How to Use Voice Typing (Speech to Text) on Any Website

Learn how to use Helperbird's use voice typing (speech to text). Complete guide for improving web accessibility and reading support.

What is Voice Typing?

Voice Typing (also called Speech to Text or Dictation) lets you speak into your microphone and have your words automatically typed out as text. Instead of typing on a keyboard, you just talk.

Helperbird converts your speech into written text that you can then copy and paste wherever you need it.


Who is This For?

This feature is helpful for:

  • People with dyslexia who find typing difficult
  • Anyone with motor difficulties that make typing hard
  • People who think better when speaking than writing
  • Students who want to take notes quickly
  • Anyone who wants to write hands-free

Step 1: Open Helperbird

Click the Helperbird icon in your browser toolbar. It looks like a small owl and is usually in the top-right corner of your browser.

This will open the Helperbird menu.


Step 2: Go to the All Features Section

Scroll down to the bottom of the Helperbird menu. You will see a section called All Features.

Click the arrow next to All Features to expand it and show all available features.


Step 3: Find Voice Typing

Look through the list of features until you see Voice Typing.

Click on Voice Typing to open it.

A panel will appear with a text box and recording controls.


Step 4: Select Your Language

Before you start speaking, choose your language from the dropdown menu in the panel.

This tells Helperbird which language you will be speaking so it can recognize your words correctly.


Step 5: Start Speaking

Click the microphone button to start recording.

Speak clearly into your microphone. As you talk, your words will appear in the text area. When the text area is empty, you will see placeholder text that says "Click the mic button below to start voice typing..." to guide you.

When you are done speaking, click the microphone button again to stop recording.

Tip: To add punctuation, you can say the punctuation mark out loud. For example, say "Hello comma how are you question mark" to get "Hello, how are you?"


Step 6: Use Your Text

Once you are happy with your text, you have several options:

  • Copy – Click the Copy button (circle button) to copy your text to your clipboard
  • Grammar Check – Click the Grammar button (circle button) to check your text for errors
  • Options – Click the Options button for additional settings

You can then paste the copied text anywhere you need it, such as into an email, document, or form field.


Video Tutorial


Need Additional Help?

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact the Helperbird support team. You can reach us at Helperbird support. We are happy to help you get the most out of Helperbird.

What People Are Saying

Join over 1,000,000 people who use Helperbird every day.

This works and it makes everything so much easier to read! Thank you so much and i will keep posted if i do run into any issues!

Jay O'Bell

Jay O'Bell

Helperbird user

I found this extension on a whim to help myself. Suffering with post concussion syndrome symptoms and working remotely is really hard! This extension basically saved my job. It gave me back productivity and the ability to read the screen. This extension has so many neat features I never even knew I needed. I love this and you will too! You don't need to be dyslexic or have dyslexia for this extension to benefit you. Do yourself a giant favor and get it! I highly recommend it!

Catherine Contillo

Catherine Contillo

Helperbird user

I am an assistive technology consultant for 30 school districts. I am adding Helperbird to the list of reading resources that I have available.

Denise Young

Denise Young

Parent

Helperbird is an excellent extension supporting a range of learning differences. Aside from providing many evidence-based dyslexia-assistive tools, the extension also functions as an easy-to-use, feature-rich web experience customization tool suitable to support a wide range of cognitive differences (i.e., color blindness and ADHD-related focus concerns, among others). Also, the developer is a very good person who supports the various learning-different communities in many ways, including by designing the free version of Helperbird to provide enough functionality to be beneficial to people who cannot afford to subscribe to the full-function version.

Kirk Smith

Kirk Smith

Helperbird user

Love the new ruler. Thank you so much and cant wait for the Google docs add on.

A Google User

A Google User

Helperbird user

wonderful

Ayman Mahrous

Ayman Mahrous

Helperbird user

Helperbird logo: Stylized owl with large yellow eyes and a beige face, against a green background.

Download Helperbird

Make browsing easier and more accessible with tools like Text to Speech, Immersive Reader, and more.