How to Use Helperbird for Writing Essays and Assignments
Learn how to use Helperbird to write essays and assignments. Covers voice typing, word prediction, spelling and grammar check, dictionary, and proofreading by listening.
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Writing an essay is a stack of small tasks. Getting ideas out of your head. Finding the right word. Spelling it. Checking it reads well. If any of those steps are harder for you than they should be, Helperbird has a tool that helps. This guide walks through how to use Helperbird to draft, polish, and proofread a piece of writing.
Overview
Helperbird works in Google Docs, Microsoft Word online, most online text editors, and any website with a writing area. You do not need to copy text anywhere special. Write where you normally write.
The tools in this guide can all be turned on together, or one at a time. Most students find that two or three of them cover what they need.
Voice Typing
If typing is slow or tiring, voice typing lets you dictate instead. You speak, Helperbird types.
See How to use voice typing in Helperbird for the full walkthrough.
Voice typing is especially useful for first drafts. It is easier to fix a messy draft than to stare at a blank page, and speaking your ideas out loud often gets them out faster than typing them.
Tip: dictate one paragraph at a time. It is much easier to fix short chunks than a whole essay.
Word Prediction
If you know what you want to say but spelling or word-finding slows you down, word prediction shows you suggestions as you type. You type a few letters, Helperbird predicts the full word.
See How to use word prediction in Helperbird for the walkthrough.
Word prediction is a huge support for students with dyslexia. It takes the pressure off spelling every word perfectly, and it suggests words you might not have remembered on your own.
Spelling and Grammar
Helperbird has built-in spelling and grammar checking that works across any website. Mistakes get underlined and you can fix them in one click.
See How to use the spelling and grammar checker in Helperbird for the details.
This works alongside your browser's own spellcheck and the one in Google Docs, so you get a second pair of eyes.
Dictionary
If you are not sure about a word, you can look it up without leaving the page.
See How to use the dictionary in Helperbird for the full guide.
The dictionary also works the other way. If you are searching for a word and it is on the tip of your tongue, typing what you mean into the dictionary or using word prediction can help you find it.
Proofreading by Listening
The single most useful proofreading trick for anyone who writes: have your essay read aloud to you. Your ears catch things your eyes miss, especially awkward sentences, missing words, and lines that do not flow.
Use Helperbird's text to speech to read your essay out loud. Highlight a paragraph and listen, then highlight the next one. You will catch mistakes in minutes that you would miss on a silent read.
For a final proof, try playing the whole essay while you follow along with your eyes. If something sounds wrong, pause and rewrite.
Staying Focused While Writing
Writing is half focus. If the page is distracting, or you keep jumping between tabs, Helperbird can help.
- Line focus dims everything except the line you are on.
- Reading mode strips your research pages down to just the text.
- Hide images and GIFs removes visual clutter while you work.
- Notepad gives you a simple side-panel to drop ideas without leaving the page you are on.
For more focus tips, see How to Use Helperbird for ADHD and Focus.
A Good Writing Workflow
If you want a step-by-step writing flow using Helperbird, try this:
- Draft with voice typing. Get your ideas out first. Do not worry about grammar.
- Tidy with word prediction and spellcheck. Go back and fix the draft.
- Look up anything fuzzy with the dictionary.
- Proof by listening. Read it out loud with text to speech and fix anything that sounds off.
- Read once more with the eyes. Now that the sound is right, give it one final visual pass.
Related Guides
- How to Use Helperbird for Dyslexia
- How to Use Helperbird for ADHD and Focus
- How to Use Helperbird for Reading Long PDFs
- How to Use Helperbird as a Teacher
- How to Use the Helperbird Add-on for Google Docs and Slides
- How to Use Accessibility Profiles in Helperbird
Need Help?
If you are writing an essay and want help getting the right Helperbird setup for your writing style, reach out to our support team. Helperbird was founded by someone with dyslexia who has written many essays the hard way, and we love helping students find a setup that makes writing easier.
