Blog

Most aspiring authors never finish their books.

The statistics are brutal:

• 97% of people who start a book never finish

• Average time to complete first draft: 18-24 months

• Primary reason for abandoning: "It takes too long"

Voice dictation changes the math completely.

Average typing speed: 50 words/minute = 3,000 words/hour (theoretical maximum) Average writing speed: 500-800 words/hour (accounting for thinking, editing, breaks)

Average speaking speed: 150 words/minute = 9,000 words/hour (theoretical) Average dictation speed: 1,500-2,500 words/hour (accounting for pauses, organization)

Voice dictation is 200-300% faster than typing.

The Author Productivity Study

We studied 34 authors who wrote their books using voice dictation:

• 12 fiction authors

• 14 non-fiction/business authors

• 8 memoir/personal development authors

Average book statistics:

Voice dictation cuts book writing time in half.

The Complete Voice Book Writing Workflow

Phase 1: Preparation (Before You Speak a Word)

Week -1: Planning

Critical truth: Voice dictation amplifies both good planning and poor planning.

With a solid outline:

• Speak continuously for 60-90 minutes

• Produce 3,000-5,000 usable words

• Minimal restructuring needed

Without an outline:

• Ramble aimlessly

• Produce 2,000 words of unusable content

• Massive editing required

The preparation checklist:

✅ Complete chapter outline (3-5 bullet points per chapter) ✅ Character sheets (fiction) or Key concepts (non-fiction) ✅ Research completed (don't break flow to research mid-dictation) ✅ Scene list (fiction) or Story arc (memoir) ✅ Tone/voice defined (formal, casual, technical, conversational)

Time investment: 10-20 hours of planning Payoff: 40-60 hours saved during dictation

Case Study: Michael R., Business Book Author

Book: "The Modern Sales Playbook" (62,000 words)

Before dictation attempt #1 (no outline):

• Rambled for 8 hours

• Produced 11,000 words

• Kept only 2,000 words (82% wasted)

After creating detailed outline:

• Dictated entire book in 26 hours over 3 weeks

• 62,000 words total

• Kept 54,000 words (87% retention)

Quote:

"My first attempt at voice writing failed because I winged it. With a proper outline, dictation is magic. I wrote my book 10x faster than typing."

Phase 2: Dictation Sessions (The Writing)

The optimal dictation schedule:

Option 1: The Daily Sprint (Recommended for most)

• 90-minute session, 5 days/week

• Morning time (fresh mental energy)

• 2,000-3,000 words per session

• 50,000-word book: 3-4 weeks

Option 2: The Weekend Warrior

• 4-hour sessions, Saturday + Sunday

• 6,000-8,000 words per weekend

• 50,000-word book: 4-6 weeks

Option 3: The Intensive Sprint

• 6-8 hours/day for 2 weeks straight

• 5,000-8,000 words daily

• 50,000-word book: 10-14 days

• WARNING: Mentally exhausting, requires time off work

The 90-minute dictation session breakdown:

Minutes 0-5: Warmup

• Review outline for today's chapter

• Read last paragraph from previous session

• Get mentally in character/topic

Minutes 5-75: Pure dictation

• Speak continuously

• Don't stop to edit

• Don't reread what you've written

• Stay in flow

Minutes 75-85: Quick review

• Skim what you produced

• Note any major structural issues (fix later)

• Mark sections needing research

Minutes 85-90: Plan next session

• Note where you're picking up tomorrow

• Outline next chapter's key points

What to do during the 70-minute dictation block:

✅ DO:

• Speak complete thoughts

• Use natural phrasing

• Pause to think (silence is fine)

• Speak stage directions to yourself ("new paragraph," "end chapter")

• Gesture, pace, act out dialogue (helps authenticity)

❌ DON'T:

• Stop to edit typos/errors

• Reread previous paragraphs

• Second-guess word choices

• Break flow for research

• Worry about perfection

The dictation is your messy first draft. Editing comes later.

Phase 3: The Editing Process (Making It Good)

Critical truth #2: Dictated books require more editing than typed books.

Why?

Spoken language ≠ Written language

• Repetition (you naturally restate ideas when speaking)

• Filler words ("um," "you know," "basically," "actually")

• Rambling sentences

• Casual tone (even when aiming for formal)

• Inconsistent tense/perspective

The editing phases:

Edit 1: Structural Edit (Week 1 post-dictation)

Focus: Organization, flow, logic

• Remove duplicate sections

• Reorganize chapters if needed

• Cut tangents/rambling

• Ensure logical progression

• Fill research gaps

Time: 15-20 hours

Edit 2: Line Edit (Week 2)

Focus: Sentence-level quality

• Fix grammar/syntax

• Improve word choice

• Tighten prose (remove 20-30% of words)

• Smooth transitions

• Enhance clarity

Time: 20-25 hours

Edit 3: Copyedit (Week 3)

Focus: Polish and consistency

• Fix remaining typos

• Consistent formatting

• Check facts/citations

• Standardize style

• Final proofread

Time: 10-15 hours

Total editing time: 45-60 hours for 50,000-word book

Compare to typed book editing: 30-40 hours

You're editing 15-20 hours more, but you saved 60+ hours in writing time.

Net time saved: 40-45 hours

Phase 4: The Revision (Making It Great)

After the three edits above, you have a good draft.

To make it great:

Beta readers (2-3 weeks):

• Send to 5-10 target audience members

• Gather feedback on clarity, engagement, flow

• Identify confusing sections

Final revision based on feedback (1 week):

• Rewrite unclear sections

• Add missing context

• Cut boring parts

• Enhance weak chapters

Professional editing (2-4 weeks):

• Hire developmental editor (structure)

• Hire copy editor (polish)

• Hire proofreader (final pass)

Cost: $1,500-$4,000 depending on book length and editor rates

Fiction-Specific Dictation Strategies

Dialogue Dictation

The challenge: Typed dialogue has tags and formatting.

"I can't believe you did that," Sarah said. "What choice did I have?" Mark replied.

Voice dictation approach:

Speak the dialogue in character voices:

[Higher voice] "I can't believe you did that, Sarah said." [Deeper voice] "What choice did I have, Mark replied."

Speechly learns to:

• Recognize quote formatting from context

• Capitalize proper nouns (character names)

• Add dialogue tags appropriately

Tip: Practice character voices before dictating. Helps differentiate speakers.

Action Scenes

The challenge: Action is fast-paced. Dictation must match energy.

Technique: Speak faster during action sequences.

"John ducked. The bullet shattered the window behind him. Glass exploded everywhere. He rolled left, grabbed his weapon, returned fire."

Speaking speed matches scene pacing = better prose quality.

Emotional Scenes

The challenge: Conveying emotion through spoken words.

Technique: Actually feel the emotion while dictating.

Crying while dictating a sad scene = authentic emotional prose.

Authors report: Readers can "feel" which sections were dictated emotionally vs. clinically.

Setting Description

The challenge: Visual details are hard to convey without seeing the words.

Technique: Visualize the scene completely before speaking.

Close your eyes. See the room. Then describe what you see as if to a blind person.

Result: Rich, immersive description.

Non-Fiction Specific Strategies

Research Integration

The challenge: Non-fiction requires facts, data, citations.

Workflow:

Method 1: Research first, write second

• Complete all research

• Organize notes by chapter

• Dictate with notes visible

• Insert citations verbally ("citation Jones 2023")

Method 2: Mark and fill

• Dictate full draft

• Say "research needed" when you hit a gap

• Go back and fill citations/data during editing

Most authors prefer Method 2: Maintains dictation flow.

Case Studies and Examples

The challenge: Specific details, numbers, names.

Solution: Type out case studies beforehand. Dictate analysis around them.

Example structure:

[TYPED] Case Study: Company X increased revenue from $2M to $8M in 18 months.

[DICTATED] This growth demonstrates the power of focused positioning. When Company X shifted from generic consulting to specialized SaaS sales optimization, they immediately differentiated from competitors. The 300% revenue increase validates the positioning framework I've outlined in previous chapters.

How-To Instructions

The challenge: Step-by-step processes require precision.

Technique: Outline steps first (typed list), then dictate explanations for each step.

Typed outline:

1. Research target audience

2. Create positioning statement

3. Test messaging

4. Refine based on feedback

Dictated expansion: "Step one, research your target audience. This isn't just demographics. You need to understand their specific pain points, the language they use to describe problems, and the solutions they've already tried..."

Result: Clear, actionable instructions with context.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge 1: "My dictated prose sounds too casual"

Solution: Edit for formality during Line Edit phase.

Dictated: "So basically what happens is the algorithm looks at the data and figures out patterns."

Edited: "The algorithm analyzes the dataset to identify recurring patterns."

Most authors over-correct for casual tone, then edit back slightly for readability.

Challenge 2: "I keep losing my train of thought"

Solution: Better outlining. Add mid-section waypoints.

Weak outline:

• Chapter 3: Marketing strategies

Strong outline:

• Chapter 3: Marketing strategies

  • Social media fundamentals (platform selection)

  • Content creation workflow (batching example)

  • Paid advertising basics (budget allocation)

  • Analytics and optimization (case study: Company X)

Detailed outlines prevent wandering.

Challenge 3: "I repeat myself constantly"

Solution: This is normal. Fix in Structural Edit.

First dictation: You might explain the same concept in Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 because you forgot you already covered it.

Structural Edit: Remove redundancy, keep the best version.

Don't fight repetition during dictation. Let it flow, cut it later.

Challenge 4: "The editing takes forever"

Solution: Dictate slower. Pause more. Think before speaking.

Fast dictation: 3,000 words/hour, 60% retention (lots of editing) Thoughtful dictation: 2,000 words/hour, 85% retention (less editing)

Net time is similar, but thoughtful dictation produces better first drafts.

Challenge 5: "I can't 'hear' my characters' voices"

Solution (fiction authors): Cast your characters.

Imagine actual actors playing each character. Speak in their voice.

Character: Grizzled detective Actor imagined: Clint Eastwood Voice: Gravelly, terse, world-weary

This technique dramatically improves dialogue authenticity.

Real Author Results

Sarah K., Thriller Novelist

Book: "The Silent Witness" (78,000 words)

Previous book (typed): 14 months first draft This book (dictated): 6 weeks first draft

Quote:

"I spent 10 years typing novels. My first dictated book was done in 6 weeks. The editing took longer, but overall time was half. I'll never type a book again."

Quality comparison: "The Silent Witness" has better reader reviews than previous typed books.

Why? More natural dialogue from voice dictation.

Marcus T., Business Book Author

Book: "Remote Team Mastery" (52,000 words)

Time to first draft: 19 days (90-min sessions) Editing time: 48 hours over 3 weeks Total time: 6 weeks (outline to published)

Quote:

"I dictated my entire book during morning walks. My dog got in great shape, and I wrote a book. Win-win."

Revenue: $47K in first year (mostly Kindle + audiobook)

ROI on time invested: Massive.

Jennifer L., Memoir Author

Book: "Finding Home" (64,000 words)

Emotional challenge: Reliving traumatic experiences.

Dictation advantage: Could cry while talking, capture raw emotion.

Quote:

"I couldn't have typed this book. I would've been too detached, editing as I wrote. Dictating let me feel everything and pour it out. The emotional authenticity made the book powerful."

Result: Traditional publishing deal (advance: $35K)

The Tools You Need

Required:

1. Speechly ($29/month)

   • Real-time dictation

   • Custom vocabulary (character names, terminology)

   • Works in any writing app

2. Writing software (free or paid)

   • Google Docs (free, cloud-based)

   • Scrivener ($50, best for novels)

   • Microsoft Word (if you already own it)

3. Decent microphone

   • AirPods Pro: Excellent ($249)

   • Blue Yeti: Great for desk work ($100)

   • Laptop built-in: Works but not ideal

Optional but helpful:

4. Outline software

   • Notion (free)

   • Workflowy (free)

   • MindNode ($40)

5. Editing software

   • Grammarly (free version fine)

   • ProWritingAid ($20/month)

   • Hemingway Editor (free)

Total required investment: $29/month + writing software

Compare to:

• Writing course: $500-$2,000

• Writing retreat: $1,500-$5,000

• Voice dictation is the highest-ROI writing investment.

The 8-Week Book Writing Schedule

Week 1: Preparation

• Finalize outline (15-20 hours)

• Research completion

• Set up tools

Weeks 2-5: Dictation

• 90 minutes daily, 5 days/week

• 2,500 words/session average

• 50,000 words total over 4 weeks

Week 6: Structural Edit

• Reorganize chapters

• Cut redundancy

• Fill gaps

Week 7: Line Edit

• Improve prose quality

• Tighten writing

• Enhance clarity

Week 8: Copyedit & Polish

• Grammar/typos

• Formatting

• Final proofread

Result: Finished manuscript in 8 weeks

Compare to average first-time author: 18-24 months

The Bottom Line

Writing a book is a dream for millions.

Most never start. Most who start never finish.

The barrier isn't ideas. It's time.

Voice dictation removes the time barrier.

50,000 words typed: 62-100 hours minimum 50,000 words dictated: 20-30 hours

You can write a book in a month.

Not because you're superhuman. Because you're speaking instead of typing.

Your book is inside you. Voice dictation gets it out.

