with accents, specialist vocabulary or long documents, so run your own check.

When a separate app is worth trying, and how to test it

A separate app is worth a trial when the built-in tool misses words you use every day, such as subject terms or names, or when you need a feature the built-in tool lacks. Test any app on the same passage you tried with the built-in tool. Count the words that need fixing, and time how long the fixes take. A tool that is faster to dictate with but slower to correct is not a saving.

Yap, which we make, is an on-device dictation app for Mac and Windows, and it is one option to test if the built-in tools are not enough. Check the download page for the current versions and pricing for the cost, since most of the built-in tools here cost nothing extra, and some students will never need another app.

Whichever tool you choose, the editing step does not change. Speech input leaves errors in the final text ¹¹, so read the draft through by hand before you submit it. The question on whether speech to text is cheating covers the rules that apply to the text you produce, and the question on whether dictation can be used on tests covers exams. For the full set of steps and the studies on students' writing, see the guide to speech to text for students.