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How to dictate project updates for project managers in 2026

A plain guide for project managers to dictate project updates in 2026, with steps, the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily ยท

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Have your update's facts ready, open the window that receives the text, start a dictation tool, speak in short clear sentences, and read the result before you send it. For work updates, check the licence, because commercial use is not always free. [1]

OptionHow it puts an update into textOwn cost
Notepad or a keyboardYou type the update by handNot published
Built-in dictation on a phone or computerYou speak and its own tool types for youNot published
QuickDictateTypes what you say into whichever window you are using [1]Free for personal and other noncommercial use [1]

What you need before you start

Dictating a project update takes only a few things.

Set aside a short block before status updates. Dictating on the fly tends to produce rambling notes.

Step by step

These steps work with any dictation tool, including the one built into your phone or computer. [1]

  1. Open the window that will hold the update. An email, a chat box, a tracker or a terminal. [1]
  2. Put the update's facts in front of you. Status, progress, blockers and next steps. Speech works better from a short list than from memory.
  3. Start dictation. Press the key you set or tap the tool's start button. [1]
  4. Say the update in short sentences. One idea per sentence. If a sentence comes out wrong, say the voice command that discards the text you just dictated instead of inserting it. [1]
  5. Keep names and tools clear. Specialist words can trip up a speech engine. A list of words and phrases sent to the engine helps it recognise them. [1]
  6. Pause when you need to think. Stop dictation, think, then resume. With some setups words appear while you are still talking. [1]
  7. Let the tool lower other audio. If the update window has sound, other apps can be muted or turned down while you speak and restored when you stop. [1]
  8. Read the typed update before sending. Check names, numbers and dates against your list.
  9. Fix spellings that repeat. A replacement table can turn a common misspelling into the correct form once and for all. [1]
  10. Send or save the update. Move it to the project tool when it reads correctly.

Tools that can do it

You do not need special software to dictate an update. Here are options to consider.

A notepad or a keyboard. You type the update by hand or in a note app. No facts about these are provided here, so check their own pages for limits and cost.

Built-in dictation on a phone or computer. Most phones and some computers come with a speech-to-text tool. Its behaviour differs by device and software, so check its own pages for limits and cost.

QuickDictate. QuickDictate is made by the team that publishes this site. QuickDictate is one option. QuickDictate is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using. [1] You hold a key while you talk, or press it once to start and once to stop, and you can change both keys. [1]

QuickDictate runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11, with no Mac or Linux version. [1] It is delivered as an .exe file on GitHub, with a built-in updater that works silently; it can also be built from source. [1]

You choose where speech is turned into text. [1] You can use ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope or Google, and that provider bills you directly for its service. [1] Choose Local in Settings and install a speech model such as Whisper Large v3 Turbo; dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. [1] With five of the cloud providers, words appear while you are still talking. [1]

Profiles can change the provider, language, vocabulary and formatting depending on which app is in focus. [1] You can browse and filter your last 50 dictations in Settings, and the history survives a restart or self-update. [1] If you sign in, you can sync preferences such as hotkeys and language between PCs. [1]

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. [1] Because a status update made while you work is usually commercial, read the licence: releases from v0.9.0 on are free for noncommercial use, and commercial use needs a separate licence. [1] Checks before you choose a tool: how it handles acronyms and names, what it costs to turn speech into text, and whether it runs on the machine you update from.

Common mistakes to avoid

Speaking before you are ready. A status update given off the top of your head tends to ramble. Say the facts once to yourself or on paper first.

Reading straight off a script. A stiff read sounds like a robot and still needs editing. Speak from a short list of facts instead.

Skipping the review. Speech engines can mishear names and numbers. Read the typed text and fix the errors before you send it.

Never fixing repeated spellings. If your tool types the same word wrong every time, a replacement table can fix it once. [1]

Dictating in a noisy room. Background sound makes the text worse. Pick a quiet spot or use a headset.

Mixing the audience. An update for a sponsor and a note for a developer are different. Say what the reader needs to know, not everything.

Frequently asked questions

Is QuickDictate free for project managers?

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. [1] A status update made while working for a business is usually commercial, and commercial use needs a separate licence. [1] Check which licence applies before you use it at work.

Can QuickDictate type into a project tool like a tracker?

Yes. What you say is typed into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box, terminal or web form. [1] So an update can go into an email, a chat, a tracker or a terminal, as long as that window accepts typed text.

Which speech providers does QuickDictate work with?

You can use ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope or Google, and that provider bills you directly for its service. [1] Or you can choose Local and install a speech model, which then needs no internet connection or API key. [1] Providers set their own prices, so check each one's page before you connect it.

Can the dictation be fixed while it is running?

If a sentence comes out wrong, saying "scratch that" discards the text you just dictated instead of inserting it. [1] A replacement table can also fix repeated spellings, such as turning a common misspelling into the correct form. [1]

Can the settings move between computers?

If you sign in, you can sync preferences such as hotkeys and language between PCs. [1] API keys, audio and transcripts are never synced. [1] Check the current details on the program's own page before you rely on it at work.

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. [1]

Try QuickDictate

Sources

  1. QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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