Dictation Software for Windows 10 and 11: Talk Into Any App

LumeVoice is dictation software for Windows 10 and 11 that types what you say into any app. Hold Ctrl + Win, talk, and let go: a cleaned-up version of your words appears at the cursor, punctuated and without the filler. Below you'll find setup steps, an honest comparison with the voice typing built into Windows, and when the free tools are all you need.

How LumeVoice works on Windows#

LumeVoice (the app itself is called Lume) runs from the system tray and waits for your shortcut.

• Hold Ctrl + Win, speak, let go. Lume pastes the finished text wherever your cursor is.
• Go hands-free for longer pieces. Double-press the shortcut, or tap Space while you're holding it, and keep talking with your hands free. Press the shortcut once to finish, or Esc to cancel.
• Pick your own shortcut. In Lume's settings you can use one key, such as Right Ctrl or an F-key, or a combination like Ctrl + Alt.
• Watch the pill. A small pill above the taskbar shows a waveform while you talk and a check mark once the text lands. If no text field was selected, the pill shows your words with a Copy button.
• Paste it again. Your last dictation can be pasted a second time from the pill or the tray menu.
• Transcribe files. Audio and video files (mp3, m4a, wav, aac, aiff, flac, ogg, wma, mp4, mov, m4v, wmv, webm) become text from the tray, or right-click a file in File Explorer.

Lume writes down what you said. It never answers questions or carries out commands, so it won't open apps or click buttons for you.

How to install LumeVoice on Windows#

1. Download the installer from this page.
2. Run it. Lume installs for your user account only, so there's no admin password or UAC prompt.
3. If you see "Windows protected your PC", select More info, then Run anyway. Microsoft Defender SmartScreen warns about downloads that don't yet have an established reputation with Microsoft, which happens with newer apps. Only do this for the installer you downloaded from lumevoice.com.
4. Sign in and follow the short setup. Allow microphone access, do a quick key test so Lume can see your shortcut, and try a practice sentence.

If Lume can't hear you, open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and make sure Let desktop apps access your microphone is on. That's the Windows 11 switch Microsoft points to for desktop apps.

How to dictate on Windows#

For a quick Teams reply, hold Ctrl + Win, say it, let go. For a long email or a report section, double-press the shortcut, talk for as long as you need, then press it once to finish.

• Speak naturally. Lume adds punctuation, capitals and paragraph breaks from context. Say "new line" or "new paragraph" when you want a break in a particular place.
• Change your mind out loud. "Book the room for two, actually three o'clock" comes out with only the three o'clock.
• Say lists as lists. Spoken lists become numbered or bulleted lists.

You say: "Hi Dana, um, quick update, the report is, uh, basically done, I'll send it Thursday, no wait, Wednesday morning."

Lume types: "Hi Dana, quick update: the report is basically done. I'll send it Wednesday morning."

One Windows limit to know: Lume can't type into a program you've run as administrator. Windows only lets an app send keystrokes to apps at the same or a lower privilege level, so this applies to every tool that types for you.

Windows voice typing vs voice access vs LumeVoice#

Windows already has three built-in ways to write by voice. Here's what Microsoft documents as of October 2026:

• Voice typing (Windows key + H). Works in any text box and starts listening right away; say "Stop listening" to end it. It uses online speech recognition powered by Azure Speech services, so it needs an internet connection. Windows 11 supports 46 language and region versions, with settings for automatic punctuation, a profanity filter and a launcher that appears in text boxes. On Windows 10 it's called dictation, works in fewer languages, and its editing commands are US English only.
• Voice access (Windows 11, version 22H2 and later). Lets you control your PC and write using only your voice, without an internet connection once a language's speech pack is downloaded. It has its own "Add to vocabulary" list for hard words. It replaced Windows Speech Recognition in September 2024.
• Fluid dictation (Copilot+ PCs). Built into voice typing and voice access, it corrects grammar, punctuation and filler words as you speak, using small language models that run on the PC. It's on by default in English locales, and you can say "Revert" or "Undo that" to get your original words back.

The honest summary: the built-in tools are free, and voice access is the only option here that works offline or lets you run your PC by voice. LumeVoice is for people who write a lot and want the same cleanup on every PC, in every language it supports, with their own words spelled right.

When the built-in Windows tools are enough#

• You have a Copilot+ PC and write in English. Try fluid dictation first. It handles a good share of the cleanup on the PC itself, at no cost.
• You need to dictate offline, or to control Windows by voice. Use voice access. LumeVoice can't do either.
• You dictate the odd sentence. Windows key + H is quick and free.

LumeVoice starts to pay off when dictation becomes part of your day: long emails and documents on any PC, not only Copilot+ ones, cleanup in more languages than English, product names that must be spelled right, recordings to transcribe, and the same tool on your Mac or phone.

What the cleanup does to your words#

Speech is transcribed in the cloud by Whisper large-v3-turbo running on Groq, with Mistral's Voxtral as a fallback. A language model then tidies the text:

• Filler words and stutters ("um", "uh", "like", "you know") are removed.
• Self-corrections are applied, so only what you meant is kept.
• Punctuation, capitals and paragraph breaks are added from context; spoken punctuation such as "comma" and "new paragraph" still works.
• Spoken lists become numbered or bulleted lists.
• Grammar and spelling are fixed.
• Custom dictionary: names, jargon and acronyms you add are passed to speech recognition, so they come out spelled right.
• Snippets: say a short cue and Lume types the full text, such as an address, a sign-off or a link.
• Writing styles: presets such as Default, Casual, Excited and Casual Lowercase.

Does it work in Word, Outlook and Teams?#

Yes, and everywhere else you can type. Lume pastes at the cursor, so it works in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Slack, Notion, VS Code and any website in Chrome, Edge or Firefox. There's no add-in or browser extension to install; LumeVoice doesn't make one, because the Windows app already types into web pages.

For app-specific tips, see dictating in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Microsoft Teams and Google Docs.

Languages#

LumeVoice understands 100 languages and works out which one you're speaking, so you don't change your Windows input language to dictate in another one. You can also set an output language: speak English and get Spanish text.

Is LumeVoice private?#

LumeVoice is cloud-based, so it needs an internet connection, and your audio is sent for processing. It isn't stored after processing (zero data retention), what you say is never used to train models, and your dictation history stays on your PC, not on LumeVoice servers.

If your audio must stay on your computer, voice access is the better fit on Windows, and we'd rather say so here than have you find out later.

How much does LumeVoice cost?#

Every new account gets 3,000 free words, no card required. Pro is $14.99/mo, $79.99/yr, or $249 lifetime, and the first time you upgrade in the app, Pro Monthly and Pro Annual start with a 7-day free trial (card required). See the pricing page for everything that's included.

Students and teachers get 50% off Pro (student discount). Anyone who finds typing hard because of a disability, injury or health condition, such as RSI or arthritis, gets 50% off, with no proof needed (accessibility discount). Email hello@lumevoice.com and enter the code at checkout on your PC.

Requirements#

• Windows 10 or Windows 11
• An internet connection
• A microphone (a laptop's built-in one is fine; a headset helps in open offices)
• No admin rights: Lume installs for your user account only

The short version#

If you dictate a sentence now and then, or need offline dictation, the tools built into Windows are free and worth trying first. If you write all day in Word, Outlook and Teams and want filler words, false starts and lists handled on any PC, hold Ctrl + Win and try LumeVoice with 3,000 free words. Using a Mac as well? LumeVoice works the same way there; see dictation on Mac.