How to Master Dictation in Raycast  🔗 **Source:** [How to Master Dictation in Raycast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc#transcript) > [!note]+ Document Notes > --- > tags: [dictation, raycast, speech-to-text, productivity-tools, developer-tools, accessibility-tooling] > author: [MISSING] > source: Raycast (YouTube) > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc > date created: 2026-06-18 09:45 > --- > # 🏷️ Title: How To Master Dictation in Raycast > ## 🧭 Table of Contents > - [📝 Summary](#-summary) > - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) > - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) > - [📚 References](#-references) > - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) > - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) > - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) > - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) > - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) > - [❓ Questions](#-questions) > - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) > - [💡 Implications](#-implications) > - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) > - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) > - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) > - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) > - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) > - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) > ### 🔗 References > - [Raycast](https://raycast.com) > - [Raycast for new beta (Mac)](https://raycast.com/new) > - [Raycast manual — hotkeys page](https://manual.raycast.com) (linked in video description) > ## 📝 Summary > - **What happened.** A Raycast walkthrough video demonstrates the dictation feature in the new Raycast 2.0 beta (now also on Windows), moving from first-time setup (permissions, hotkey) to power-user tips around "styles," global custom instructions, custom vocabulary, microphone selection, dictate-to-note, and dictation history. > - **Why it matters.** Dictation lets you speak into any text field in any app with a single hotkey, turning speech into a daily input method for messages, emails, prompts, and notes — a faster alternative to typing that becomes "second nature" with muscle memory. > - **Key stakeholders.** Raycast users on macOS and Windows, knowledge workers who write a lot, multilingual users, and people building AI/LLM prompts by voice (Courtney's Claude Code workflow fits here — speak your prompts instead of typing them). > - **Risks and tradeoffs.** Accuracy depends on accent handling, custom vocabulary, and microphone consistency; the feature is free during beta but moves to Raycast's Pro plan after 2.0 ships. Misrecognitions (e.g., "capture" → "capture") require manual vocab tuning. > - **Bottom line.** Set a hotkey, lean on styles and global instructions for context-aware transcription, and dictation becomes a fast, hands-free way to write anywhere — including dictating prompts. > ## 📖 Main Content > - **What dictation is.** A Raycast 2.0 beta feature (macOS and Windows) that transcribes speech into any focused text field, triggered by a hotkey without opening Raycast or searching for a command. The presenter calls it "an absolute daily driver." > - **Setup.** Search "dictate" in Raycast; on first run an onboarding screen grants permissions and sets a hotkey. A hotkey is strongly encouraged here (unlike most Raycast commands) so muscle memory makes triggering automatic. If onboarding was dismissed, set the hotkey by searching "dictate" and opening the action panel with Command/Control + K. Suggested keys: hyperspace (mimics Command+Space), Option/Alt+D, F5, the globe key on Mac, or the Windows key. > - **Using it.** In any input field, fire the hotkey and speak. > - **Settings page.** Reached via Option+Command+Comma (Mac) or Control+Alt+Comma (Windows). The presenter notes dictation is "settings-heavy" and worth exploring. > - **Styles.** The most powerful feature: custom transcription instructions for specific contexts. Styles can fire automatically by being assigned to specific apps/websites, or be picked manually like any command. Styles can have their own hotkeys — e.g., one that formats output as markdown. > - **Global custom instructions.** Apply to all dictations (including styles). Good for declaring a foreign accent or forcing lowercase output. > - **Style tips/hacks.** Per-app name handling (e.g., a Slack style that always spells colleague "John" correctly vs. friend "John Whittington" outside work); auto-translation (dictate English, output Spanish); format output like IPA phonetic transcription or LaTeX math equations; create a blank named style with its own hotkey to get multiple hotkeys for the same base dictation command (useful when switching keyboards). > - **Other settings.** Choose a priority microphone for consistency across AirPods/streaming mics; pick confirm/cancel shortcuts; add custom vocabulary (independent of style) for brand names or repeatedly misrecognized words; view dictation stats (time saved). > - **Beyond text fields.** Dictate-to-note saves transcription into a Raycast note; dictating with no focused text field auto-copies to clipboard; dictation history keeps a list of everything dictated. > - **Availability.