News and journalism
I used Windows Dictation to write this article with my voice
Mark Hachman, PCWorld, 2023
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A PCWorld senior editor wrote a full article by voice using Windows 11 Voice Access and Windows Dictation, and reported what worked and what did not. It was published in July 2023, before later Voice Access updates.
- How much weight it carries
- A single reviewer's first-hand test, from a reputable tech publication. It is one person's experience, not a controlled study, and it predates the Voice Access features Microsoft has added since 2023.
Facts taken from this source
- In the same 2023 PCWorld test, the writer found that Windows gets confused when a word can be read either as text or as an action or punctuation.
“But Windows gets confused when you use words that can be interpreted both as words and as actions, or as punctuation.” (Article body, section on editing)
- In the 2023 PCWorld test, the writer found that navigating within an application by voice sometimes felt nearly impossible, although dictating text worked better.
“But navigating within an application, using just my voice, sometimes felt nearly impossible.” (Article body, opening section)
- In a 2023 PCWorld test, a writer who dictated a full article found that Windows does a good job transcribing speech.
“Windows does a good job transcribing what you say.” (Article body, paragraph on editing)