Typing on your Mac is a secondary feature, but if you prefer to convert your speech to text instead, here’s how to enable dictation in OS X Yosemite.
Just like on the iPhone, Mac users can speak into the microphone and have it translated to text, saving you from having to type in long-winded replies. This is a particularly useful feature on the iPhone, as the small onscreen keyboard isn’t exactly ideal for typing long messages.
The same can be said for any typing in general. After a long period of typing, your wrists can get tired, which can lead to carpal tunnel and other uncomfortable effects. Therefore, dictation can be a useful feature on computers.
OS X Yosmite has dictation capabilities, but you need to enable the feature before you can start using it. Fortunately, it’s really easy to set up and start using. Here is a brief explanation of what dict is and how to set it up on your Mac.
What is Dictation?
If you look up the word “dictation” in the dictionary, it means “the act of saying words aloud to type, write, or record on tape.”
That means dictation can be anything, from jotting down notes in class or writing down ideas someone shouted at a business meeting. However, in OS X Yosemite, dictation is essentially speech-to-text, allowing you to speak what you would otherwise type. The microphone picks up your voice and translates it into text.
In some cases it may be faster than typing, but dictation on OS X Yosemite has its drawbacks that can make it less useful. In particular, there are some flaws in its accuracy. For OS X’s dictation to properly convert your speech to text, you need to speak clearly. Otherwise, you might mess up some words and have to enter there manually and correct them using the keyboard.
However, dictation is something worth trying if you’ve never used it before, and if you’re not sure if it’s something you’ll use regularly, it never hurts to try it and see how you like it.
How to Enable Dictation in OS X Yosemite
Enabling dictation in OS X Yosemite is really easy and simple. Follow these steps to turn on the feature and get started.
After downloading, simply double-tap the Function (Fn) button to start dictating a sentence. For best results, speak and pronounce clearly. It may sound strange and robotic at first, but you’ll get used to speaking like that when you use dictation.