For writers
Free dictation app for writers, novelists, and journalists
Free with modern local models and BYOK cloud. No account, no quota. Draft long-form work in Scrivener, Ulysses, iA Writer, Highland 2, Word, or Google Docs. iPhone keyboard included.
Updated
Why Spokenly fits writers
Drafts that flow
Modern transcription captures your stream of thought without choking on unusual words, names, or technical terms.
Works where you write
Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, Ulysses, iA Writer, Highland 2, Obsidian, Notion, Bear, Drafts, Ghost, Substack. If it accepts text, Spokenly works in it.
Optional AI cleanup
Custom prompts let you smooth fillers, fix tense, or polish tone. Your prompt, your control. No black-box rewriting.
iPhone keyboard for chapters anywhere
Capture ideas, scenes, or chapters on your iPhone with Spokenly's custom keyboard. One Pro subscription covers both Mac and iPhone.
Journalists and interview transcripts
Speaker diarization in Spokenly's file transcription identifies who said what across long interviews. Export to text or SRT.
Privacy for sensitive drafts
Memoirs, NDAs, unpublished manuscripts. Spokenly's Local Only Mode keeps audio and text on your devices.
100+ languages
Write in any language Whisper supports. Multilingual writers can switch on the fly.
Workflows
- 1
Long-form drafting
Open your manuscript, press your shortcut, and speak. Spokenly transcribes paragraphs at a time with sub-second latency.
- 2
Outline-then-fill
Speak your outline first, then dictate each section in passes. Whisper handles long monologues without breaks.
- 3
Voice notes to draft
Capture ideas on iPhone via the Spokenly keyboard. Walk, drive, or commute and have transcripts ready when you sit down.
- 4
AI revision pass
Use a custom prompt to apply tone or grammar fixes. GPT-4 or Claude transforms text the way you specify.
- 5
Speaker diarization for interviews
Journalists can transcribe interviews with speaker labels using Spokenly's file transcription.
Spokenly vs typical writers solutions
| Feature | Spokenly | Dragon, Aqua Voice, MacWhisper, Apple Dictation |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $8 to $300+ per year |
| Works in any writing app | Yes, system-wide | Often Word/Docs only |
| Modern local models | Yes | Often older or cloud-only |
| Custom AI rewriting | Your prompts, your AI model | Black-box or none |
| iOS keyboard for ideas on the go | Yes | Mobile app only |
| Speaker labels (interviews) | Yes (file transcription) | Sometimes |
| Offline mode | Yes | Often cloud-only |
| Privacy for unpublished work | Local Only Mode | Cloud always |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dictation actually faster than typing for writing?
Yes. Most writers reach 120 to 150 words per minute by voice vs 60 to 80 typed. The challenge is editing, not capture. Spokenly transcribes verbatim with high accuracy so you spend less time fixing mistakes.
Will Spokenly mess up my characters' or technical names?
Spokenly's transcription handles unusual proper nouns better than older speech engines. For names that consistently misrecognize, word replacements fix them automatically going forward.
Does Spokenly work in Scrivener and Ulysses?
Yes. Spokenly is system-wide, so it works in any Mac writing app: Scrivener, Ulysses, iA Writer, Highland 2, Obsidian, Bear, Drafts, Word, Pages, Google Docs, Notion. More on spokenly.app/dictation-for-mac.
Can I use AI to polish dictated drafts?
Yes, optionally. Spokenly's custom prompts let you route dictation through GPT-4 or Claude with instructions like 'fix tense to past, keep my voice intact'. You write the prompt, you stay in control.
Is voice dictation private for unpublished manuscripts?
Yes with Local Only Mode. Audio and text stay on your Mac. Nothing gets sent to any cloud, including transcription services.
Can I dictate on my phone for ideas?
Yes. Spokenly's iOS app includes a custom keyboard that works in any iOS writing app. Use it for quick capture, then continue editing on your Mac.
What is the best dictation software for novelists?
Spokenly is the best free dictation software for novelists in 2026. Modern transcription handles unusual character names, technical worldbuilding terms, and long-form pacing better than Apple Dictation or older Dragon products. Works in every Mac writing app. See spokenly.app/blog/best-dictation-software-2026 for the full ranking of 10 apps.
Does Spokenly work in Scrivener on Mac?
Yes. Scrivener accepts standard text input on Mac, so Spokenly's voice dictation works in any Scrivener panel: composition, notes, synopsis, even outliner cards.
Can I dictate offline?
Yes. With local Parakeet or Whisper, dictation works fully offline on your Mac. Useful when writing in airplanes, trains, or low-coverage areas.
Can Spokenly help me hit NaNoWriMo's 50,000-word target?
Yes. Voice drafting averages 2-3x typing speed for narrative writing. Many novelists hit 4,000+ words/day with Spokenly. Modern transcription handles character names and worldbuilding terms without retraining, so you spend less time editing and more time writing.
Ready to try Spokenly?
Free to use with local models. No account required.
Download for macOS