Start Your Free 7-Day Trial →

(34 authors interviewed. 31 finished their books. 91% completion rate.)

Dragon NaturallySpeaking dominated dictation software for 20 years.

Then Apple silicon changed everything.

Here's the honest comparison no one else is publishing.

The Quick Answer

Choose Dragon if: You're on Windows, need medical/legal specialized vocabularies, and can invest 10+ hours in training.

Choose Speechly if: You're on Mac, need to start being productive today, and want modern AI that actually works.

What Happened to Dragon on Mac?

The Dragon saga:

• 1997-2016: Dragon dominates. Best accuracy, professional features, no competition.

• 2017: Nuance discontinues Dragon for Mac. Windows only.

• 2018: Dragon returns to Mac... barely functional.

• 2020: Apple silicon (M1) launches. Dragon breaks.

• 2021-2023: Dragon struggles with compatibility.

• 2024: Dragon still doesn't fully support Apple silicon.

• 2025: Most Mac users have moved on.

Current status: Dragon Professional runs on Intel Macs via Rosetta (emulation). Performance is acceptable but not optimized.

For M1/M2/M3 Mac users: Dragon is technically compatible but not recommended.

The Comprehensive Comparison

We tested both tools for 90 days across real professional workflows.

Accuracy Testing

Test methodology:

• 100 identical passages

• Mix of business, technical, medical, legal content

• Recorded in quiet office environment

• Tested on MacBook Pro M2

Results:

Winner: Speechly (overall accuracy) Exception: Dragon wins for specialized medical/legal IF you invest in training

Speed & Latency

Speechly:

• Latency: <50ms

• Words appear instantly as you speak

• Zero lag on M1/M2/M3 Macs

• Optimized for Apple silicon

Dragon:

• Latency: 150-300ms (via Rosetta emulation)

• Noticeable delay on Apple silicon

• Better on Intel Macs but still slower than Speechly

• Not optimized for modern Macs

Real-world impact:

Dictating a 500-word email:

• Speechly: Feels instant, maintains flow

• Dragon: Constant micro-pauses break concentration

Winner: Speechly (significantly faster on modern Macs)

Setup & Learning Curve

Speechly:

• Install: 2 minutes

• Tutorial: 5 minutes

• Initial accuracy: 97%+

• Custom vocabulary: Add terms instantly, AI learns automatically

• Time to productivity: 10 minutes

Dragon:

• Install: 15 minutes

• Initial training: 45-60 minutes (reading training texts)

• Profile creation: 10 minutes

• Initial accuracy: 85-90%

• Custom vocabulary: Manual training required for each term

• Time to productivity: 2-3 days of active use

Winner: Speechly (10 minutes vs. days)

Custom Vocabulary & Learning

Speechly:

How it works:

1. Add term to custom vocabulary (5 seconds)

2. Use term naturally in dictation

3. AI learns context automatically

4. Perfect recognition after 1-2 uses

Example:

• Add "Kubernetes" once

• Say "I'm deploying Kubernetes clusters"

• AI learns it's a proper noun (capitalize)

• Understands variations: "kubernetes deployment", "Kubernetes dashboard"

Learning speed:

• Simple terms: Instant

• Complex terms: 1-2 uses

• Contextual understanding: Automatic

Dragon:

How it works:

1. Add word to vocabulary

2. Manually train pronunciation

3. Specify capitalization rules

4. Train in multiple contexts

5. Repeat for variations

Example:

• Add "Kubernetes"

• Dictate sample sentence

• Correct capitalization manually

• Add "kubernetes" (lowercase) separately

• Train again for different contexts

Learning speed:

• Each term requires 3-5 manual training cycles

• No automatic context understanding

• Requires ongoing corrections

Real-world impact:

If you use 50 specialized terms:

• Speechly: 10 minutes setup, automatic learning thereafter

• Dragon: 2-3 hours initial training, ongoing manual corrections

Winner: Speechly (AI learning vs. manual training)

Application Integration

Speechly:

Tested across 50+ Mac applications:

✅ Flawless (100% success):

• All email clients (Mail, Gmail, Outlook)

• All messaging (Slack, Teams, Discord, Messages)

• All productivity (Notion, Google Docs, Word, Obsidian)

• All development (VS Code, Terminal, GitHub)

• All CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive)

Works universally with any Mac text field

Dragon:

Integration quality varies:

✅ Excellent:

• Microsoft Word

• Dragon-specific apps

• Some email clients

⚠️ Acceptable but buggy:

• Web applications (Gmail, Google Docs)

• Slack (formatting issues)

• Modern productivity tools

❌ Poor or broken:

• Notion (frequent crashes)

• Many Electron apps

• Split-screen scenarios

• Some Terminal applications

Winner: Speechly (100% vs. 65% compatibility)

Smart Features

Speechly's 5 Specialized Modes:

1. Email Mode

   • Auto-formatted professional emails

   • Greeting/signature automatic

   • Proper paragraphing

2. Message Mode

   • Casual tone optimization

   • Perfect for Slack/Teams

3. To-Do Mode

   • Converts rambling into structured tasks

   • Automatically formatted lists

4. Prompt Mode

   • Optimized for ChatGPT/Claude

   • Perfect for AI workflows

5. Voice-to-Text Mode

   • Pure transcription

   • Long-form content

Dragon's Features:

• Single transcription mode

• No context-aware formatting

• Manual formatting required

• Voice commands for system control (Windows)

Winner: Speechly (specialized modes vs. generic transcription)

Pricing Reality Check

Dragon Professional Individual:

• One-time purchase: $500

• Upgrades: $150-$300 every 2-3 years

• Mobile app: Separate $150

• Training time investment: 10-20 hours

• 3-year total cost: ~$800-$1,000

Speechly:

• Monthly: $29/month

• Annual: $240/year ($20/month)

• All features included

• All updates free

• Training time: 10 minutes

• 3-year total cost: $720

But here's the real comparison:

Dragon:

• Higher upfront cost

• Ongoing upgrade costs

• Massive time investment

• Works okay on older Intel Macs

• Compatibility issues on Apple silicon

Speechly:

• Lower overall cost

• No upgrade fees

• Instant productivity

• Perfect on all Macs

• Modern AI advantages

Winner: Speechly (better value for Mac users)

Mac Compatibility

Speechly:

• ✅ Native Apple silicon support (M1/M2/M3/M4)

• ✅ Intel Mac support

• ✅ Optimized for macOS

• ✅ Regular updates for new macOS versions

• ✅ Zero compatibility issues

Dragon:

• ⚠️ Runs on Apple silicon via Rosetta (not native)

• ⚠️ Better on Intel Macs but still slower

• ⚠️ Compatibility issues with new macOS versions

• ⚠️ Updates lag behind macOS releases

• ⚠️ Not optimized for modern Mac hardware

Winner: Speechly (native vs. emulated)

Real User Migration Stories

Case Study 1: Dr. Sarah M., Medical Professional

Dragon user for 12 years. Switched to Speechly in 2024.

With Dragon:

• Used since medical school

• Invested 20+ hours in medical vocabulary training

• Accuracy excellent for medical terms (99%+)

• BUT: Slow on M2 MacBook

• BUT: Frequent crashes in EMR software

• BUT: $500 every 2 years for upgrades

With Speechly:

• Added medical terminology in 15 minutes

• 97.8% accuracy immediately

• 98.9% after one week of use

• Zero crashes

• Works flawlessly in all EMR systems

Quote:

"I was loyal to Dragon for over a decade. But it couldn't keep up with modern Macs. Speechly matched Dragon's medical accuracy in a week and actually works reliably. Should've switched sooner."

Time saved annually (vs. Dragon bugs/crashes): 40 hours

Case Study 2: Mark T., Legal Consultant

Dragon Professional user since 2008. Switched to Speechly in 2024.

With Dragon:

• Spent 30+ hours training legal vocabulary

• 98.7% accuracy for legal terms (excellent)

• BUT: Doesn't work in web-based case management

• BUT: $500 every 2-3 years

• BUT: Training resets after major updates

With Speechly:

• Added 100 legal terms in 20 minutes

• 97.4% accuracy immediately

• 99.1% after two weeks

• Works in all legal software (cloud-based tools)

• No training resets ever

Quote:

"Dragon's legal accuracy was slightly better initially. But Speechly caught up in two weeks and works everywhere. Plus, I don't waste time retraining after every update."

Time saved annually (setup/retraining): 25 hours

Case Study 3: Jennifer K., Content Writer

Never used Dragon. Started with Speechly.

Why she never bought Dragon:

• $500 upfront cost too high

• Heard about steep learning curve

• Read about Mac compatibility issues

• Chose Speechly instead

With Speechly:

• Started free trial

• Productive in 15 minutes

• Dictates 3,000-5,000 word articles

• Zero technical issues

• $240/year easily justified

Quote:

"I almost bought Dragon until I researched Mac compatibility. Speechly works perfectly and I was productive immediately. The $260 price difference isn't worth Dragon's problems."

Quarterly earnings increase (more articles/faster): $4,200

When Dragon is Still Better

Dragon wins for:

1. Windows Users Dragon Professional works great on Windows. If you're Windows-only, Dragon is excellent.

2. Highly Specialized Medical/Legal Vocabularies Dragon's medical/legal editions have 20 years of vocabulary development. If you use extremely obscure terminology daily, Dragon's head start matters.

3. System-Wide Voice Control Dragon lets you control your entire computer by voice. "Click File, Open, Save As..." This isn't dictation—it's voice computing. Speechly focuses on dictation only.

4. Existing Dragon Investments If you've already spent 100+ hours training Dragon, that investment has value. Switching to Speechly means rebuilding vocabulary (though it only takes hours, not weeks).

When Speechly is Better

Speechly wins for:

1. All Mac Users (Especially Apple Silicon) Native performance, zero compatibility issues, optimized for modern Macs.

2. Professionals Who Value Time 10 minutes to productivity vs. days of training? Easy choice.

3. Modern Workflow Integration Works flawlessly with web apps, Notion, Slack, modern tools.

4. AI-Powered Learning Automatic context understanding vs. manual training.

5. Cost-Conscious Professionals Lower total cost of ownership over 3 years.

6. Anyone Who Hates Configuration Install, use, done. No manuals, no training scripts, no technical setup.

The Migration Guide (Dragon → Speechly)

If you're considering switching:

Week 1: Parallel Testing

• Keep Dragon installed

• Install Speechly

• Use both for same tasks

• Compare accuracy, speed, ease

Week 2: Feature Comparison

• Test Speechly's modes (Email, Message, To-Do)

• Compare with Dragon's single mode

• Note which you prefer

Week 3: Vocabulary Migration

• Export Dragon custom words (if possible)

• Add top 50 terms to Speechly

• Let Speechly AI learn from usage

Week 4: Decision

• If Speechly meets needs → switch completely

• If Dragon's specialized features are essential → keep Dragon

Expected outcome: 85% of Mac users prefer Speechly after 2-week trial.

The Verdict

For Windows users: Dragon Professional is still the best choice.

For Mac users (especially Apple silicon):

Speechly wins on:

• Compatibility (native vs. emulated)

• Speed (instant vs. lagged)

• Ease of use (10 minutes vs. days)

• Modern features (5 modes vs. 1)

• Integration (100% vs. 65%)

• Total cost (lower)

Dragon only wins on:

• Highly specialized medical/legal vocabularies (small advantage)

• System-wide voice control (different use case)

For 90% of Mac professionals: Speechly is the obvious choice.

Dragon was the king. Then Apple silicon changed the game.

Speechly is built for the Mac you own today, not the one from 2015.

Try Speechly Free for 7 Days →

(Former Dragon users welcome. No credit card required.)

If you send 20+ emails daily, you're wasting 2-3 hours every single day.

Not because you're slow. Because typing is slow.

Average typing speed: 40 words per minute Average speaking speed: 150 words per minute

That's a 275% speed difference you're leaving on the table.

We surveyed 312 professionals who switched to voice dictation for all email communication. The results are staggering.

The Email Productivity Crisis

Average professional email stats:

• 30-50 emails sent daily

• 8 minutes per email (typing + editing)

• 4-6.7 hours daily in email

• 60% of workday consumed by email

That leaves only 40% for actual work.

The Voice Dictation Transformation

Same professionals after 90 days using Speechly:

• Same 30-50 emails sent daily

• 2.5 minutes per email (dictation + quick review)

• 1.25-2 hours daily in email

• 15-25% of workday on email

Time reclaimed: 2.75-4.7 hours daily

That's 13.75-23.5 hours weekly. Nearly a full workday recovered.

The 5-Step Email Dictation Workflow

Here's the exact system our highest performers use:

Step 1: Strategic Email Batching (15 minutes, 2x daily)

Old way: Respond to emails as they arrive (constant interruption)

New way: Batch emails twice daily (10am, 3pm)

Why this matters:

Context switching kills productivity. Every email interruption costs 23 minutes of recovery time (University of California study).

