How to use dictation on a Chromebook
Turn on Dictation in Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard and text input. Then click where you want to type and press Search + D (or Launcher + D), or select the microphone, and speak.
Turn Dictation on
- At the bottom right, select the time (or press Alt + Shift + S).
- Select Settings → Accessibility.
- Under Keyboard and text input, turn on Dictation.
Dictate
- Click or tap where you want to type.
- Press Search + D or Launcher + D, or select the microphone at the bottom of the screen.
- Speak. Say "cancel" to stop.
Dictation listens in your Chromebook's language. If the language you speak doesn't match the device language, recognition won't work.
Voice commands
ChromeOS Dictation includes editing commands as well as punctuation. Wait for your spoken text to clear from the box before saying a command.
| Say | Does |
|---|---|
| "comma", "period", "question mark", "exclamation point" | Punctuation |
| "new line" | Line break |
| "type" + words | Types those words literally (handy for typing the word "comma") |
| "delete the previous word" / "…sentence" / "…character" | Deletes |
| "delete" + word or phrase | Deletes that phrase (before the cursor) |
| "replace" + phrase + "with" + phrase | Replaces text before the cursor |
| "insert" + phrase + "before" + phrase | Inserts text |
| "select all", "unselect", "select from" + phrase + "to" + phrase | Selection |
| "cut", "copy", "paste" | Clipboard |
| "undo", "redo" | Undo and redo |
| "move to the next word" / "previous line" and so on | Moves the cursor |
| "cancel" | Stops dictation |
| "help" | Opens the help article |
Newer commands such as "delete all", "move to the start" and "move to the end" work in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
In Google Docs
Google Docs has its own voice typing with extra formatting commands. See voice typing in Google Docs.