> Press Dictate and speak. Your words appear in the chapter with punctuation, and nothing you say leaves your device. English projects. # ![](/_astro/studio-microphone.CcKnQan3_Z14DcIn.webp) Write by Voice Dictate your chapters, on your own device Write by Voice is dictation for novelists who think faster than they type. Press Dictate and your words appear in the chapter with punctuation. It runs on your own device, so nothing you say is uploaded. New in 1.4, for English projects. * $45 once, no subscription * Windows and macOS * Phone app included * Works offline [Buy NovelOS, $45 once](https://buy.novelos.studio/) [ Download for Free ![](/_astro/windows.BgLZZtb4_jj0G0.webp)Windows | ![](/_astro/apple.DpoFb0IJ_2gqwJ3.webp)macOS | ![](/_astro/android.U0XyjIh__1jgcYB.webp)Mobile ](/downloads/) [ ![The editor with dictation on: the status bar reads Listening and the newest words are dimmed while they are still being worked out.](/images/1440/dictation-listening.webp) Starts at 20:10 ](https://youtu.be/Wrey3NAX75U?t=1210) Part of the 25 minute walkthrough. [Watch the full tour from the start ](https://youtu.be/Wrey3NAX75U) [Watch on YouTube ](https://youtu.be/Wrey3NAX75U?t=1210) ## Dictation: speak and your words appear in the chapter Click Dictate under the page and talk. Your words appear at the cursor with punctuation. Click again to stop and go back to typing. Click Dictate to start Put the cursor where the new words should go, then click Dictate in the bar under the page. You start talking without leaving the chapter. Your words, in place When you stop, the sentences you spoke are part of the chapter, with capital letters and full stops. Edit them like anything you typed. Write by voice Press Dictate and speak. Your words appear in the chapter with punctuation. It runs on your own computer, in English projects. ## Good to know * **Your voice stays on your device.** The speech model downloads once, then runs on your own computer or phone with no internet. Nothing you say is uploaded. * **English projects only, for now.** Dictation works when the book's language is set to English. The app's own menus can be in any language. * **On the phone.** Tap the microphone in the editor toolbar. It runs on the phone itself, on iOS and Android. * **No AI key and no fee.** Write by voice is not one of the optional AI features, and it costs nothing to use. ## Related features Dictated text is ordinary manuscript text. [See every feature → ](/features/) * [ The manuscript editor ](/features/manuscript/) Write the book in chapters and sub-chapters, with Zen, Typewriter and Vanishing modes and search that forgives typos. * [ Snapshots ](/features/snapshots/) Each chapter keeps old copies of itself. Compare one with the current text and restore it if the rewrite did not work. * [ Margin notes ](/features/margin-notes/) Comment on exactly the words you select, bookmark a paragraph, and work through every note from one list. * [ Read aloud and audiobook ](/features/read-aloud/) Hear a chapter read back with each word lit as it is spoken, and export the book as audio, one track per chapter. * [ The phone app ](/features/mobile-app/) The same studio on iOS and Android with the same licence, and one file that moves a project between devices. ## Common questions ### Is my voice sent to a server? No. The speech model runs on your own device, so nothing you say is uploaded. ### Which languages does dictation understand? English only, for now. It works in projects whose book language is English. ### Do I need an AI key or a subscription? No. It needs no Gemini or OpenAI key and has no usage fee. ### Does it work on my phone? Yes. In the phone app, tap the microphone in the editor toolbar. ### Is it included in the $45? Yes, on Windows, macOS and the phone app. ## Guides for drafting [Browse all articles → ](/blog/) [ ![](/_astro/exposition-timing-window.C3UFnI9B_Z1bB0dh.webp) Exposition in Motion: Give Readers the Right Fact at the Right Moment Place exposition where readers need it by testing what each fact helps them follow, judge, or reinterpret in the current scene. Read article → ](/blog/exposition-immediate-story/)[ ![](/_astro/blurb-synopsis-story-ledger.DsAU8jL__ZQG7Vc.webp) Book Blurb vs Synopsis: Build Promise and Proof Compare a book blurb with a synopsis, then use a promise-to-payoff ledger to write reader-facing copy and a spoiler-complete submission document. Read article → ](/blog/blurb-vs-synopsis/)[ ![](/_astro/dialogue-tag-clarity.DA55unOs_Z1JwpJY.webp) A Clarity Test for Every Dialogue Tag Test dialogue tags by speaker clarity, reset points, placement, action, and rhythm so readers never need to reconstruct who spoke. Read article → ](/blog/dialogue-tag-clarity/) ### Writing Tips & First Edition Access. Craft guides and product updates in your inbox. No spam, ever · Unsubscribe in one click ## Finish your story. Keep your tools. One payment and it is yours. No subscription, no account, no telemetry. Watch the full walkthrough before you buy. [ Buy NovelOS, $45 once ](https://buy.novelos.studio/) One-Time Payment No Telemetry See It First Releases are logged on the [changelog](/changelog/). What comes next is on the [roadmap](/roadmap/). Both are public and dated.