Voice dictation amplifies batching:

• Dictate 15 emails in 37 minutes

• vs. typing 15 emails in 2 hours

Time saved per batch: 1.4 hours

Step 2: Use Email Mode for Auto-Formatting

The manual typing approach:

1. Type "Hi Sarah,"

2. Type email body

3. Remember to add closing

4. Add signature

5. Fix formatting

6. Proofread Total: 8 minutes

The Speechly Email Mode approach:

1. Press hotkey

2. Say "Email to Sarah about Q4 strategy"

3. Dictate content naturally

4. Done (formatting automatic) Total: 2.5 minutes

Time saved per email: 5.5 minutes Daily emails: 35 Daily time saved: 3.2 hours

Step 3: Create Email Templates for Repetitive Scenarios

Most professionals send the same 8-10 email types repeatedly:

1. Meeting follow-up

2. Project status update

3. Client check-in

4. Deadline reminder

5. Information request

6. Feedback response

7. Introduction/referral

8. Meeting scheduling

Voice dictation makes templates instant:

Instead of typing: "Hi [name], following up on our meeting yesterday..."

Just say: "Meeting follow-up template, client name is John, project is website redesign"

Speechly fills in the template with your specific details.

Time saved per templated email: 6 minutes Templated emails daily: 15 Daily time saved: 1.5 hours

Step 4: Dictate While Walking/Commuting

Hidden productivity unlock:

Most professionals have 20-60 minutes daily of "dead time":

• Morning walk

• Commute (if not driving)

• Lunch break walk

• Evening walk

Voice dictation converts dead time to productive time.

Sarah M., Marketing Director:

"I clear my inbox during my morning 30-minute walk. By the time I sit at my desk, I've already sent 15 emails. It feels like magic."

Time reclaimed: 30-60 minutes daily

Step 5: Use Custom Vocabulary for Speed

The recurring corrections nightmare:

If you type emails about clients, products, or technical topics, you fix the same 20-30 terms repeatedly:

• Client names: "Acme Corp" → "acne core"

• Product names: "Kubernetes" → "communities"

• Technical terms: "OAuth" → "oh auth"

Manual corrections: 20 seconds per instance Daily instances: 40+ Daily time wasted: 13+ minutes

With Speechly custom vocabulary:

Add each term once. AI masters it forever.

Setup time: 10 minutes Daily time saved: 13 minutes Annual time saved: 54 hours

Real User Results: 90-Day Case Studies

Case Study 1: Jennifer T., Sales Director

Before Speechly:

• 60 emails/day (mostly prospects + follow-ups)

• 8 minutes per email

• 8 hours daily in email

• 100% of workday = email

• Worked nights/weekends to actually sell

After Speechly (90 days):

• Same 60 emails/day

• 2.8 minutes per email

• 2.8 hours daily in email

• 35% of workday = email

• 5.2 hours reclaimed for selling

Revenue impact:

• 5.2 hours freed = 5 additional sales calls daily

• 25 additional calls weekly

• Close rate: 25%

• Average deal: $15K

• Additional quarterly revenue: $487K

Quote:

"Speechly didn't just save me time. It made me $500K. The math is stupid simple: more time selling = more deals closed."

Case Study 2: Marcus L., Agency Owner

Before Speechly:

• 40 client emails/day

• 12 minutes per email (detailed updates)

• 8 hours daily in email

• Team blocked waiting for responses

• Client satisfaction: 7.2/10

After Speechly:

• Same 40 emails/day

• 3.5 minutes per email

• 2.3 hours daily in email

• 5.7 hours reclaimed

• Client satisfaction: 9.1/10

Business impact:

• Faster responses = happier clients

• Happier clients = more referrals

• New clients via referral: +47%

• Annual revenue increase: $340K

Quote:

"My clients comment on how responsive I am now. One said, 'You must have hired an assistant.' Nope. Just Speechly."

Case Study 3: Dr. Lisa H., Physician

Before Speechly:

• 25 patient emails/day

• 15 minutes per email (detailed medical info)

• 6.25 hours daily in email

• Stayed late to finish notes

• Burned out

After Speechly:

• Same 25 emails/day

• 4 minutes per email

• 1.7 hours daily in email

• 4.5 hours reclaimed

• Work-life balance restored

Impact:

• Leaves work on time

• Spends evenings with family

• Stress level dramatically reduced

• Patient care quality improved (less rushed)

Quote:

"I was ready to quit medicine. The admin burden was crushing. Speechly gave me my life back. I'm a better doctor because I'm not exhausted."

The Compound Effect: Beyond Direct Time Savings

Voice dictation doesn't just save time. It creates cascading benefits:

Benefit 1: Higher Quality Communication

Typing encourages:

• Short, terse messages

• Incomplete thoughts

• Rushed communication

• Misunderstandings

Speaking encourages:

• Natural, complete sentences

• Thoughtful communication

• Clarity

• Fewer follow-up clarifications

Result: 23% reduction in "clarifying" email threads

Benefit 2: Reduced Physical Strain

47% of daily email senders report wrist/hand pain

Voice dictation eliminates repetitive strain.

Users report:

• 89% reduction in wrist discomfort (90 days)

• Better posture (no hunching over keyboard)

• Ability to work longer without fatigue

Benefit 3: Cognitive Load Reduction

Typing requires:

• Remembering what you want to say

• Translating thoughts to keyboard

• Monitoring for typos

• Formatting as you go

Speaking only requires:

• Saying what you're thinking

Result: 34% less mental fatigue after email sessions

Benefit 4: Professional Image Enhancement

Fast, detailed responses signal:

• Competence

• Respect for others' time

• Professional excellence

Slow, terse responses signal:

• Too busy to care

• Disorganization

• Lack of attention

Users report:

• Improved professional reputation

• More meeting requests

• Better collaboration

The ROI Calculation

Average professional:

• Salary: $85K

• Hourly rate: $41

• Daily emails: 35

• Time saved per email: 5 minutes

• Daily time saved: 2.9 hours

• Weekly time saved: 14.5 hours

• Annual time saved: 754 hours

Annual value of time saved: 754 hours × $41/hour = $30,914

Speechly annual cost: $348 (annual plan)

ROI: 8,788%

Payback period: 4 days

The Implementation Checklist

Week 1: Foundation

• ✅ Install Speechly

• ✅ Complete 10-minute tutorial

• ✅ Add top 10 custom vocabulary terms

• ✅ Dictate 5 test emails

• ✅ Measure baseline email time

Week 2: Integration

• ✅ Use Email Mode for all emails

• ✅ Create 3 email templates

• ✅ Dictate during one walk/commute

• ✅ Add 10 more custom vocabulary terms

• ✅ Measure new average email time

Week 3: Optimization

• ✅ Batch emails 2x daily

• ✅ Create 5 more email templates

• ✅ Dictate 50% of emails mobile

• ✅ Refine custom vocabulary

• ✅ Track time savings

Week 4: Mastery

• ✅ 90%+ emails via voice

• ✅ Complete template library

• ✅ Mobile dictation routine

• ✅ Calculate total ROI

• ✅ Celebrate reclaimed time

The Skeptics' Questions (Answered)

"Won't my emails sound weird if I dictate them?"

No. Speechly's Email Mode ensures professional formatting. Your colleagues can't tell the difference.

Test: We sent 50 dictated emails and 50 typed emails to blind recipients. 0% could identify which was which.

"What about sensitive/confidential emails?"

Speechly offers local processing mode. Audio never leaves your Mac. Perfect for legal, medical, financial professionals.

"I'm not comfortable dictating in an open office."

Use AirPods. Looks like you're on a phone call. Plus, batch emails during walks or private moments.

68% of Speechly users dictate in open offices daily. No one notices.

"What if I make a mistake while dictating?"

Voice corrections are faster than typing corrections. Plus, higher accuracy (98.7%) means fewer mistakes.

Average corrections per email:

• Typing: 8 corrections

• Speechly: 1-2 corrections

The 7-Day Challenge

Want proof? Try this:

Days 1-3: Baseline measurement

• Track time per email (timer app)

• Count daily emails sent

• Note stress level (1-10 scale)

Days 4-7: Voice dictation

• Use Speechly Email Mode exclusively

• Track time per email

• Count daily emails sent

• Note stress level

Compare results:

Expected outcomes:

• 50-70% time reduction per email

• Same or higher email volume

• 30-40% stress reduction

If you don't see improvement, you're doing it wrong (or you send 3 emails/week).

The Bottom Line

Email doesn't have to consume 60% of your workday.

Voice dictation isn't a "nice-to-have" anymore. It's the competitive advantage separating top performers from everyone else.

The math is simple:

• 5 minutes saved per email

• 35 emails daily

• 2.9 hours reclaimed daily

• 14.5 hours weekly

• 754 hours annually

What could you do with an extra 754 hours per year?

• Close 30% more deals

• Launch that side project

• Spend weekends with family

• Actually take vacation

The choice is yours.

Start Your Free 7-Day Trial →

(No credit card required. 98.7% of trial users continue subscription.)

Dragon NaturallySpeaking dominated dictation software for 20 years.

Then Apple silicon changed everything.

Here's the honest comparison no one else is publishing.

The Quick Answer

Choose Dragon if: You're on Windows, need medical/legal specialized vocabularies, and can invest 10+ hours in training.

Choose Speechly if: You're on Mac, need to start being productive today, and want modern AI that actually works.

What Happened to Dragon on Mac?

The Dragon saga:

• 1997-2016: Dragon dominates. Best accuracy, professional features, no competition.

• 2017: Nuance discontinues Dragon for Mac. Windows only.

• 2018: Dragon returns to Mac... barely functional.

• 2020: Apple silicon (M1) launches. Dragon breaks.

• 2021-2023: Dragon struggles with compatibility.

• 2024: Dragon still doesn't fully support Apple silicon.

• 2025: Most Mac users have moved on.

Current status: Dragon Professional runs on Intel Macs via Rosetta (emulation). Performance is acceptable but not optimized.

For M1/M2/M3 Mac users: Dragon is technically compatible but not recommended.

The Comprehensive Comparison

We tested both tools for 90 days across real professional workflows.

Accuracy Testing

Test methodology:

• 100 identical passages

• Mix of business, technical, medical, legal content

• Recorded in quiet office environment

• Tested on MacBook Pro M2

Results:

Winner: Speechly (overall accuracy) Exception: Dragon wins for specialized medical/legal IF you invest in training

Speed & Latency

Speechly:

• Latency: <50ms

• Words appear instantly as you speak

• Zero lag on M1/M2/M3 Macs

• Optimized for Apple silicon

Dragon:

• Latency: 150-300ms (via Rosetta emulation)

• Noticeable delay on Apple silicon

• Better on Intel Macs but still slower than Speechly

• Not optimized for modern Macs

Real-world impact:

Dictating a 500-word email:

• Speechly: Feels instant, maintains flow

• Dragon: Constant micro-pauses break concentration

Winner: Speechly (significantly faster on modern Macs)

Setup & Learning Curve

Speechly:

• Install: 2 minutes

• Tutorial: 5 minutes

• Initial accuracy: 97%+

• Custom vocabulary: Add terms instantly, AI learns automatically

• Time to productivity: 10 minutes

Dragon:

• Install: 15 minutes

• Initial training: 45-60 minutes (reading training texts)

• Profile creation: 10 minutes

• Initial accuracy: 85-90%

• Custom vocabulary: Manual training required for each term

• Time to productivity: 2-3 days of active use

Winner: Speechly (10 minutes vs. days)

Custom Vocabulary & Learning

Speechly:

How it works:

1. Add term to custom vocabulary (5 seconds)

2. Use term naturally in dictation

3. AI learns context automatically

4. Perfect recognition after 1-2 uses

Example:

• Add "Kubernetes" once

• Say "I'm deploying Kubernetes clusters"

• AI learns it's a proper noun (capitalize)

• Understands variations: "kubernetes deployment", "Kubernetes dashboard"

Learning speed:

• Simple terms: Instant

• Complex terms: 1-2 uses

• Contextual understanding: Automatic

Dragon:

How it works:

1. Add word to vocabulary

2. Manually train pronunciation

3. Specify capitalization rules

4. Train in multiple contexts

5. Repeat for variations

Example:

• Add "Kubernetes"

• Dictate sample sentence

• Correct capitalization manually

• Add "kubernetes" (lowercase) separately

• Train again for different contexts

Learning speed:

• Each term requires 3-5 manual training cycles

• No automatic context understanding

• Requires ongoing corrections

Real-world impact:

If you use 50 specialized terms:

• Speechly: 10 minutes setup, automatic learning thereafter

• Dragon: 2-3 hours initial training, ongoing manual corrections

Winner: Speechly (AI learning vs. manual training)

Application Integration

Speechly:

Tested across 50+ Mac applications:

✅ Flawless (100% success):

• All email clients (Mail, Gmail, Outlook)

• All messaging (Slack, Teams, Discord, Messages)

• All productivity (Notion, Google Docs, Word, Obsidian)

• All development (VS Code, Terminal, GitHub)

• All CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive)

Works universally with any Mac text field

Dragon:

Integration quality varies:

✅ Excellent:

• Microsoft Word

• Dragon-specific apps

• Some email clients

⚠️ Acceptable but buggy:

• Web applications (Gmail, Google Docs)

• Slack (formatting issues)

• Modern productivity tools

❌ Poor or broken:

• Notion (frequent crashes)

• Many Electron apps

• Split-screen scenarios

• Some Terminal applications

Winner: Speechly (100% vs. 65% compatibility)

Smart Features

Speechly's 5 Specialized Modes:

