Text to speech productivity hacks
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- How-to: Converting text-to-speech will transform your productivity
- Choose the right program for the right platform
- Multitasking effectively
- Select the right language
- Turn up the reading speed and use the highlighting feature
- Use the playback to check your writing
- Use an automatic proofreading program to check the translation
- Frequently asked questions
See how you can optimize your time with our text-to-speech productivity hacks. Save time on emails, reading, and improve your productivity.
How-to: Converting text-to-speech will transform your productivity
If you are looking for a way to increase your productivity, you have probably heard about text-to-speech software programs. These are programs that you can use to not only convert text into speech but also go from speech-to-text. With a variety of options available, how can you put yourself in the best position possible to get the most out of this text-to-speech program? There are a few key points to keep in mind. Learn more about how to boost your productivity with these hacks for text-to-speech programs.
Choose the right program for the right platform
If you want to get the most out of this program, the first thing you need to do is choose the right program for the right platform. Are you looking for a program that works well for Android and Microsoft Windows? Or, are you looking for a program that comes with a Chrome Extension for Google Docs? You might even be looking for a program that works well with Apple, Mac, and iOS products, such as desktop computers, an iPhone, or an iPad.
Not every program will work well with every platform. You need to consider your goals for the text-to-speech program, how you want to use the program, and what platforms you have available to you. That way, you find a text-to-speech option that is compatible with your devices. Speechify is a powerful text-to-speech program that is available on all major devices in addition to Chrome and Safari extensions, ensuring maximum accessibility for your productivity needs.
Multitasking effectively
You need to make sure you multitask properly while working with a text-to-speech program. You might want to use a headset that allows you to listen to the text-to-speech program, like audio file podcasts, while you clean the house, work out, or cook dinner. You might even want to listen to the dictation program while you drive in the car.
Multitastking is one of the best benefits of the text-to-speech program, but you also need to make sure you can hear the program clearly. If the file is particularly dense, it might require your undivided attention if you want to get the most out of it.
However, there are some situations where you might be able to listen while on the go. Speechify’s voices are incredible clear and natural-sounding, and you can customize them to your listening preference. The program is also compatible with Bluetooth listening devices for on-the-go multitasking.
Select the right language
If you are using transcription or text-to-speech software to go all-in on your multitasking or translation, you need to select the right language before letting the program go to work for you.
Think carefully about the language you want to use on your text-to-speech program. If you use a program such as Speechify, which will work well with your Chrome browser, you will have access to dozens of programs. You need to pick the language if you want the program to work effectively. Speechify also provides text-to-speech in dozens of languages.
Turn up the reading speed and use the highlighting feature
If you want to increase productivity and spend less time writing, you can use keyboard shortcuts, boost the reading speed, and take advantage of the highlighting feature.
There are tons of great ways the average person can shorten the time they need to spend listening to an audio program. One nuance that Speechify has that other programs do not have is the highlighting feature. This feature can help you read along with the program as it goes, helping you learn new words and keep up with the story or file. This could make it easier for you to understand what is happening in the file or story—perfect for those with learning disabilities like dyslexia or for anyone learning a new language.
You should also take advantage of the read speed feature with some programs, including that of Speechify. You can listen much faster than you can read or use voice typing. With Speechify, you can boost the reading speed up to 9x! That way, you can dramatically reduce the amount of time you spend listening to files like web pages or Microsoft Word documents.
Use the playback to check your writing
There are many people who like to use Bluetooth or Dragon dictation software, or one compatible with Google Drive’s operating system, to write their articles and papers. You can even use voice commands to help you.
While this might work well with some mobile devices, not every dictation program is accurate, and there are a lot of dictation errors that could arise. One of the best ways to catch these errors is to use a text-to-speech program to help you.
It can be hard to catch all of the errors if you proofread with your eyes, particularly given that the dictation program is going to use actual words, which will not be picked up by a spell-check program. Furthermore, your eyes might see what you intended to write, not what is actually there.
The best way to catch possible dictation errors is to use a text-to-speech program to read the file back to you. The playback feature of Speechify will help you detect writing errors. Your ears will pick them up immediately, you can mark them, and then you can go back and fix them. This is one of the top reasons why people love using a text-to-speech program so much.
Use an automatic proofreading program to check the translation
Another one of the top productivity tips you need to use if you use speech-to-text or text-to-speech software to increase your workflow is that you must use an automatic proofreading program to check behind you. A lot of small business owners who use email and social media marketing love to use Grammarly to help them. While Siri can be helpful, Grammarly is also helpful for catching writing errors that you might miss even when using text-to-speech software.
You will also need to use a proofreading program if you are translating a file from one language to another. Keep in mind that not every text-to-speech program has an automatic translation feature. If you really want to use this program to translate your file from one language into another, you need to use Speechify, which is compatible with many languages.
Frequently asked questions
Some of the most common questions people ask include:
How can I make text-to-speech work better?
If you have a text-to-speech software, such as Speechify, that you want to work better, take a look at the program settings. For example, on Speechify, you can adjust the reading speed, pitch, and volume to make it easier for you to understand the voice and select the right tone for the application.
How can I improve my dictation accuracy?
If you want to improve your dictation accuracy, follow the dictation guidelines, make corrections as you go, train your dictation software, and save your user profile. This will give the program a chance to learn your voice.
How do I make Google speech-to-text more accurate?
There are a few ways to increase your accuracy with Google dictation. You can use toolkits that will learn your audio and vocabulary. You can also set your language to make the grammar correct for your location. There is also a Google Speech API that can transcribe whole files for you.
How can I make dictation faster?
If you want to make your dictation go faster, make sure your internet connection is solid. Many dictation programs require the internet, and the stronger the connection, the faster it will go. You also need to take advantage of voice commands that can help you save a lot of time as you speak. Resist the urge to talk too fast. If the program doesn’t understand you, it will take you longer to correct the mistakes.
How can I increase my speech-to-text accuracy?
If you need your program to get more accurate, use templates to help you. If you use the same format over and over again, a template can help you save time and increase accuracy. You should also take the time to train your voice recognition program. This will make it easier for the program to understand your voice. Do not forget to use a grammar checker to check behind you and catch mistakes.
What are some other text-to-speech productivity hacks?
There are lots of dictation apps and text-to-speech programs for people with disabilities, but make sure to increase the reading speed and turn up the volume. This will make it easier for you to understand what is said and get through the file faster.
Cliff Weitzman
Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.