Dictation vs transcription: which one do you actually need?
They sound like synonyms and solve different problems. Pick by when the words are needed: now, in this text field, or later, from a recording.
- Dictation is live, transcription is after
- Different tools win each job
- Both need a writing layer on top
ugh tell maya i can't make saturday dinner work blew up and i feel terrible but can we do next week instead
Hey Maya, I can't make Saturday dinner, work blew up. Really sorry. Can we do next week instead?
Tap a style. Same thought, a different landing.
What each one is
Dictation is speaking instead of typing, live, into the app you are using: the words appear as you talk and you send them now. Transcription converts existing audio, a meeting recording, a voice memo, an interview, into text afterward, usually with speaker labels and timestamps.
Which one you need
Writing messages, emails, notes and docs by voice: dictation. Getting a record of a meeting or interview: transcription (tools like Otter live there). If your real goal is "stop typing so much", you want dictation; a meeting transcriber cannot type your Slack replies.
The missing third step: writing
Both produce words. Neither produces writing: structure, punctuation you did not speak, the right tone for the reader. Speechy is dictation plus that writing layer, live on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. Say it messy; what lands in the text field is the sendable version.
More than transcription, it frames the message.
Speak or type the messy version, and Speechy hands back the sendable one: the right tone, structure and context, in whatever app you're already in.
The message, not the transcript
Most voice apps stop at words on a page. Speechy gives you the message: the right tone, length and language, ready to send.
24 styles, one tap
Flirty, Firm, Diplomatic, Professional, Gen Z and 19 more. Keep your 5 on the keyboard and switch mid-conversation.
A real keyboard on iPhone and iPad
Every layout you use, with autocorrect and suggestions, plus the mic. On Mac, one shortcut in any app. Windows and Android are on the way.
Think in one language, send in another
Speak the way you think and send it in your keyboard's language, or any of 12.
Good questions, straight answers.
Is dictation the same as transcription?
No. Dictation is live speech-to-text where your cursor is, for writing. Transcription converts recorded audio afterward, for records of meetings and interviews.
Can Speechy transcribe my meetings?
Speechy is built for dictation: writing by voice, live, in any app. For multi-speaker meeting records with timestamps, use a dedicated transcription tool alongside it.
Stop rewriting your thoughts.
Say the messy version. Send the clean one. Your first 10 messages are free, no account, no card.