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Dictate long form drafts in iA Writer

iA Writer is a minimal writing app on desktop and mobile, and voice input comes from the operating system in the main text area.

Try the free voice toolFree · No signup · Runs in your browser

iA Writer is a calm and blank canvas, and voice input matches that mood. Speak the raw thought, keep the screen simple, and clean up in a second pass.

Turn on dictation

On Mac press Fn twice inside the text area.
On Windows press Windows plus H to open voice typing.
On iPad or iPhone tap the microphone on the keyboard.
Use focus mode so only the current sentence is highlighted.

Draft first, style later

Do not fight the markdown while you dictate. Speak the paragraph, then add headings, links, and lists with the keyboard once the idea is on the page.

Draft in Zahvox for public copy

For anything published as a public essay or a client report, dictate the raw thought in Zahvox, tighten the wording, then paste it back. That extra pass keeps the tone steady and removes filler.

Small habits that keep it readable

Say punctuation out loud, including commas and periods.
Keep one thought per sentence so cleanup is fast.
Do a short review pass at the end of every session.
Save common phrases in a snippet tool so voice input can call them.

Keep one small ritual around the mic

A little ritual around dictate long form drafts in ia writer is what turns a tool into a habit. Sit in the same chair, open the same tab, take one breath, then start. It sounds silly and it is the thing that separates people who dictate weekly from people who dictated once. The ritual is not the point — it is the trigger that gets your brain into a "speak the draft" mode instead of a "stare at the cursor" mode.

Where Zahvox fits after the raw capture

Zahvox is the careful second pass that sits after the raw capture. The browser, the OS, or the app you used for dictate long form drafts in ia writer gave you words on a page. Zahvox at /tool is where you paste those words, tighten the wording, fix the shape of the sentences, and copy the result back into wherever it needs to live. Raw capture anywhere, careful edit in Zahvox — that is the whole loop, and it stays the same whether the source was a laptop, a phone, or a meeting transcript.

Looking for something else? Browse the full guides library or open the free voice tool and practice as you read.