Voice typing for Windows 11
Win+H or VinPUT: two ways to type with your voice, compared.
Windows 11 can type what you say. Click into a text field, press Win+H and speak. It comes with Windows, so there is nothing to install. VinPUT is a separate, free program for the same job, with a few more choices. Here is where the two differ.
What Win+H gives you
Win+H opens the voice typing bar that is part of Windows. It is the quickest way to start, because there is nothing to download or set up, and it is updated along with Windows. If you dictate a message now and then, it may be all you need.
Side by side
| Win+H | VinPUT | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Win+H | F1 by default, or any key you set |
| Speech recognition | The one that comes with Windows | Your choice of model on your PC, or the optional cloud plans |
| Cost | Included with Windows | Free with a model on your PC |
| Source code | Part of Windows | Open source, GPL-3.0 |
| Install | Nothing to install | 3.3 MB setup, no administrator rights |
What VinPUT adds
- F2 types what you say and then presses Enter, which suits chat boxes and search fields.
- A tap-or-hold key. Tap to start and stop, or hold while you talk.
- Spoken formatting: say new line or new paragraph, and a dictionary and snippets for names and phrases you use often.
- A choice of speech model, including ones that run with no internet, and the code to read if you want to.
Using both
Installing VinPUT leaves Win+H where it is. They are separate programs, so you can use whichever suits the moment. To try VinPUT, download the setup and run it. The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows shows Windows protected your PC; click More info, then Run anyway. Then pick a model under Settings, Models.
Questions
Is Win+H still there if I install VinPUT?
Yes. VinPUT is a separate program, so you can use either one. Win+H is part of Windows and VinPUT does not replace it.
Does VinPUT need the internet?
Not with a model on your PC. You need the internet to download the app and the models, and for the optional Plus and Pro plans, which recognize speech on VinPUT's service in the EU.
Can VinPUT press Enter for me?
Yes. F2 types what you say and presses Enter once the last words are typed. F1 types without pressing Enter.
Is VinPUT free?
Yes, for dictation with a speech model on your PC, with no time limit and no account. Plus (€2.50 a month) and Pro (€5 a month) are optional.
Voice typing in your apps
VinPUT types into any Windows text field, but each app has its own habits around Enter and names. A short page for each:
- Cursor Speak prompts and follow-ups to the agent.
- VS Code Comments, commit messages and README text.
- Windows Terminal Say a command, read it, then press Enter.
- Obsidian Notes and a daily journal, said out loud.
- Notion Pages, meeting notes and comments.
- Word Long documents, paragraphs and edits by voice.
- Gmail Mail in the browser, with an email cleanup.
- Slack When to use F1 and when F2 sends.
- Discord Chat by voice without clashing with push-to-talk.
- ChatGPT Ask in the web box with F2.
Related pages
- Vibe coding with your voice Speak prompts into Cursor, Codex or a terminal.
- Offline speech to text What works with no connection, and what needs one.
- Dictation to type less Use your voice for the long stretches of typing.
- Wispr Flow alternative for Windows A free option if you want to leave a subscription app.