Collection: Speech to Text and Dictation Software for Dyslexia

Speech to text software, also called dictation or speech recognition software, converts your spoken words into written text on a computer as you talk. You speak into a microphone or headset, and the words appear in programs such as Microsoft Word or email. Many programs also let you add punctuation, edit text and control your computer by voice.

Speech to text software helps people with dyslexia by removing spelling, handwriting and typing as barriers to getting ideas down. Many dyslexic writers know what they want to say but lose ideas while working out how to spell words. Dictating lets them capture their thinking first, then check and edit. Pairing dictation with text to speech also helps with proofreading by ear.

Speech to text turns your spoken words into written text, while text to speech reads written text aloud. People with dyslexia often use both: speech to text for writing and text to speech for reading and proofreading. Everway Read&Write includes both, while Dragon Professional focuses on dictation and voice control, with a feature that plays back what you dictated.

Free built-in dictation, such as Windows voice typing, works well for short pieces of writing. Dragon Professional goes further: it learns your voice, lets you add custom words, creates voice commands and transcribes recordings of a single speaker. Read&Write adds dictation alongside reading, spelling and word prediction tools, making it a strong all-round literacy choice.

Yes, schools can use speech to text software as part of SEN support or EHCP provision for pupils with dyslexia whose written work does not reflect their ability. Read&Write Education suits all ages and includes Talk&Type dictation with no voice training. Dragon Professional is designed for professional use, so it best suits older students. Ask us about whole-school licensing.

For most children with dyslexia, our team recommends starting with Everway Read&Write at home. Its Talk&Type dictation needs no voice training: click the icon and start speaking. It also reads text aloud and checks spelling phonetically, so children can write and proofread independently. Dragon Professional suits older teenagers who write longer pieces on a Windows PC.

Access to Work is a government grant that can help pay for specialist equipment and assistive software for eligible employees, which can include speech to text software such as Dragon. Funding depends on the individual assessment. Get advice before buying, because Access to Work only refunds equipment bought before assessment in certain conditions. Employers also have a duty to make reasonable adjustments.