In short
For running text, usually yes. In a study from Stanford University and the University of Washington, people entered English text 2.93 times faster by speech than with a phone keyboard: 153 versus 52 words per minute. For small edits, code or loud rooms, the keyboard is still better. Zack Typing estimates the time you save from your own dictations.
- Speech in the study
- 153 words per minute (English, copying short messages)
- Phone keyboard in the study
- 52 words per minute
- Computer keyboard, large online test
- 52 words per minute on average
- Zack Typing estimate
- Assumes typing at 30 words per minute
- Statistics in the app
- Time saved, words per minute, time spoken
How to see your own numbers
- Dictate as usual for a few days. The statistics line appears after at least three dictations and one minute saved.
- Open the Zack Typing window. The line with time “saved”, “WPM” and time “spoken” is on the start screen.
- Click the line to switch between “7 days”, “30 days” and “All time”.
What does research say about speech and typing speed?
Researchers from Stanford University and the University of Washington had 48 people, 24 English and 24 Mandarin speakers, enter short messages on an iPhone 6 Plus in a quiet lab, once by speech recognition and once with the built-in keyboard. Errors could be fixed by speaking again or with the keyboard; most people chose the keyboard.
| Measured | Speech | Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| English input speed | 153 words per minute | 52 words per minute |
| Mandarin input speed | 123 words per minute | 43 words per minute |
| Errors corrected during entry | 5.30% | 11.22% |
| Errors left in the final text | 1.30% | 0.79% |
The numbers are an upper bound. People copied given phrases instead of writing their own, and the authors note that everyday use still has to be studied. When you compose a message, you also think while you speak.
At a computer keyboard, a study with 168,000 volunteers measured an average of 52 words per minute when copying sentences; the fastest typed 120. That study by Dhakal and colleagues from Aalto University and the University of Cambridge appeared at CHI 2018.
How does Zack Typing estimate the time I save?
The statistics line shows three numbers: time “saved”, your speaking speed in “WPM” and time “spoken”, which is how long you recorded.
Zack Typing assumes that typing a word takes two seconds, which is 30 words per minute, and subtracts the time you actually spent recording. Example: 300 words dictated in 2.5 minutes would take 10 minutes to type, so Zack Typing counts 7.5 minutes saved and 120 WPM.
30 words per minute is below the 52 measured for copying sentences; writing your own text is usually slower than copying. The estimate leaves out the time you spend correcting. It counts the successful dictations in your history, so dictations you delete or that expire no longer count.
Do I have to correct dictated text?
Yes, read it before you send it. In the study, speech left slightly more errors in the final text than the keyboard. Typical misses are names, technical terms, words that sound alike and punctuation.
Two things in Zack Typing reduce the rework: the personal dictionary for names and jargon, and chips such as “Improve”, which remove filler words and smooth sentences.
When is typing still the better choice?
- Small corrections: Zack Typing has no voice commands, so fixing a single word is faster with the keyboard.
- Code, formulas, tables and forms with many short fields.
- Open-plan offices, meetings or trains, where you cannot or do not want to speak aloud.
- Loud rooms, where the microphone picks up other voices.
- Passwords and confidential details that people around you should not hear.
Many texts work best as a mix: dictate the draft, then fix details with the keyboard.
Related questions
Why does my statistics line not appear?
It appears after at least three successful dictations and at least one minute saved. If the selected period is empty, Zack Typing shows all time instead.
Does dictation save time in other languages too?
The study also measured Mandarin Chinese: 123 words per minute by speech against 43 with the keyboard, 2.87 times faster.
Are the study results about Zack Typing?
No. The study used a different speech recognizer on a phone. Your own numbers are in the statistics line of Zack Typing.