** Free during beta; becomes part of the Pro plan once Raycast 2.0 leaves beta. Mac users upgrade at raycast.com/new; Windows users download from raycast.com. > ### 🗒️ Notes > #### ⏱️ [00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=0) Dictation in Raycast 2.0, now on Windows > - Dictation launched in the Raycast 2.0 macOS beta and is now also on Raycast for Windows. > - "a bunch of tips to help you get the most out of this feature, which has been an absolute daily driver for me." > - Get started: search "dictate" in Raycast. > #### ⏱️ [00:00:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=34) Onboarding, permissions, and the hotkey > - First run shows an onboarding screen for permissions and hotkey. > - Hotkey is "highly encouraged" specifically for dictation so muscle memory triggers it in any text field in any app. > #### ⏱️ [00:01:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=68) Setting the hotkey via the action panel > - If onboarding was dismissed, search "dictate" and open the action panel with Command/Control + K. > - Presenter uses hyperspace (reminds them of Command+Space); others use Option/Alt+D, F5, globe key, or Windows key. > - Manual page link for hotkeys is in the description. > #### ⏱️ [00:01:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=100) Just fire the hotkey and speak > - "In any input field, just fire your hotkey and speak." > - Transition to deeper, "settings-heavy" tips. > #### ⏱️ [00:02:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=132) Settings page and Styles > - Settings via Option+Command+Comma (Mac) / Control+Alt+Comma (Windows). > - Styles set custom transcription instructions for specific contexts; fire automatically per app/website or pick manually. > #### ⏱️ [00:02:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=164) Per-style hotkeys and global custom instructions > - Styles can have their own hotkeys (e.g., a markdown-formatting dictate command). > - Global custom instructions apply to all dictations — declare a foreign accent, force lowercase, etc. > #### ⏱️ [00:03:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=197) Per-app name handling and languages > - A Slack style ensures colleague "John" is never butchered; a different context handles friend "John Whittington." > - Set a default dictation language, or leave on auto for multilingual use (Spanish/Portuguese). > #### ⏱️ [00:04:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=263) Translation and format-output style hacks > - A style can auto-translate: dictate English, output Spanish. > - Styles can output hard-to-write formats: IPA phonetic transcription or LaTeX math. > #### ⏱️ [00:05:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=327) Blank-style hack for multiple hotkeys > - Create a blank style (name only) with its own hotkey to get multiple hotkeys for the same base dictation command. > - Useful when switching between keyboards so muscle memory doesn't have to adapt. > #### ⏱️ [00:06:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=360) Microphone, confirm/cancel, and custom vocabulary > - Choose a priority microphone for a consistent experience across AirPods/streaming mics. > - Pick confirm/cancel shortcuts while dictating. > - Add custom vocabulary (independent of style) for brand names or repeatedly misrecognized words. > #### ⏱️ [00:07:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUh1KDgSOsc&t=425) Vocabulary fix example and dictation stats > - A dedicated command jumps straigh A few weeks ago, we welcomed all of our macOS users into the new Raycast 2.0 beta, which introduced, amongst a bunch of improvements, our shiny new dictation feature. And now, dictation is also available on Raycast for Windows. >> Dictation now works on Windows. >> So, here's a bunch of tips to help you get the most out of this feature, which has been an absolute daily driver for me. To get started, search for dictate in Raycast. If it's your first time, an onboarding screen will show up, so you can grant the necessary permissions. And here, you can set a hotkey. Now, this is not true for every Raycast command, but for dictation specifically, it's highly encouraged to have a hotkey, so you can really leverage your muscle memory and make it second nature to just [music] press it to dictate into any text field in any app without having to open Raycast and search for it. If you've already dismissed this screen for some reason, you can also set your hotkey by searching for dictate and launching the action panel with command or control K. I like using hyperspace for mine, because it reminds me of command space and it works for my mental model. But, a lot of people like setting it to something like option or alt D, or even a single key like the F5 key or the globe key on Mac or even the Windows key on Windows. To learn more about setting up hotkeys in Raycast, check out the manual page link in the description. Once it's all set up, it's really easy to start using it. In any input field, just fire your hotkey and speak. Bruno, did you finish the video about shortcuts? >> Nope, it's next on the list. >> Now, let's go a bit deeper with some tips to get you from newbie to dictation pro. This is going to be a very settings-heavy set of tips cuz there's a lot you can tweak here. So, if you search for dictate in Raycast and press option command comma or control alt comma on Windows, you'll find its settings page. One of the most powerful features in Raycast dictation is styles. They basically allow you to set custom instructions for transcribing your dictations that will be used in specific contexts. The cool thing is you can have them fire automatically by assigning a style to specific apps and websites, but you can