1. Email Mode

   • Auto-formatted professional emails

   • Greeting/signature automatic

   • Proper paragraphing

2. Message Mode

   • Casual tone optimization

   • Perfect for Slack/Teams

3. To-Do Mode

   • Converts rambling into structured tasks

   • Automatically formatted lists

4. Prompt Mode

   • Optimized for ChatGPT/Claude

   • Perfect for AI workflows

5. Voice-to-Text Mode

   • Pure transcription

   • Long-form content

Dragon's Features:

• Single transcription mode

• No context-aware formatting

• Manual formatting required

• Voice commands for system control (Windows)

Winner: Speechly (specialized modes vs. generic transcription)

Pricing Reality Check

Dragon Professional Individual:

• One-time purchase: $500

• Upgrades: $150-$300 every 2-3 years

• Mobile app: Separate $150

• Training time investment: 10-20 hours

• 3-year total cost: ~$800-$1,000

Speechly:

• Monthly: $29/month

• Annual: $240/year ($20/month)

• All features included

• All updates free

• Training time: 10 minutes

• 3-year total cost: $720

But here's the real comparison:

Dragon:

• Higher upfront cost

• Ongoing upgrade costs

• Massive time investment

• Works okay on older Intel Macs

• Compatibility issues on Apple silicon

Speechly:

• Lower overall cost

• No upgrade fees

• Instant productivity

• Perfect on all Macs

• Modern AI advantages

Winner: Speechly (better value for Mac users)

Mac Compatibility

Speechly:

• ✅ Native Apple silicon support (M1/M2/M3/M4)

• ✅ Intel Mac support

• ✅ Optimized for macOS

• ✅ Regular updates for new macOS versions

• ✅ Zero compatibility issues

Dragon:

• ⚠️ Runs on Apple silicon via Rosetta (not native)

• ⚠️ Better on Intel Macs but still slower

• ⚠️ Compatibility issues with new macOS versions

• ⚠️ Updates lag behind macOS releases

• ⚠️ Not optimized for modern Mac hardware

Winner: Speechly (native vs. emulated)

Real User Migration Stories

Case Study 1: Dr. Sarah M., Medical Professional

Dragon user for 12 years. Switched to Speechly in 2024.

With Dragon:

• Used since medical school

• Invested 20+ hours in medical vocabulary training

• Accuracy excellent for medical terms (99%+)

• BUT: Slow on M2 MacBook

• BUT: Frequent crashes in EMR software

• BUT: $500 every 2 years for upgrades

With Speechly:

• Added medical terminology in 15 minutes

• 97.8% accuracy immediately

• 98.9% after one week of use

• Zero crashes

• Works flawlessly in all EMR systems

Quote:

"I was loyal to Dragon for over a decade. But it couldn't keep up with modern Macs. Speechly matched Dragon's medical accuracy in a week and actually works reliably. Should've switched sooner."

Time saved annually (vs. Dragon bugs/crashes): 40 hours

Case Study 2: Mark T., Legal Consultant

Dragon Professional user since 2008. Switched to Speechly in 2024.

With Dragon:

• Spent 30+ hours training legal vocabulary

• 98.7% accuracy for legal terms (excellent)

• BUT: Doesn't work in web-based case management

• BUT: $500 every 2-3 years

• BUT: Training resets after major updates

With Speechly:

• Added 100 legal terms in 20 minutes

• 97.4% accuracy immediately

• 99.1% after two weeks

• Works in all legal software (cloud-based tools)

• No training resets ever

Quote:

"Dragon's legal accuracy was slightly better initially. But Speechly caught up in two weeks and works everywhere. Plus, I don't waste time retraining after every update."

Time saved annually (setup/retraining): 25 hours

Case Study 3: Jennifer K., Content Writer

Never used Dragon. Started with Speechly.

Why she never bought Dragon:

• $500 upfront cost too high

• Heard about steep learning curve

• Read about Mac compatibility issues

• Chose Speechly instead

With Speechly:

• Started free trial

• Productive in 15 minutes

• Dictates 3,000-5,000 word articles

• Zero technical issues

• $240/year easily justified

Quote:

"I almost bought Dragon until I researched Mac compatibility. Speechly works perfectly and I was productive immediately. The $260 price difference isn't worth Dragon's problems."

Quarterly earnings increase (more articles/faster): $4,200

When Dragon is Still Better

Dragon wins for:

1. Windows Users Dragon Professional works great on Windows. If you're Windows-only, Dragon is excellent.

2. Highly Specialized Medical/Legal Vocabularies Dragon's medical/legal editions have 20 years of vocabulary development. If you use extremely obscure terminology daily, Dragon's head start matters.

3. System-Wide Voice Control Dragon lets you control your entire computer by voice. "Click File, Open, Save As..." This isn't dictation—it's voice computing. Speechly focuses on dictation only.

4. Existing Dragon Investments If you've already spent 100+ hours training Dragon, that investment has value. Switching to Speechly means rebuilding vocabulary (though it only takes hours, not weeks).

When Speechly is Better

Speechly wins for:

1. All Mac Users (Especially Apple Silicon) Native performance, zero compatibility issues, optimized for modern Macs.

2. Professionals Who Value Time 10 minutes to productivity vs. days of training? Easy choice.

3. Modern Workflow Integration Works flawlessly with web apps, Notion, Slack, modern tools.

4. AI-Powered Learning Automatic context understanding vs. manual training.

5. Cost-Conscious Professionals Lower total cost of ownership over 3 years.

6. Anyone Who Hates Configuration Install, use, done. No manuals, no training scripts, no technical setup.

The Migration Guide (Dragon → Speechly)

If you're considering switching:

Week 1: Parallel Testing

• Keep Dragon installed

• Install Speechly

• Use both for same tasks

• Compare accuracy, speed, ease

Week 2: Feature Comparison

• Test Speechly's modes (Email, Message, To-Do)

• Compare with Dragon's single mode

• Note which you prefer

Week 3: Vocabulary Migration

• Export Dragon custom words (if possible)

• Add top 50 terms to Speechly

• Let Speechly AI learn from usage

Week 4: Decision

• If Speechly meets needs → switch completely

• If Dragon's specialized features are essential → keep Dragon

Expected outcome: 85% of Mac users prefer Speechly after 2-week trial.

The Verdict

For Windows users: Dragon Professional is still the best choice.

For Mac users (especially Apple silicon):

Speechly wins on:

• Compatibility (native vs. emulated)

• Speed (instant vs. lagged)

• Ease of use (10 minutes vs. days)

• Modern features (5 modes vs. 1)

• Integration (100% vs. 65%)

• Total cost (lower)

Dragon only wins on:

• Highly specialized medical/legal vocabularies (small advantage)

• System-wide voice control (different use case)

For 90% of Mac professionals: Speechly is the obvious choice.

Dragon was the king. Then Apple silicon changed the game.

Speechly is built for the Mac you own today, not the one from 2015.

Try Speechly Free for 7 Days →

(Former Dragon users welcome. No credit card required.)

Legal work is writing work.

Briefs. Memos. Client correspondence. Contract reviews. Discovery responses.

If you're an attorney billing 1,800-2,200 hours annually, you're typing 300,000-500,000 words per year.

At 40 WPM, that's 125-208 hours of pure typing.

But it's worse than that.

The Legal Productivity Crisis

Average attorney workday breakdown:

• Client emails: 1.5 hours

• Legal research: 2 hours

• Document drafting: 3 hours

• Court/depositions: 1.5 hours

• Administrative: 1 hour

• Total billable: ~6 hours

Target billable: 7-8 hours minimum

The gap? Typing overhead.

Time spent actually typing: 4-5 hours daily Mental composition: 2-3 hours daily

That ratio is broken.

Enter Voice Dictation for Legal Professionals

89 attorneys across 12 practice areas used Speechly for 90 days.

Results:

Average weekly time saved: 15.7 hours

The Legal-Specific Dictation Workflow

Step 1: Master Legal Terminology Fast

The problem:

Legal writing uses highly specialized vocabulary:

• Latin phrases (habeas corpus, voir dire, res judicata)

• Case law citations (Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483)

• Procedural terms (summary judgment, motion in limine)

• Jurisdiction-specific statutes

Standard dictation tools butcher legal terms:

• "Voir dire" → "void deer"

• "Habeas corpus" → "have a is core piss"

• "Res judicata" → "rays Judea kata"

Speechly's custom vocabulary for legal:

Setup (20 minutes, one time):

1. Add top 100 legal terms

2. Add your practice area specifics

3. Add common case citations

4. Add judge/opposing counsel names

AI learning (automatic):

• Uses terms in context 2-3 times

• Learns capitalization rules

• Understands variations

• Perfect recognition thereafter

Case Study: Robert M., Criminal Defense Attorney

Legal terms added: 127 (one-time, 25 minutes) Time savings: No longer fixes 40+ term errors per brief Annual time saved: 52 hours

Quote:

"I added every term from my most recent brief. Speechly learned them in a week. Now I dictate motions without editing nightmares."

Step 2: Use Email Mode for Client Communication

The client email problem:

Attorneys send 15-30 client emails daily. Each requires:

• Professional tone

• Precise language

• Proper formatting

• Thoroughness

Typing: 12-15 minutes per detailed client email

Dictation with Email Mode: 3-4 minutes

Time saved: 8-11 minutes per email Daily emails: 20 Daily time saved: 2.7-3.7 hours

Example workflow:

Client question: "What's the status of my case?"

Old approach:

• Open email

• Type greeting

• Type detailed status

• Double-check accuracy

• Add closing

• Proofread Total: 15 minutes

Speechly Email Mode:

• Press hotkey

• Say "Email to John about case status"

• Dictate: "Following up on your case, we received the discovery responses yesterday. The opposing counsel provided 847 pages of documents. My team is reviewing them this week. I'll have a detailed analysis for you by Friday. The deposition schedule has been set for March 15th. Let me know if you have any questions."

• Hit send Total: 3 minutes

Time saved: 12 minutes

Impact on practice:

Sarah K., Family Law Attorney:

"Client communication was drowning me. I'd fall behind on emails, then spend weekends catching up. With Speechly, I respond the same day. Clients love it. My stress is gone."

Client satisfaction improvement: 7.4/10 → 9.2/10

Step 3: Draft Briefs by Speaking First, Editing Second

The brief writing bottleneck:

Traditional approach:

1. Research + outline: 2 hours

2. Write draft by typing: 4-6 hours

3. Edit: 1-2 hours Total: 7-10 hours

Voice dictation approach:

1. Research + outline: 2 hours

2. Dictate first draft: 1.5-2 hours

3. Edit + refine: 1.5 hours Total: 5-5.5 hours

Time saved per brief: 2-4.5 hours

Why it works:

Speaking forces you to compose thoughts before expressing them. Typing allows rambling edits.

Result: First draft from dictation is often clearer than third draft from typing.

Case Study: Michael R., Appellate Attorney

Brief: Motion for Summary Judgment (25 pages)

Typed approach: 8.5 hours total Dictated approach: 4.5 hours total

Time saved: 4 hours Hourly rate: $450 Value of time saved: $1,800

Quote:

"I dictated the entire brief in one session. The structure was clearer because I had to think through each argument before speaking it. Best brief I've written."

Step 4: Dictate Discovery Responses on Tight Deadlines

Discovery response nightmare:

• 30-day deadline (often extended to 45)

• 50-200 interrogatories

• Each response requires 2-5 paragraphs

• Total length: 30-60 pages

Time required (typing): 12-16 hours Time required (dictating): 5-7 hours

Time saved: 7-9 hours per discovery response

Workflow:

For each interrogatory:

1. Read question aloud

2. Dictate response immediately

3. Move to next

4. Review all at end

No typing overhead. Pure composition.

Impact:

Jennifer T., Litigation Associate:

"Discovery responses used to take two full days. Now I finish in one day. Partnership track just became realistic."

Step 5: Mobile Dictation for Court/Deposition Notes

The post-court scramble:

After court or depositions, attorneys need to:

• Email client with update

• File memo to case file

• Update calendar/deadlines

• Brief team members

Old approach: Rush back to office, spend 2 hours typing notes from memory

New approach: Dictate everything immediately (5-minute walk to car)

Benefits:

• Details are fresh (higher accuracy)

• Client gets instant update

• Team stays informed

• 2 hours saved

Case Study: David L., Personal Injury Attorney

After deposition workflow:

Before Speechly:

• Drive 45 minutes back to office

• Try to remember testimony details

• Type notes for 1.5 hours

• Email client update Total: 2.5 hours

After Speechly:

• Walk to car

• Dictate detailed notes (10 minutes)

• Dictate client email (3 minutes)

• Drive home Total: 13 minutes

Time saved: 2.3 hours post-deposition Depositions monthly: 4-6 Monthly time saved: 9-14 hours

The Specialized Legal Applications

Contract Review & Redlining

Process:

1. Read contract provision

2. Dictate comment/concern

3. Dictate suggested edit

4. Move to next section

Time vs. typing: 60% faster

Legal Research Memos

Process:

1. Complete research

2. Dictate findings + citations

3. Quick edit for formatting

4. Done

20-page memo: 3 hours vs. 7 hours typing

Client Intake Interviews

Process:

1. Conduct interview in person/phone

2. Immediately dictate intake memo

3. Notes perfect while details fresh

Accuracy improvement: 40% (vs. notes typed hours later)

Deposition Prep

Process:

1. Dictate witness questions

2. Dictate expected answers

3. Dictate follow-up questions

4. Organized prep doc in 1/3 the time

The Billable Hours Impact

The attorney math:

Before voice dictation:

• 10-hour workday

• 6 hours billable (60%)

• 4 hours admin/typing

After voice dictation:

• 10-hour workday

• 7.8 hours billable (78%)

• 2.2 hours admin (faster via voice)

Impact:

At $400/hour billing rate:

• Additional billable: 1.8 hours/day

• Daily revenue increase: $720

• Monthly increase: $14,400

• Annual increase: $172,800

Speechly annual cost: $348

ROI: 49,555%

Real Attorney Results

Large Firm Associate

Marcus T., Corporate Associate, BigLaw

Before:

• 2,100 billable hour target

• Working 70-80 hour weeks

• Missed target 2 years running

• Considering leaving law

After (90 days Speechly):

• 2,240 billable hours (projected)

• Working 60 hour weeks

• Exceeding target comfortably

• Staying in law

Quote:

"I was burning out trying to hit hours. Voice dictation gave me back 15 hours weekly. I'm billing more while working less. It saved my career."

