# Dictation software for Windows

> Latch is dictation software for Windows that works in every app and hands you clean text, not a raw transcript. Tap Ctrl+Win, talk, and tap it again. The text lands at your cursor with the ums, restarts, and corrections already gone.

Say it once. Paste the version you meant. Last updated 2026-10-04. HTML version: https://latchvoice.less.style/dictation-software

## Example

You say: "so the budget is about forty, sorry, fifty thousand euros and we need it by the end of, uh, March"

Latch pastes:

> The budget is about 50,000 euros and we need it by the end of March.

## Good dictation software gets five things right.

Reviews of dictation software keep coming back to the same checklist. Latch is built around it, and then goes one step further: it finishes the sentence the way you meant it.

- **Accuracy.** Names and product terms are where dictation usually slips. In Latch you fix one once, from the badge, and it is spelled your way from then on.
- **Few steps.** One chord and nothing to switch on first. There is no window to open and no page to keep in a tab.
- **Commands.** Say “new paragraph” or name a punctuation mark and Latch does it instead of typing the words. Select text and say “make this shorter” to edit it.
- **Languages.** The language is detected on every take. Speak Italian, then English, without touching a setting.
- **Versatility.** Any Windows app with a text cursor: mail, chat, a document, an editor, a terminal.

## Dictation that edits as it types.

- **[Clean text, not a transcript](https://latchvoice.less.style/dictation-software-that-removes-ums-windows.md).** Most dictation software types what it heard. Latch writes what you meant: ums and false starts dropped, “sorry, fifty” resolved to 50, numbers written as numbers, names left as you said them. Your tone stays yours.
- **[It knows where the text is going](https://latchvoice.less.style/privacy).** Latch looks at the app, the field, and the words around your cursor, so a reply continues the sentence you are in instead of starting a new one. It reads nothing in password fields, password managers, private browser windows, or terminals, and you can switch it off or exclude an app in Settings.
- **Styles you pick or name out loud.** Curated, Formal, and Email out of the box, plus your own prompts. Leave the bar on No style and say the style when you want it: “make it formal: …”, or switch it to Auto and let Latch pick a light one from where you type. Merely mentioning an email does not turn your sentence into one.
- **[Edit by voice](https://latchvoice.less.style/rewrite-selected-text-by-voice-windows.md).** Select a paragraph, press the chord, and say “make this shorter”, “change Thursday to Friday”, or “turn this into a bullet list”. The selection is rewritten in place.
- **[A dictionary that takes seconds](https://latchvoice.less.style/custom-dictionary-for-voice-dictation-windows.md).** When a name comes out wrong, select it, click Custom on the badge, and type it right. Latch fixes it in place and uses your spelling on every take, on every PC you sign in to.
- **[Free to try, and nothing kept](https://latchvoice.less.style/pricing).** 60 recorded minutes every month with every feature, no card needed. Audio and text pass through our server in memory for one take and are dropped.

## Built-in tools are free and fine for a quick message.

Here is where the common ways to dictate on Windows differ. Pick the one that matches how much you write.

| What differs | Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Dictate in Word or Google Docs | Free online dictation pages | Latch |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Where it types | Any text box on Windows | Inside that one app | In a browser tab, then you copy it out | Any Windows app with a text cursor |
| What you get | The recognized text, with automatic punctuation. Copilot+ PCs add Fluid dictation for grammar and filler words | The recognized text, typed as you speak | The recognized text, typed into the page | Cleaned text: no ums, no false starts, corrections resolved |
| How you start | Win+H, then wait for “Listening...” | Open the document, then click the microphone | Open the site, allow the microphone, click the microphone | Ctrl+Win: tap to latch, or hold to talk |
| Price | Included with Windows | Free in Word for the web and Google Docs. Word on the desktop needs Microsoft 365 | Free, often supported by ads | 60 free minutes a month, then $8 for unlimited |

Latch is for when you write more, in more places, and want to edit less afterwards.

## Who it fits

Good fit:

- You write email, chat, documents, or code on a Windows PC and want to say more of it.
- You want to edit less after dictating, not only type faster.
- You move between apps all day and do not want a dictation tool tied to one of them.
- You write in more than one language.

Not a good fit:

- You are on a Mac, Linux, iPhone, or Android. Latch is Windows only for now.
- You need to work offline. Each take is processed online.
- You need to transcribe recordings, interviews, or meetings. Latch dictates live and does not transcribe files.
- You need to run your whole PC by voice. Latch types and edits text; it does not click or open apps.

## Pick the job you do most.

- [Email](https://latchvoice.less.style/voice-dictation-for-email-windows.md): Reply to a thread in one take.
- [Slack and Teams](https://latchvoice.less.style/voice-typing-for-slack-and-teams.md): Answer without leaving the message box.
- [Documents](https://latchvoice.less.style/voice-dictation-for-documents-windows.md): Get a first draft down at the speed you think.
- [Code and prompts](https://latchvoice.less.style/voice-dictation-for-coding-windows.md): Commit messages, comments, and long prompts by voice.
- [Translation](https://latchvoice.less.style/voice-dictation-with-translation-windows.md): Speak your language, paste another.
- [Your own words](https://latchvoice.less.style/custom-dictionary-for-voice-dictation-windows.md): Teach Latch the names it gets wrong.

## Questions

### What is the best dictation software for Windows?

It depends on how much you write. Windows voice typing (Win+H) is built in and fine for a short message. If you dictate longer text in several apps and want it cleaned up, with a dictionary for your names, that is what Latch is built for. It is free for 60 minutes a month, so you can compare on your own work.

### Is Latch free dictation software?

Free to start. Every account gets 60 recorded minutes a month with every feature, and no card is needed. The $8 plan removes the reminder past 60 minutes and uses the same model and features.

### How is Latch different from Windows voice typing?

Windows voice typing types the recognized text. Latch rewrites it before pasting: hesitations and self-corrections are removed, you can pick a style, translate while you speak, and edit text you selected. You press Ctrl+Win instead of Win+H, and the two can live side by side.

### Does it understand voice commands like “new paragraph”?

Yes, for the text itself. Say “new paragraph” or name a punctuation mark and Latch applies it instead of typing the words. “Scratch that” drops what you just said. It does not click, scroll, or open apps.

### Do I need a special microphone?

No. Your laptop microphone or a headset works. A microphone closer to your mouth and a quieter room give the model cleaner audio, as with any dictation tool.

### Is it really free?

Yes. Every account gets 60 recorded minutes a month with every feature. No card needed. Past 60 minutes you get a reminder, never a cut-off.

### Do you keep my audio or transcripts?

No. Audio and text pass through our server in memory for a single take and are dropped when the text comes back.

### How long does setup take?

About a minute: run the installer, sign in from the badge, and press Ctrl+Win in any text field.

## Related guides

- [AI dictation for Windows](https://latchvoice.less.style/ai-dictation.md)
- [Voice typing for Windows](https://latchvoice.less.style/voice-typing.md)
- [Speech to text for Windows](https://latchvoice.less.style/speech-to-text.md)
- [Voice to text for Windows](https://latchvoice.less.style/voice-to-text.md)

## Try it

- [Download for Windows](https://latchvoice.less.style/download)
- [Pricing](https://latchvoice.less.style/pricing)