How to Test Dictation for Your Accent and Languages

The language list tells you which languages an app supports. Your own samples tell you whether it will save you time. If your workday includes French calls, English emails and Portuguese names, test all three before changing your routine.

Record three samples

• Everyday speech: Dictate a short reply at your normal pace. Keep the pauses and restarts you would make when thinking.
• Names and numbers: Include a surname, a product name and a delivery date. Check each against what you intended.
• Language changes: Dictate two separate messages in different languages. Then try one sentence with a foreign name or phrase. Switching between messages and switching within a sentence are different tasks.

Use the same mic and room for each tool. Compare how long it takes to turn each result into text you would send. One misheard name that keeps recurring may matter more than several misplaced commas.

Try both automatic detection and a fixed language

Automatic detection is useful when you alternate languages across drafts. If a short message keeps coming back in the wrong language, choose the intended language and run the same sample again. For text that mixes languages, try dictating one passage at a time and joining the passages in your editor.

Whisper One supports Chinese, English, German, Portuguese, French and Hindi (preview). On Mac, start with automatic detection; select French or Hindi in Settings when dictating in those languages. See the language guide or download Whisper One to try your own samples.