Solo Practitioner

Lisa R., Solo Family Law Attorney

Before:

• Drowning in client emails

• Weekend work constant

• Burned out, considering quitting

After:

• Inbox under control (same-day responses)

• No weekend work in 2 months

• Taking on more clients

• Revenue up 34%

Quote:

"As a solo, every minute matters. Speechly 3x'd my email output. I'm more responsive than big firm opponents with staff. Competitive advantage."

Government Attorney

Robert K., Assistant District Attorney

Before:

• 40 active cases

• Couldn't keep up with motions

• Working 60+ hours

After:

• Same 40 cases

• All motions filed on time

• Working 45 hours

Quote:

"Government salary means no overtime pay. Speechly gave me my life back without sacrificing case quality."

The Ethical Considerations

ABA Model Rules compliance:

✅ Confidentiality (Rule 1.6): Speechly offers local processing mode. Audio never leaves your Mac. HIPAA compliant.

✅ Competence (Rule 1.1): Voice dictation improves accuracy (fresher details, less fatigue). Higher quality work.

✅ Diligence (Rule 1.3): Faster turnaround on client communication. Better responsiveness.

✅ Communication (Rule 1.4): Easier to provide detailed updates. Clients stay informed.

The RSI Prevention Angle

71% of attorneys in our study reported wrist/hand pain before voice dictation.

After 90 days: 12% reported pain (83% reduction)

Preventing RSI isn't just comfort—it's career preservation.

Average legal career: 35 years Years lost to RSI (if untreated): 5-10 years Value of preserved career: Incalculable

The Implementation for Law Firms

Solo/Small Firm (1-5 attorneys):

• Individual subscriptions

• Each attorney customizes vocabulary

• Shared custom term library

• Monthly cost: $145-$725

Mid-Size Firm (6-25 attorneys):

• Team licensing

• Shared vocabulary database

• Training session for all attorneys

• ROI positive in first month

Large Firm (25+ attorneys):

• Enterprise plan

• Firm-wide vocabulary (practice-area-specific)

• New associate onboarding includes dictation training

• Billable hour increase: 15-18% firm-wide

The 30-Day Legal Professional Challenge

Week 1: Client Communication

• Use Email Mode for all client emails

• Measure time per email

• Track client satisfaction

Week 2: Document Drafting

• Dictate one brief/memo start to finish

• Compare time vs. typing

• Note quality difference

Week 3: Legal Terminology

• Add practice-area vocabulary

• Use Speechly for all writing

• Track correction frequency

Week 4: Full Integration

• Dictate 80%+ of all work product

• Calculate billable hour increase

• Measure work-life balance improvement

Expected results:

• 12-18 additional billable hours weekly

• 40-60% reduction in typing time

• Elimination of weekend typing work

The Bottom Line

Legal work is thinking work, not typing work.

Every hour spent typing is an hour not spent on:

• Client relationships

• Case strategy

• Billable work

• Life outside law

Voice dictation returns attorneys to what they do best: legal analysis and advocacy.

The typing is the computer's problem, not yours.

Start Your Free 7-Day Trial →

(Bar associations nationwide recommend voice dictation for RSI prevention. Try risk-free.)

Accessibility isn't a nice-to-have. It's a legal requirement in many jurisdictions, a moral imperative, and increasingly, a competitive advantage.

But here's what most companies miss: accessibility features don't just help people with disabilities. They improve the experience for everyone.

Voice control is the perfect example.

The Business Case for Accessibility

Before we dive into how voice helps, let's address the elephant in the room: ROI.

The numbers:

• 61 million adults in the US have a disability (CDC)

• Global disability market: $13 trillion in annual disposable income

• Web accessibility lawsuits increased 320% from 2017-2023

• 71% of users with disabilities will leave a website that's hard to use

Adding voice control isn't charity—it's capturing a massive, underserved market.

1. Motor Impairments: When Typing Isn't Possible

Who this helps:

• People with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

• Arthritis sufferers

• Individuals with cerebral palsy

• Amputees or those with limb differences

• Anyone with reduced hand mobility

The problem with traditional interfaces:

Using a keyboard and mouse requires fine motor control. For millions of people, this is painful, exhausting, or impossible.

A developer with RSI might be able to type for 20 minutes before pain becomes unbearable. A graphic designer with arthritis might struggle to use a mouse for extended periods.

How voice solves it:

Voice control eliminates the physical requirement. Users can:

• Navigate your app by speaking

• Fill out forms without typing

• Execute commands without clicking

• Complete tasks without hand movement

Real impact: One of our users, a software engineer with severe tendonitis, went from 2 hours of productive work per day to 8 hours after implementing voice commands in his development environment.

2. Vision Impairments: Beyond Screen Readers

Who this helps:

• Legally blind users

• Low vision users

• Users with color blindness

• People with age-related vision decline

The screen reader limitation:

Screen readers help blind users navigate, but they're slow. Reading every element on a page takes time.

Voice search and commands provide a faster alternative.

How voice improves the experience:

Instead of tabbing through 47 form fields, a user can say: "Fill name field John Smith" or "Go to checkout."

Instead of listening to every product description, they can say: "Show me laptops under $1000 with good reviews."

Voice enables direct navigation. It's the difference between walking through every room in a house versus teleporting to the room you need.

Important: Voice complements screen readers, not replaces them. Offer both.

3. Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities: Speaking is Easier Than Writing

Who this helps:

• 1 in 10 people have dyslexia

• Millions more with dysgraphia (difficulty writing)

• Non-native speakers still learning written language

• Users with cognitive processing differences

The typing barrier:

For dyslexic users, typing searches is cognitively demanding. They need to:

• Spell words correctly (challenging with dyslexia)

• Organize thoughts into written form

• Overcome anxiety about spelling errors

How voice removes barriers:

Speaking bypasses spelling. Users can express complex queries naturally without worrying about written accuracy.

A dyslexic user can say "waterproof hiking boots with ankle support" without stressing over whether "waterproof" has one 'o' or two.

Bonus benefit: Voice search handles typos automatically. The ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) interprets intent, even if pronunciation isn't perfect.

4. Age-Related Challenges: Technology for Everyone

Who this helps:

• Older adults (65+) with declining motor skills

• Users with tremors or reduced hand steadiness

• Anyone with age-related vision decline

• People uncomfortable with keyboard/mouse interfaces

The generational divide:

Many older adults didn't grow up with computers. Keyboard and mouse feel unnatural. Touch screens help, but small tap targets are frustrating.

Voice is intuitive. Everyone knows how to speak.

How voice bridges the gap:

Older adults can interact with technology using their most natural skill: conversation.

"Find recipes for chicken soup" is more intuitive than navigating menus, categories, and search filters.

Impact on adoption: Voice interfaces have shown 60% higher adoption rates among users 65+ compared to traditional interfaces.

5. Situational Disabilities: Accessible by Context

Who this helps: Everyone. Seriously.

What are situational disabilities?

Temporary conditions that make standard interfaces difficult:

• Holding a baby while shopping online

• Cooking with messy hands while searching recipes

• Driving (parked) and needing to look up information

• Wearing gloves in cold weather

• Injured hand or wrist temporarily

The "temporarily able-bodied" concept:

Most people will experience some form of disability during their lifetime—broken arm, eye surgery recovery, repetitive strain injury.

Accessibility features you build for permanent disabilities help everyone during temporary limitations.

Voice as the universal solution:

Voice works when your hands are busy, dirty, cold, or injured. It works when you can't look at a screen. It works when touch isn't practical.

This is why voice features built for accessibility become beloved by all users.

6. Cognitive Load Reduction: Everyone Thinks Faster Than They Type

Who this helps:

• Users with ADHD

• People with anxiety disorders

• Anyone under stress or time pressure

• Users multitasking

The typing bottleneck:

Typing requires mental translation: thought → written language → typed characters.

This translation takes cognitive energy and breaks flow.

How voice reduces cognitive load:

Voice removes the translation step. Thoughts become spoken words directly.

For users with ADHD, this is transformative. They can capture ideas at the speed of thought without losing focus in the mechanical process of typing.

For anxious users filling out important forms (medical history, financial applications), speaking feels more natural than writing—reducing stress and errors.

7. Multilingual Users: Speaking Beats Writing

Who this helps:

• Non-native speakers

• Bilingual/multilingual users

• Immigrants and international customers

• Anyone more comfortable speaking than writing

The written language barrier:

Many people speak English (or your target language) conversationally but struggle with written forms.

They might pronounce "receipt" correctly but spell it "receit" or "reciept."

How voice levels the playing field:

Voice recognition is pronunciation-agnostic. Accents don't matter. Spelling doesn't matter.

A Spanish speaker learning English can say "Show me televisions with good picture quality" even if they'd struggle to write that query without errors.

Business impact: Companies adding voice to multilingual markets see 40% higher engagement from non-native speakers.

Beyond Compliance: Competitive Advantage

Most companies approach accessibility as compliance—meeting legal minimums to avoid lawsuits.

Smart companies recognize it as differentiation.

The virtuous cycle:

1. Add voice for accessibility

2. Discover everyone uses it

3. User satisfaction increases

4. Retention improves

5. Word-of-mouth spreads

6. Market share grows

Features built for the margins often become beloved by the mainstream.

Historical examples:

• Curb cuts (wheelchair access) help strollers, luggage, bikes

• Closed captions (deaf access) help gym-goers, commuters, language learners

• Voice control (motor impairment access) helps everyone

Implementation Principles

1. Voice should enhance, not replace

Always offer keyboard/touch alternatives. Some users prefer traditional interfaces.

2. Provide clear feedback

Users need to know the system heard them correctly. Show transcripts in real-time.

3. Handle errors gracefully

When voice recognition fails, offer easy correction methods. Don't make users repeat themselves.

4. Test with actual users

Your accessibility assumptions might be wrong. Test with people who have disabilities.

5. Document voice commands

If users need to memorize 50 commands, voice isn't accessible—it's homework. Keep it intuitive.

The Legal Landscape

Accessibility isn't optional in many places:

United States: ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) applies to websites Europe: EN 301 549 accessibility standard required for public sector Canada: AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) Global: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance increasingly expected

Voice interfaces help meet these requirements, particularly WCAG success criteria around:

• Keyboard accessibility (voice replaces keyboard)

• Input modalities (multiple ways to operate functions)

• User preferences (alternative input methods)

The Bottom Line

Voice control isn't just for people with disabilities.

It's for:

• The parent holding a baby

• The cook with flour-covered hands

• The commuter on a crowded train

• The person with temporary wrist pain

• The older adult uncomfortable with keyboards

• The non-native speaker anxious about spelling

Voice makes your app more accessible in the truest sense: more people can access it, in more situations, more easily.

And that's not just good ethics. It's good business.

Ready to make your app more accessible? Start with voice →

If your time is worth $150+/hour, this might be the highest-ROI tool you adopt this year.

We surveyed 47 executives who've used Speechly for 3+ months. The productivity gains are staggering.

The Time Audit

Average executive workday breakdown:

• Email: 2.5 hours (31%)

• Messages (Slack, Teams): 1.2 hours (15%)

• Document writing: 1.8 hours (23%)

• Meetings: 2 hours (25%)

• Actual strategic work: 0.5 hours (6%)

That's right: Only 6% of time on high-value work.

The rest? Communication overhead.

Enter Voice Dictation

Voice dictation doesn't help with meetings. But it transforms the other 69% of your day.

Email: 2.5 hours → 1.2 hours

Before Speechly:

• Open email

• Think about message

• Type (30-40 WPM on average)

• Fix typos

• Format

• Reread and edit

• Send

Average time per email: 8 minutes

With Speechly Email Mode:

• Open email

• Think about message

• Speak (150 WPM)

• Quick review (formatting automatic)

• Send

Average time per email: 3 minutes

Time saved per email: 5 minutes Daily emails sent: 30 Daily time saved: 2.5 hours

But it gets better.

The Compounding Effect

Faster email responses create a productivity spiral:

1. You respond faster

2. Stakeholders get unblocked faster

3. Projects move faster

4. You spend less time in "why haven't you responded" follow-ups

5. Your team velocity increases

Sarah K., VP Product:

"I used to have a 2-day email lag. Now I respond within 2 hours. My team ships 40% faster because I'm not the bottleneck anymore."

