Why students dictate
Most of student life is writing: essay drafts, discussion posts, notes, emails to professors. The ideas usually come faster than the typing — especially at the start of an essay, when the page is blank.
Talking through an argument is a good way to find it. With Wisper you say a paragraph, and clean, punctuated text appears in Google Docs, Word, Notion or wherever you write. They’re still your words — Wisper only cleans them up.
How to do it with Wisper
- Install Wisper from the Mac App Store (macOS 14 Sonoma or later). Allow the microphone, and switch Wisper on under Accessibility so it can paste for you.
- Click into your essay, notes or email.
- Hold right ⌥ Option (or Fn, or ⌥W — your choice) and talk the way you would to a person.
- Let go. Wisper pastes clean text where your cursor is.
- For a lecture, record it in Wisper for Mac instead, and get a summary, flashcards and chat with the recording (Pro). Ask first if your school requires permission to record.
That’s the whole loop. For longer thoughts, double-tap the hotkey to go hands-free and tap again to stop. To change text you already wrote, select it, hold right ⌥ and say what to change — “shorter”, “friendlier”, “in Spanish”.
The style that fits: Default
For essays, Default is the right choice: it keeps your words and your argument and just removes the fillers.
Use Email for messages to professors, and Quick note to turn a reading into a few bullets.
“hi professor Klein, um, I was sick last week and missed the seminar, uh, is there any way I can get the slides, and is the essay deadline still Friday, thanks, Sam”
Hi Professor Klein, I was sick last week and missed the seminar. Could I get the slides? And is the essay deadline still Friday? Thank you, Sam
Press a style’s number key while you talk to switch styles before you let go. Free includes 5 style presets; Pro adds unlimited and custom styles.
Tips for students
Lecture → flashcards
Record a lecture on your Mac and get flashcards. Flip with Space, step through with Next.
Studying in another language
Speak in your language and write in the one you’re studying in — any of 30 output languages with Pro.
Course words in the Dictionary
Authors, theories and technical terms come out right once they’re in the Dictionary.
Questions
Is dictating an essay allowed?
Dictation writes down what you say, in your words, like typing does. Check your course’s rules if you also use AI tools to rewrite text.
Is there a student discount?
Not yet. Wisper is free with 20 dictations a day, and Pro is $49.99 a year ($4.17/month billed yearly).
Does it work on my iPhone too?
Yes. The Wisper keyboard works in any app on iPhone, and one subscription covers your Mac and iPhone.