Official documentation
Using the Web Speech API
MDN contributors, MDN Web Docs (Mozilla), 2026
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Mozilla's developer guide to speech recognition and synthesis in the browser. It explains that browser speech recognition uses a server by default and how a page can request on-device recognition instead.
- How much weight it carries
- MDN is the standard reference for web platform APIs, written and reviewed by browser vendors and contributors. Browser support for on-device recognition varies and changes over time.
Facts taken from this source
- By default, speech recognition on a web page sends your audio to a server-based recognition service, so it does not work offline.
“By default, using speech recognition on a web page involves a server-based recognition engine. Your audio is sent to a web service for recognition processing, so it won't work offline.” (Speech recognition section)
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