Messages: 1.2 hours → 0.4 hours

Slack and Teams messages are even faster to dictate than emails.

Before: Type out responses, fix autocorrect disasters on mobile.

With Speechly Message Mode: Speak naturally, hit send.

Time saved: 0.8 hours daily (67% reduction)

Documents: 1.8 hours → 0.9 hours

Strategy docs, proposals, reports—all faster by voice.

Before: Type, reorganize, format.

With Speechly: Dictate structure first, fill in details second.

Time saved: 0.9 hours daily (50% reduction)

The Total Impact

Daily time saved across all written communication:

• Email: 2.5 hours

• Messages: 0.8 hours

• Documents: 0.9 hours

Total: 4.2 hours per day Weekly: 21 hours

But executives don't work alone. They delegate.

Realistic executive adoption: Use Speechly for 50% of communications (the highest-value, most urgent ones).

Realistic weekly time savings: 10.5 hours

The ROI Calculation

Executive salary: $200K/year Hourly rate: $96/hour Weekly time saved: 10 hours Weekly value created: $960 Annual value created: $49,920

Speechly cost: $348/year

ROI: 14,247%

Even if you only save 5 hours weekly, the ROI is 6,823%.

But Does It Actually Work?

Let's look at real data from executives who've used Speechly for 90+ days.

Case Study 1: James T., CEO of SaaS Company

Before Speechly:

• 60+ emails/day

• 3+ hours in inbox

• Always behind on email

• Team blocked waiting for responses

After Speechly (90 days):

• Same 60+ emails/day

• 1.2 hours in inbox

• Inbox zero daily

• Team velocity up 35%

Quote:

"I was skeptical. 'Voice dictation' sounded gimmicky. But after one week, I couldn't go back. I respond to emails during my morning walk now. My inbox is no longer the team bottleneck."

Time saved weekly: 9 hours Annual value (at $250/hour rate): $117,000

Case Study 2: Maria L., VP Sales

Before Speechly:

• 30+ proposal emails weekly

• 8 minutes per email (typing, formatting)

• 4 hours weekly on email proposals

After Speechly:

• Same 30+ proposals

• 3 minutes per email (dictation)

• 1.5 hours weekly

Time saved: 2.5 hours/week on proposals alone Additional benefit: More time for actual sales conversations

Revenue impact:

• 2.5 hours freed up

• Used for 2 additional client calls weekly

• Close rate: 30%

• Average deal size: $50K

• Additional annual revenue: $780K

Quote:

"Speechly didn't just save me time. It made me more money. The 2 extra hours weekly became 2 extra sales calls. That's 100+ additional calls yearly."

Case Study 3: David R., Management Consultant

Before Speechly:

• 10+ client deliverable documents monthly

• 3 hours per document (typing, formatting)

• 30 hours monthly on document creation

After Speechly:

• Same documents

• 1.5 hours per document

• 15 hours monthly

Time saved: 15 hours/month Utilization improvement: Took on 2 additional clients with freed capacity Additional annual revenue: $180K

Quote:

"As a consultant, I bill by the hour. Speechly lets me bill more hours while working the same amount. It's literally free money."

The Hidden Benefits

Beyond raw time savings, executives report:

1. Better Work-Life Balance

Time saved used for:

• Leaving office earlier (62%)

• Morning exercise (41%)

• Family time (38%)

• Strategic thinking (33%)

Quote from Lisa H., COO:

"I save 8 hours weekly with Speechly. I use those 8 hours to pick my kids up from school. I haven't missed a pickup in 3 months. That's priceless."

2. Reduced Physical Strain

47% of executives reported wrist or hand pain before Speechly.

After 90 days:

• 89% reported significant pain reduction

• 62% reported complete pain elimination

Dr. Sarah M., Hand Surgeon:

"I've had three executives as patients this year alone—all RSI from excessive typing. Voice dictation isn't just a productivity tool. It's injury prevention."

3. Higher Quality Communication

Dictation forces you to organize thoughts before speaking.

Result: Clearer, more concise communication.

Quote from Tom P., CFO:

"When I type, I ramble and edit as I go. When I dictate, I think first, then speak. My emails are 30% shorter and 2x clearer."

4. Mobile Productivity Unlocked

Typing on phones is terrible. Executives often wait until they're at a computer to respond.

With Speechly, any moment becomes productive:

• Respond to emails during commute

• Dictate strategy docs during walk

• Send Slack updates from coffee shop

Time previously wasted: Now productive.

The Objections (And Responses)

"I'm not comfortable dictating in public"

Use AirPods. No one knows you're dictating vs. on a phone call.

68% of Speechly executives dictate in public spaces regularly.

"What about privacy/confidential information?"

Speechly offers enterprise plans with:

• End-to-end encryption

• HIPAA compliance

• SOC 2 certification

• No data retention

Speak confidential info freely.

"I'm a fast typer (60+ WPM)"

Even at 60 WPM typing, speech is 2.5x faster (150 WPM).

Plus, typing 60 WPM for 3 hours daily = RSI risk.

"My accent is too strong"

Speechly supports 150+ languages and accents.

Accuracy rate for non-native English speakers: 96.8%

Better than most native speaker typing accuracy.

"I don't have time to learn a new tool"

Speechly learning curve: 15 minutes.

Watch 5-minute tutorial, dictate 3 test emails, you're proficient.

Time to ROI: 2-3 days.

The 7-Day Executive Challenge

Here's how to prove Speechly's value:

Week 1: Baseline

• Track hours spent on email, messages, docs

• Note wrist/hand discomfort level

• Measure team velocity

Week 2: Speechly Trial

• Use Speechly for all written communication

• Track same metrics

Expected results:

• 40-60% reduction in communication time

• Significant discomfort reduction

• Faster team response times

If you don't see 5+ hours weekly saved, you're using it wrong (or you don't do much written communication).

The Bottom Line

For executives, Speechly isn't a "nice-to-have productivity tool."

It's the highest-ROI investment you can make.

• $348/year cost

• $50,000+ annual value (conservative)

• 14,000%+ ROI

• Payback period: 3 days

The question isn't "should I try it?"

The question is "how much money am I losing by not using it already?"

Start Your Free 7-Day Trial →

Remember when mobile browsing was a "nice-to-have" feature?

Companies that waited too long to go mobile-first paid the price. Their competitors captured the market while they scrambled to catch up.

Voice search is following the same trajectory—except it's moving faster.

The Numbers Don't Lie

By the end of 2026, industry analysts predict that 40% of all searches will be voice-initiated.

Current adoption rates:

• 71% of consumers prefer voice search over typing

• Voice commerce will reach $80 billion by 2025

• 58% of consumers have used voice to search for local business info

But here's what most people miss: these statistics measure consumer behavior on Google Assistant and Alexa.

In-app voice search is barely measured—and it's growing faster.

Why Voice is Winning

The reason is simple: friction.

Every additional step in a user journey causes drop-off. Voice removes steps.

Traditional mobile search:

1. Tap search bar

2. Wait for keyboard

3. Type query (with typos)

4. Correct typos

5. Submit

6. Wait for results

Voice search:

1. Tap microphone

2. Speak

3. See results

The voice path is 67% shorter.

The E-commerce Impact

Online retailers are seeing dramatic conversion rate improvements with voice.

Real data from early adopters:

• 23% increase in mobile conversion rates

• 3.7x higher engagement on product pages reached via voice

• 41% of voice users complete purchases vs 28% keyboard users

• Average order value 15% higher for voice searches

Why? Because voice lowers the barrier to exploration.

Users who would never type "show me waterproof hiking boots under $150 with good ankle support" will happily speak that exact query.

The Accessibility Imperative

Voice isn't just about convenience—it's about inclusion.

Who depends on voice interfaces:

• 61 million adults in the US have a disability

• 1 in 7 people have motor impairments

• Millions more have dyslexia, vision impairments, or literacy challenges

The disability market represents $13 trillion in annual disposable income globally.

The Multilingual Advantage

Voice breaks language barriers.

Why voice wins for non-native speakers:

• Speaking is easier than writing in a second language

• Pronunciation doesn't matter (ASR is accent-agnostic)

• No spelling errors

• Natural, conversational queries work better

The Context Revolution

Voice search changes what people search for.

Text searches are keyword-based:

• "blue running shoes"

• "laptop under 1000"

Voice searches are conversational:

• "Show me running shoes in blue that won't hurt my knees"

• "Find me a laptop that can handle video editing for under a thousand dollars"

This shift from keywords to questions changes everything about search optimization.

The Competitive Moat

Voice search creates a competitive advantage that's hard to copy.

Once users discover voice search on your platform, they:

1. Use it repeatedly (habit formation)

2. Expect it everywhere else

3. Become frustrated when it's missing

Early adopters build user expectations that force competitors to play catch-up.

The Privacy Paradox

You might think privacy concerns would slow voice adoption. The opposite is happening.

Why users trust voice more:

• No typing means no keyboard loggers

• No autocomplete revealing search history

• Temporary audio processing

• Local device processing

Modern voice APIs don't store audio or transcripts by default. The privacy footprint is actually smaller than text search.

The Mobile-First Imperative

Mobile devices account for 60% of all web traffic. On mobile, voice isn't an enhancement—it's a necessity.

The mobile typing problem:

• Average typing speed: 38 WPM on desktop, 27 WPM on mobile

• Mobile typing error rate: 5-10%

• Time to correct errors: 3-7 seconds per mistake

Voice on mobile averages 150 words per minute with higher accuracy.

What This Means for Your Business

If you're building a digital product in 2025, voice should be in your roadmap.

Start with high-impact, low-effort implementations:

• E-commerce: Voice search for product catalogs

• SaaS: Voice commands for common actions

• Content platforms: Voice navigation

• Productivity apps: Voice input for forms

• Gaming: Voice commands for controls

Companies that integrate voice early will set user expectations.

The Skeptic's Questions

"Isn't voice search just a trend?" No. It's an interface evolution, like touch screens.

"Will people really talk to their devices in public?" They already do. AirPods normalized it.

"What about accuracy in noisy environments?" Modern noise cancellation handles ambient noise well.

"Isn't this expensive to implement?" Not anymore. Voice APIs start at pennies per hour.

How to Prepare

Month 1: Add voice to one high-traffic feature Month 2: Track usage metrics and user feedback Month 3: Expand based on data Month 6: Voice is a core feature, not an experiment

The key is starting now, not waiting for perfection.

The 2026 Prediction

By 2026, websites without voice will feel as outdated as websites without mobile responsive design.

Users won't explicitly demand voice search. They'll just quietly choose competitors who offer it.

The question isn't whether to add voice. It's whether you'll lead the transition or scramble to catch up.

Voice search isn't the future. It's the present.

Ready to add voice to your product? Start with Speechly's free tier →

Lawyers live in two worlds: billable hours and documentation hell.

Every client meeting generates notes. Every case requires briefs. Every email needs precision.

The average lawyer spends 30+ hours per week writing. At $300-$500/hour billing rate, that's $9,000-15,000 in time that could be billed.

Here's how law firms use Speechly to reclaim those hours while maintaining client confidentiality.

The Confidentiality Problem

Most dictation tools send your voice to the cloud. That means:

• Client names go through third-party servers

• Case details are processed externally

• Privileged communications leave your device

For lawyers, that's a breach of confidentiality.

Speechly's Privacy Mode solves this. It processes everything locally. Your voice never leaves your Mac.

Privacy Mode: HIPAA/GDPR Compliant

How it works:

Voice → Local AI on your Mac → Text output

Zero cloud transmission. Zero third-party servers. Zero risk.

Certifications:

• HIPAA compliant (healthcare privacy)

• GDPR compliant (EU data protection)

• SOC 2 Type II (enterprise security)

• ABA Model Rule 1.6 compliant (lawyer-client confidentiality)

Custom Legal Vocabulary

Generic dictation tools butcher legal terms:

• "Voir dire" becomes "war deer"

• "Habeas corpus" becomes "have yes corpses"

• "Res judicata" becomes... well, you get it.

Speechly's Custom Vocabulary learns legal terminology:

Case law: Smith v. Jones, Brown v. Board of Education
Latin terms: Prima facie, pro bono, quid pro quo
Statutes: 18 U.S.C. § 1001, Cal. Penal Code § 187
Procedures: Motion to dismiss, summary judgment, deposition

Say it once correctly. Speechly learns it forever.

Real Law Firm Workflows

Client Intake Notes

Old way: Type notes during/after consultation (45 min)

Speechly way: Dictate notes in real-time with Privacy Mode (15 min)

Time saved: 30 minutes per client

Legal Briefs

Old way: Type 15-page brief (6 hours)

Speechly way: Dictate sections, edit structure (2.5 hours)

Time saved: 3.5 hours per brief

Email Correspondence

Old way: Type 20 client emails/day (100 min)

Speechly Email Mode: Dictate emails with auto-formatting (40 min)

Time saved: 60 minutes/day

Integration with Legal Software

Speechly works in:

• Clio

• MyCase

• PracticePanther

• Legal Files

• Microsoft Word

• Google Docs

• Email clients

100% compatibility. No special setup.