also pick a style manually on the fly by opening Raycast and searching for it like you would any command. Say you use Hyperspace as the hotkey for your base dictate command. Now, with styles, you can assign different hotkeys for more custom dictate [music] commands, such as one that will format the output into markdown, for example. I want to show you some little hacks that you can use with styles. But first, remember that if you want some instructions to apply to all of your dictations, including when you use styles, the global custom instructions field is exactly for that. This is great for specifying that you perhaps have a foreign accent like myself, or you can also tell it to write things in lowercase, etc. Anything that should be applied globally would go here. Moving on to some style tips. Let's say you have a colleague named John, no age, that you always refer to on Slack. Well, you can add that to a specific instruction in a style just for Slack. So, you know that whenever you're dictating at work, Raycast will never butcher John's name. Did John ever fix the corner radius? And outside of work, it won't butcher your friend John Whittington's name. Yo, tell John to come tomorrow for our barbecue, man. Dictation works with multiple languages. If you always dictate in a specific language, it's a good idea to set it here in settings. I leave mine on auto because sometimes I'll dictate in Spanish or Portuguese. The hack though is you can create a style that will automatically translate what you're saying into a language of your choice. I have one that I can dictate in English, but the output comes out in Spanish. So useful. Where's the library? Similarly, you can create styles to output all kinds of formats that are a genuine pain to write, like Bruno created a style that will output whatever you say as a phonetic transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Great for linguists and language nerds like himself. >> La bibliothèque est ? >> But, you can also have a style that will output a math equation in LaTeX format, for example. X squared equals sine of pi divided by four. It truly works like magic. Now, don't tell our engineers and designers that I'm giving you this tip, but you can also hack dictation styles in order to have multiple dictation hot keys. Here's how. You can basically create a blank style that has nothing but a name, and because dictation styles can have their own hot keys, you can assign a different one to it. This way, you can have multiple hot keys to trigger the same base dictation command. The more, the better. This is great if you constantly switch between different keyboards, and you kind of need two options to make your muscle memory not have to adapt every time you switch. Apart from styles, there's a huge list of small tweaks you can make in settings. It's worth taking some time to explore and tinker [music] with, but to highlight some of our favorites, you can configure which microphone it will prioritize for dictation. If you're always switching between AirPods and streaming mics and whatnot, this is a great setting to fiddle with, so you have a consistent experience. You can also choose which shortcuts you want to use in order to confirm or cancel while dictating. Always good to have options. Just like custom instructions, you can also add custom vocabulary that will be taken into consideration independent of style. This is obviously good for brand names, but not just. I like to add new words as they come up. Like, just use dictation and watch out to see if it doesn't pick up something or if it makes the same mistake consistently. If that happens, then just add that word to the custom vocabulary. We actually have a command in Raycast that takes you directly to this part of dictation settings, so you can quickly edit the list. Like, for some reason, because of my accent, every time I said "capture", it would describe it as "capture". So, I added "capture" as a vocab word, and now it doesn't happen anymore. Let's add more padding to the "capture window" command. And last but not least, I just love to look at the dictation stats up here. Drop yours in the comment and let's see who saved the most time already. Now, most of the time you're going to want to dictate into a text field when otherwise you would write something, respond to a message, draft an email, etc. But the more you do it, the more you realize how convenient it is to dictate everything. So, we made it so you don't even have to have a text field. You can really dictate anywhere. There's the dictate to note command just for that. That's basically going to save your transcription into a Raycast note. But if you just dictate without having a text input focused, the transcription will automatically get copied to your clipboard, so you can paste it whenever you're ready. And with dictation history, you'll also find a list of everything you've dictated, so you can be sure you'll never lose anything. As a reminder, dictation in Raycast is free during the beta, and when Raycast 2.0 is out of beta, it will be part of our pro plan. If you're on a Mac and you're [music] still not on the new version, and you want to try it out, then head out to raycast.com/new. For Windows users, just go to raycast.com and you can download the app from there. As always, stay tuned for more news and tips about Raycast by subscribing to the channel. See you in the next one. Cheers., How to Master Dictation in Raycast, Raycast, 01kvdb1zs0n9swtven9jnmb23k.