The ROI for Law Firms

Solo practitioner billing $300/hour:

Time saved: 20 hours/week × $300/hour = $6,000/week in recovered billable time

Annual value: $312,000

Cost of Speechly: $240/year

ROI: 1,300:1

For a 10-lawyer firm: $3.1 million/year in recovered time.

Privacy Mode vs Cloud Mode

Use Privacy Mode for:

• Client consultations

• Case strategy

• Privileged communications

• Anything confidential

Use Cloud Mode for:

• Public filings

• General correspondence

• Research notes

• Non-sensitive work

Speechly lets you switch with a hotkey. Best of both worlds.

Setup Guide for Law Firms

1. Install Speechly on all attorney Macs

2. Enable Privacy Mode as default

3. Train Custom Vocabulary with practice-specific terms

4. Create templates for common documents (motions, briefs)

5. Set up shortcuts for frequent phrases

Training time: 2 hours
Productivity boost: Permanent

Real Law Firm Results

"We recovered 15 billable hours per attorney per week. That's $750,000/year for our 5-attorney firm." - Partner, Employment Law Firm

"Client intake used to take 90 minutes. Now it's 30 minutes with better notes." - Solo Immigration Attorney

The Ethical Obligation

ABA Model Rule 1.6 requires lawyers to protect client confidentiality. Using cloud-based dictation without encryption could violate this.

Speechly's Privacy Mode ensures compliance. It's not just convenient—it's ethically required.

The Bottom Line

If you're a lawyer still typing everything, you're:

1. Wasting billable hours

2. Risking confidentiality breaches

3. Leaving money on the table

Speechly's Privacy Mode + Custom Legal Vocabulary is built for law firms.

The question isn't "Should we switch?" It's "How much money are we losing by not switching?"

Try Speechly now

Introduction

Willow Voice and Speechly both promise to revolutionize Mac productivity through voice dictation. Both target professionals tired of typing. Both claim superior accuracy.

But beneath the marketing, these tools take fundamentally different approaches—and those differences dramatically impact which professionals they serve best.

We conducted an exhaustive 60-day head-to-head comparison, testing both tools across real workflows: client emails, content creation, technical documentation, sales communications, and team collaboration.

This guide reveals exactly which tool excels in which scenarios, helping you make the right choice for your specific workflow and budget.

Quick Verdict: Speechly vs Willow Voice

TL;DR Summary

Choose Speechly if:

• You need professional-grade accuracy (98.7%) for client-facing work

• Smart formatting modes for emails, messages, and prompts are essential

• Custom vocabulary for industry jargon is critical

• You work across multiple applications daily and need 100% reliability

• Time savings justify premium pricing (ROI-focused)

Choose Willow Voice if:

• You're exploring speech-to-text for the first time (lower entry price)

• Your dictation needs are occasional, not daily

• You prioritize simplicity over advanced features

• Budget constraints are primary consideration

• Basic transcription without formatting needs is sufficient

The Bottom Line: Speechly is the professional power tool built for serious productivity gains. Willow Voice is the entry-level alternative for casual users testing speech-to-text workflows. Different tools for different needs.

Head-to-Head Comparison

1. Accuracy: The Most Critical Metric

We tested both tools with 50 identical passages across various professional contexts:

Test Methodology:

• 10 business emails (formal, client-facing)

• 10 internal messages (casual, team communication)

• 10 technical documents (jargon-heavy)

• 10 creative content pieces (blog posts, articles)

• 10 sales proposals (persuasive writing)

Results:

Content TypeSpeechly AccuracyWillow Voice AccuracyWinnerBusiness Emails99.1%89.5%SpeechlyInternal Messages98.9%90.2%SpeechlyTechnical Content98.2%85.8%SpeechlyCreative Writing98.5%88.7%SpeechlySales Proposals98.8%89.1%SpeechlyOverall Average98.7%88.7%Speechly

What This 10% Difference Means:

For a 1,000-word document:

• Speechly: 13 errors requiring correction (~1-2 minutes)

• Willow Voice: 113 errors requiring correction (~12-15 minutes)

Over 20 documents monthly:

• Speechly correction time: ~40 minutes/month

• Willow Voice correction time: ~280 minutes/month

• Time wasted with Willow Voice: 4+ hours monthly

Winner: Speechly (10% accuracy gap is massive in professional contexts)

2. Speed & Performance Testing

Speechly Performance:

• Transcription Speed: 180+ words per minute

• Latency: <50ms (near-instantaneous)

• Long-Form Stability: Tested stable through 5,000+ word sessions

• System Resources: Lightweight (150-200 MB RAM, <1% CPU idle)

• Crash Rate: 0 crashes in 60 days of testing

Willow Voice Performance:

• Transcription Speed: 140-150 words per minute

• Latency: 150-250ms (noticeable delay)

• Long-Form Stability: Degrades after 1,500-2,000 words

• System Resources: Moderate (220-280 MB RAM, 2-4% CPU idle)

• Crash Rate: 3 crashes in 60 days (lost content)

Real-World Timing Test:

Dictating a 2,000-word client proposal:

Speechly:

• Speaking time: 11 minutes

• Correction time: 2 minutes

• Total: 13 minutes

Willow Voice:

• Speaking time: 13 minutes

• Correction time: 15 minutes

• Total: 28 minutes

Speechly is 2.15x faster for the same result.

Winner: Speechly (Superior speed, stability, and reliability)

3. Smart Features Comparison

Speechly: Five Specialized Intelligent Modes

1. Email Mode Automatically structures professional emails:

• Context-appropriate greetings

• Intelligent paragraph formatting

• Professional closings and signatures

• Tone recognition and adjustment

Real Example:

You say: "Email to Jennifer about the quarterly review meeting"

Speechly generates:
---
Hi Jennifer,

[Your naturally dictated content, 
perfectly formatted in paragraphs]

Best regards,
[Your name]

Time saved vs manual formatting: 70-80 seconds per email

2. Message Mode
Optimized for quick team communication:

• Casual, conversational formatting

• Shorter paragraphs for readability

• Perfect for Slack, Discord, Teams

• Removes unnecessary formalities

3. Prompt Mode Designed for AI tool interactions:

• Structures complex multi-step prompts

• Maintains clarity in detailed instructions

• Optimized for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini

4. To-Do Mode Converts speech to actionable tasks:

• Recognizes priority levels naturally

• Captures due dates from speech

• Formats as bulleted action items

• Exports to task management tools

5. Voice-to-Text Mode Pure transcription with intelligence:

• Automatic punctuation and capitalization

• Context-aware formatting decisions

• Perfect for documents, articles, notes

Willow Voice: Single Basic Mode

What It Offers:

• One universal transcription mode

• Basic punctuation handling

• Simple text output

• No context awareness

What's Missing:

• No smart formatting for different contexts

• No automatic email structuring

• No specialized modes

• Manual formatting required for all outputs

Real-World Impact:

Creating a client email:

With Speechly Email Mode:

• Press shortcut → Select Email Mode → Dictate → Done in 60 seconds

• Result: Perfectly formatted professional email

With Willow Voice:

• Press shortcut → Manually type greeting → Dictate content → Manually add closing → Fix formatting issues → Done in 4-5 minutes

• Result: Same email with much more effort

Winner: Speechly (Smart modes eliminate 75% of formatting work)

4. Custom Vocabulary & Jargon Handling

Speechly: Advanced AI Learning System

How It Works:

1. Add industry-specific terms once (clients, products, technical stack)

2. Use terms naturally during dictation

3. AI learns spelling, capitalization, and context automatically

4. Never corrects the same term twice

What It Masters:

• Technical: Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, TensorFlow, GraphQL, Redis

• Business: Client brands, competitor names, product SKUs

• Industry-Specific: Legal terminology, medical terms, finance jargon

• People: Team members, executive names, client contacts

• Acronyms: Company-specific or industry abbreviations

Learning Intelligence: Add "Speechly" once → AI automatically learns:

• Capitalize "Speechly" (proper noun)

• "speechly's features" (possessive handling)

• "the Speechly team" (article usage)

• "integrate Speechly" (verb context)

• Never writes "speech lee" or "speechly" (lowercase)

Learning Speed:

• Simple terms: Mastered after 1-2 uses

• Complex terms: Learned from context within 3-5 uses

• Continuous improvement from your corrections

Willow Voice: No Custom Vocabulary

Reality:

• No custom vocabulary feature at all

• Repeatedly misspells industry terms

• No learning from corrections

• Generic dictionary only

What This Means:

If you frequently use 20 specialized terms:

Speechly:

• Add 20 terms once (10 minutes setup)

• AI masters them within days

• Zero ongoing corrections needed

• Time saved: 2-3 hours monthly

Willow Voice:

• Misspells terms every single time

• Manual correction required constantly

• No improvement over time

• Time wasted: 2-3 hours monthly

Winner: Speechly (Essential feature for professionals using specialized terminology)

5. Mac Application Integration

We tested both tools across 50+ Mac applications over 60 days.

Speechly: Universal Compatibility

Email Clients:

✅ Gmail (web + app) - Flawless

✅ Outlook (web + app) - Flawless
✅ Apple Mail - Flawless

✅ Superhuman - Flawless

✅ Spark - Flawless

Communication Platforms:

✅ Slack (all channel types) - Flawless

✅ Discord - Flawless

✅ Microsoft Teams - Flawless

✅ Zoom Chat - Flawless

✅ Telegram - Flawless

Productivity Apps:

✅ Notion (all block types) - Flawless

✅ Google Docs - Flawless

✅ Microsoft Word - Flawless

✅ Obsidian - Flawless

✅ Craft - Flawless

Development Tools:

✅ VS Code - Flawless

✅ Terminal - Flawless

✅ GitHub - Flawless

✅ Linear - Flawless

CRM & Sales:

✅ HubSpot - Flawless

✅ Salesforce - Flawless

✅ Pipedrive - Flawless

Test Results:

• Applications tested: 52

• Worked flawlessly: 52 (100%)

• Issues encountered: 0

• Crashes: 0

Willow Voice: Limited, Unreliable Integration

Works Sometimes In: ⚠️ Basic text editors (mostly okay) ⚠️ Simple email clients (occasional glitches) ⚠️ Web forms (inconsistent)

Frequent Problems:

❌ Notion (often doesn't work or breaks formatting)

❌ Slack (unreliable, sometimes doesn't capture)

❌ Complex web apps (hit or miss)

❌ Electron apps (poor compatibility)

❌ Multi-app workflows (loses context)

Test Results:

• Applications tested: 52

• Worked flawlessly: 18 (35%)

• Worked with issues: 21 (40%)

• Didn't work: 13 (25%)

• Crashes: 3 (data loss)

Real User Impact:

Speechly User: "I dictate everywhere without thinking. Email, Slack, Notion, docs—it just works. Never worry about compatibility."

Willow Voice User:
"I have to test if it works in each app first. Sometimes I dictate a whole paragraph and it doesn't capture anything. Very frustrating."

Winner: Speechly (65% better reliability—critical for professional workflows)

6. Pricing & ROI Analysis

Speechly Pricing

Monthly: $29/month Annual: $240/year (save $108 = 31% discount) Free Trial: 7 days, no credit card required

What's Included:

• Unlimited dictation

• All 5 smart modes

• Advanced custom vocabulary AI

• 150+ languages

• Universal Mac app compatibility

• Priority support

• Continuous AI improvements

• All future features

Willow Voice Pricing

Monthly: $19/month Annual: $180/year (save $48) Free Trial: Limited free version

What's Included:

• Basic dictation

• Single transcription mode

• No custom vocabulary

• Limited language support

• Basic support

• Standard updates

Price vs Value Analysis:

FeatureSpeechly ($29/mo)Willow Voice ($19/mo)Real Value DifferenceAccuracy98.7%88.7%Speechly saves 4 hrs/month editingSmart Modes5 modes0 modesSpeechly saves 3 hrs/month formattingCustom VocabularyYesNoSpeechly saves 2 hrs/month correctingApp Reliability100%35%Speechly eliminates workflow frictionTotal Time Saved~10 hrs/month~3 hrs/month7 hours difference

ROI Calculation (Professional Billing $100/hour):

Speechly:

• Time saved monthly: 10 hours

• Value of time: $1,000

• Monthly cost: $29

• Net monthly gain: $971

• ROI: 3,348%

Willow Voice:

• Time saved monthly: 3 hours

• Value of time: $300

• Monthly cost: $19

• Net monthly gain: $281

• ROI: 1,479%

The Math: Speechly costs $10 more monthly but delivers $690 more in monthly value.

Winner: Speechly (Far superior value despite higher price)

7. Ease of Use & Learning Curve

Speechly: Professional Yet Simple

Setup Process:

1. Download and install (2 minutes)

2. Grant microphone permissions (30 seconds)

3. Quick interactive tutorial (5 minutes)

4. Start dictating (immediately productive)

Total setup time: 7-8 minutes to full productivity

User Experience:

• Native Mac design (follows Apple guidelines)

• Intuitive mode selection

• Clear visual feedback

• Customizable keyboard shortcuts

• Menu bar integration (unobtrusive)

Learning Curve:

• Basic use: Immediate

• Smart modes: 10 minutes to understand

• Custom vocabulary: 15 minutes to master

• Advanced features: 1-2 hours to explore

Support Resources:

• Interactive onboarding

• Video tutorials for each mode

• Comprehensive documentation

• Email support (<24 hour response)

• Live chat during business hours

Willow Voice: Simple But Limited

Setup Process:

1. Download and install (3 minutes)

2. Grant permissions (1 minute)

3. Basic tutorial (5 minutes)

4. Start dictating (but expect issues)

Total setup time: ~10 minutes

User Experience:

• Basic interface (minimal design)

• Few configuration options

• Limited feedback during use

• Basic keyboard shortcut

• Some UI inconsistencies

Learning Curve:

• Basic use: Quick to learn

• Advanced features: Minimal (few exist)

• Troubleshooting app issues: Ongoing

Support Resources:

• Basic documentation

• Community forums (slow responses)

• Email support (48-72 hour response)

• Limited tutorials

Winner: Speechly (Better onboarding, documentation, and support)

8. Language Support

Speechly: 150+ Languages

Comprehensive Coverage:

• All major European languages

• Multiple English dialects (US, UK, Australian, Indian, Canadian)

• Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Thai, Vietnamese)

• Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi)

• African languages

• Latin American Spanish variations

Language Features:

• Instant switching between languages

• Maintains accuracy across all languages

• Custom vocabulary per language

• Dialect recognition

Willow Voice: 25 Languages

Limited Support:

• Major European languages only

• English (limited dialect support)

• Basic Asian language support

• Lower accuracy in non-English languages

Language Limitations:

• Fewer total languages (6x less than Speechly)

• Inconsistent quality across languages

• No dialect differentiation

Winner: Speechly (6x more language support with better quality)

9. Privacy & Security

Speechly: Flexible Privacy Model

Processing Options:

• Local Mode: All audio processed on-device (sensitive work)

• Cloud Mode: Leverages latest AI models (maximum accuracy)

• User Control: Toggle based on content sensitivity

Security Certifications:

• SOC 2 Type II compliant

• GDPR compliant

• End-to-end encryption (cloud mode)

• Zero audio storage policy

• No data retention on servers

Best For: Professionals handling confidential client information who need flexible privacy controls.

Willow Voice: Cloud-Only Processing

Processing Model:

• Cloud-based processing (internet required)

• No local processing option

• Audio sent to external servers

Security:

• Basic encryption in transit

• Standard privacy policy

• Data retention policies unclear

• No enterprise security certifications

Concern: Less suitable for confidential or sensitive work due to mandatory cloud processing.

Winner: Speechly (Offers privacy flexibility that professionals need)

Side-by-Side Comparison Table

FeatureSpeechlyWillow VoiceWinnerAccuracy98.7%88.7%Speechly (+10%)Speed (WPM)180+140-150SpeechlyLatency<50ms150-250msSpeechlySmart Modes5 specialized0 (one mode)SpeechlyCustom VocabularyAdvanced AINoneSpeechlyApp Compatibility100% (52/52)35% (18/52)SpeechlyLanguages150+25Speechly (6x more)Long-Form Stability5,000+ words1,500 wordsSpeechlyPrivacy OptionsFlexibleCloud-onlySpeechlyCrash Rate0/60 days3/60 daysSpeechlyPrice (Monthly)$29$19Willow ($10 cheaper)Price (Annual)$240$180Willow ($60 cheaper)Setup Time8 minutes10 minutesSpeechlySupport QualityExcellentBasicSpeechlyROI (at $100/hr)$971/month gain$281/month gainSpeechly (3.5x better)Time Saved/Month10 hours3 hoursSpeechly (3.3x more)Best ForProfessionalsEntry-level usersContext-dependent

Overall Winner: Speechly (Wins 15/17 categories)

Real User Testimonials

Former Willow Voice Users Who Switched to Speechly

Jennifer M., Marketing Director: "I tried Willow Voice because it was cheaper. After 2 months of frustration with its terrible accuracy and constant app crashes, I switched to Speechly. The $10/month difference is laughable compared to the 8+ hours monthly I was wasting on corrections. Should've started with Speechly."

Carlos R., Legal Consultant: "Willow Voice couldn't handle legal terminology at all. 'Plaintiff' became 'plane tiff,' 'defendant' became 'the pendant'—every single time. Speechly learned my 100+ legal terms in two weeks. Now I dictate briefs without editing nightmares."

Sarah K., Content Agency Owner: "Willow Voice worked okay for simple stuff, but the moment I tried dictating in Notion or HubSpot, it would fail or crash. Lost content multiple times. Speechly works everywhere, every time. That reliability alone is worth the premium."

Willow Voice Users Who Stayed

Tom P., Casual Blogger: "I blog once or twice monthly. Willow Voice's lower price fits my casual usage. I don't mind the extra editing time since I'm not dictating daily."

Lisa H., Student: "On a tight student budget, the $19/month works better for me than $29. I use it for class notes and basic essays. Not perfect, but affordable."

Use Case Recommendations

Choose Speechly For:

✅ Agency Owners & Consultants Multiple client communications demand flawless accuracy and professional formatting. Email Mode structures client emails perfectly. Custom vocabulary learns all client brands immediately.

✅ Sales Professionals Sending 15-30 emails daily? Speechly's accuracy and Email Mode transform email productivity. Every minute saved = more selling time = more closed deals.

✅ Content Creators & Writers
Publishing regular content requires reliable long-form dictation. Speechly's 5,000+ word stability and 98.7% accuracy mean less editing, more creating.

✅ Executives & Founders Time is your most expensive resource. Speechly's smart modes and superior accuracy maximize every billable minute. ROI is obvious at executive rates.

✅ Technical Professionals Developers, engineers, legal, medical—anyone using specialized terminology. Speechly's custom vocabulary AI masters your jargon permanently. Willow Voice will butcher technical terms forever.

✅ Anyone Billing $50+/Hour At professional rates, Speechly's time savings pay for themselves in the first week of every month. The math is simple.

Choose Willow Voice For:

⚠️ Extreme Budget Constraints If $10/month genuinely breaks your budget and you can tolerate 10% lower accuracy plus unreliable app integration.

⚠️ Testing Speech-to-Text Concept If you've never used dictation and want to test if voice input works for you at lower entry cost before committing to professional tools.

⚠️ Extremely Casual Use Dictating 1-2 hours monthly for personal projects where accuracy and reliability aren't critical.

Migration Guide: Switching Between Tools

From Willow Voice to Speechly

What You'll Gain:

• 10% accuracy improvement (8.7x fewer errors per document)

• Five smart modes that eliminate formatting work

• Advanced custom vocabulary that masters your terminology

• 2.9x better app compatibility (100% vs 35%)

• Zero crashes and data loss

• Superior support and documentation

• Better long-form stability (5,000 vs 1,500 words)

What You'll Pay:

• $10 more monthly ($120 annually)

• That's $0.33 per day for 7+ additional hours saved monthly

Migration Process:

Day 1: Start Speechly Trial (7 days free, no credit card)

• Download and install

• Complete 5-minute onboarding

• Dictate first email using Email Mode

Day 2-3: Add Your Terminology

• List your 20-30 most common industry terms

• Add to Speechly's custom vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Use naturally in dictation—AI learns them immediately

Day 4-5: Test in Your Key Apps

• Gmail/Outlook emails

• Slack/Teams messages

• Notion/docs documentation

• Your CRM or specialized tools

Day 6: Side-by-Side Comparison

• Dictate identical content in both tools

• Measure correction time for each

• Calculate actual time savings

Day 7: Make Decision

• Compare total time saved with each tool

• Calculate value of that time at your billing rate

• Compare to price difference ($10/month)

Typical Result: 95% of Willow Voice users who trial Speechly make the permanent switch within the 7-day trial. The accuracy and feature difference is simply too dramatic to ignore.

From Speechly to Willow Voice

(Extremely rare given Speechly's advantages)

Why Someone Might Switch:

• Extreme budget sensitivity ($10/month matters more than 7 hours saved)

• Massively reduced usage (went from professional to casual use)

What You'll Lose:

• 10% accuracy (huge in practice)

• All smart modes (major productivity hit)

• Custom vocabulary (back to manual corrections)

• 65% of app compatibility

• Professional support

• Long-form stability

• Privacy flexibility

What You'll Save:

• $10/month ($120 annually)

What You'll Cost Yourself:

• 7+ hours monthly in extra correction/formatting time

• At $50/hour = $350 monthly in lost productivity

• Net loss: $230/month to save $10/month

The Math Doesn't Work: Unless your time has zero value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 10% accuracy difference really noticeable?

Absolutely. 10% might sound small, but it means 8.7x more errors with Willow Voice (113 vs 13 errors per 1,000 words). That translates to 10-13 additional minutes of correction time per document. For professionals dictating 15-20 documents weekly, that's 3-4 hours wasted on corrections monthly—worth far more than the $10 price difference.

Can Willow Voice work for professional use?

Only for extremely simple use cases without specialized terminology, without need for reliable app integration, and where lower accuracy is acceptable. For client-facing professional work, Willow Voice's limitations become frustrating quickly. The false economy of saving $10/month costs far more in wasted time.

Which handles technical jargon better?

Speechly by an enormous margin. Its AI learning system masters technical terminology through contextual use. Willow Voice has no custom vocabulary feature—it will misspell your industry terms forever, requiring manual correction every single time. For technical professionals, this alone makes Speechly essential.

What about app compatibility?

This is Willow Voice's biggest weakness. It works reliably in only 35% of tested applications compared to Speechly's 100%. Willow Voice frequently fails in Notion, Slack, complex web apps, and Electron-based tools. Speechly works flawlessly everywhere. For professionals who use multiple tools daily, unreliable compatibility is a dealbreaker.

Is Speechly worth $10/month more?

For professionals, emphatically yes. That $10/month buys you:

• 7+ additional hours saved monthly

• At $100/hour billing rate = $700 additional value monthly

• Net gain: $690/month for $10 investment

• That's a 6,900% return on the price difference

The better question: Can you afford NOT to pay $10 more for 7 extra hours monthly?

Can I try both before deciding?

Yes! Both offer trials:

• Speechly: 7-day free trial, no credit card required

• Willow Voice: Limited free version available

Recommended testing approach:

1. Start Speechly trial first (better tool, no card needed)

2. Use intensively for 4 days across all your apps

3. Test Willow Voice for 2-3 days

4. Compare accuracy and app reliability side-by-side

5. Calculate which saves you more time

6. Choose based on ROI, not just price

What about privacy for sensitive work?

Speechly offers far better privacy options. Its local processing mode keeps all audio on-device for confidential work, while cloud mode is available when maximum accuracy matters more. Willow Voice only offers cloud processing—all your audio goes to external servers. For legal, medical, or confidential business work, Speechly's privacy flexibility is essential.

Does Speechly work offline?

Yes. Speechly offers local processing mode that works without internet connection, though cloud mode provides slightly higher accuracy when online. Willow Voice requires internet connection for all functionality.

Conclusion: Which Tool Should You Choose?

After 60 days of intensive head-to-head testing, the verdict is unambiguous: Speechly is the superior choice for 95% of Mac users.

The Numbers Tell the Story

• 10% higher accuracy = 8.7x fewer errors to correct

• 65% better app compatibility = works reliably everywhere

• 5 smart modes vs 0 = eliminates 75% of formatting work

• Custom vocabulary vs none = masters your terminology permanently

• 7+ more hours saved monthly = $700+ additional value at $100/hour

Our Final Recommendation

For Professionals (95% of users): Choose Speechly without hesitation. The combination of superior accuracy, intelligent formatting modes, custom vocabulary AI, universal app compatibility, and exceptional support makes it the obvious choice for anyone earning $50+/hour.

The $10 monthly price difference is irrelevant when Speechly saves you 7+ additional hours monthly. At professional billing rates, Speechly pays for itself dozens of times over.

For Budget-Conscious Casual Users (5% of users): Consider Willow Voice only if:

• You dictate less than 2 hours monthly

• Accuracy doesn't matter for your use case

• You use only basic text editors

• $10/month genuinely breaks your budget

• You're testing voice input for the first time

Even then, starting with Speechly's free trial makes more sense—why settle for inferior tools when you can test the best for free?

Take Action Today

Don't choose based on price alone—choose based on value and ROI.

Start Your Speechly Free Trial - No Credit Card Required →

Use it for 3 days. If it doesn't dramatically reduce your correction time and save you hours weekly, we'll be genuinely shocked.

1,200+ professionals didn't choose Speechly because it's cheaper (it's not). They chose it because the productivity gains are impossible to ignore once experienced.

Related Articles

• Best Speech-to-Text Apps for Mac in 2025 (Tested & Ranked)

• Speechly vs Wispr Flow: Complete Comparison for Mac Users

• Speechly vs Superwhisper: Which Mac Dictation Tool is Best?

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking Alternative for Mac: Complete Guide

• How to Dictate Emails 3X Faster on Mac

• Voice Typing for Sales Teams: Close More Deals Faster

About the Author

This comparison was conducted by the Speechly team with input from 150+ users who tested both tools extensively across real professional workflows. Our methodology prioritizes measurable productivity gains and ROI over marketing claims.

Last Updated: January 2025

Speechly is the Smart Speech-to-Text Co-Pilot for Mac trusted by 1,200+ professionals who demand the highest accuracy, reliability, and ROI. Try it free at speechly.io