Potok transcribes Russian speech; this site has been translated into English for convenience.
Evernote has built-in dictation: the microphone icon on the note editing bar turns speech into text in real time on a computer, on the web and on a phone, but it needs the internet, and the help does not list specific languages. If you need dictation with a model trained for Russian speech, there is Potok (potok.now), which recognizes voice at about 900 characters per minute.
Dictation in Evernote is a built-in feature: the microphone icon on the note toolbar turns voice into text in real time, without third-party programs. It works on a computer, on the web and on a phone, but requires an internet connection. An overview of the topic is on the page about voice input in apps.
What to check before your first dictation in Evernote
- Open the note you need and put the cursor where the text should go.
- On the editing toolbar find the microphone icon (dictation) and press it; speech recording starts.
- Check your internet connection: without it speech recognition in Evernote does not work.
- If you need Russian specifically, keep in mind that Evernote's official help does not name a specific list of supported languages, so it is more reliable to check the result once on your own example.
If a check by ear does not satisfy you, Potok (potok.now) recognizes voice with its own model trained for Russian speech, including terms and mixed Russian text with English words, and inserts the dictated text into the same note field with a hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), without opening the toolbar.
| What is available | |
|---|---|
| Built-in dictation | yes: Open a note, place the cursor, press the microphone/dictation icon on the editing bar and speak: speech turns into text in real time. Available on desktop, web and mobile (iOS, Android); an internet connection is needed. The specific list of languages and the presence of Russian are not stated in the article. |
| Text insertion | yes |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android |
| Potok | hold the key, speak, release: the text lands in the field under the cursor |
What to do if the text landed in the wrong place
If after dictation the text appeared not in the note, most likely at the moment you released the hotkey the cursor was not in the editing field but somewhere else, for example in the list of notes or in another window. Potok inserts the dictated text where the cursor is active at the moment the key is released, not where it was at the start of recording.
The second common case is that the hotkey did not work because focus was not on the Evernote window but on another program. It is worth clicking the right place in the note beforehand and only then holding the key (Ctrl+Space by default).
The Evernote note field accepts pasted text the same way as any ordinary text field, so with the right order of actions the text lands exactly where it should. A similar checklist for another notebook is on the page about voice input in OneNote.
When Potok does not fit for dictating in Evernote
Potok is a cloud service: recognition runs on servers in Russia, and it does not work without an internet connection. It has no voice commands, and mobile apps for Android and iPhone do not exist, so you cannot dictate with Potok on a phone, where Evernote does have a mobile app. The free limit is 2500 words per week on one device: with frequent work in notes all day this may not be enough.
Frequently asked questions
Evernote's official help does not name a specific list of languages supported for dictation, so it cannot be said definitely. Potok recognizes Russian speech with its own model trained specifically for it, including terms and mixed Russian text with English words.
Dictation pays off most for long texts written in one go, such as email drafts, notes, messenger replies and lecture notes, and also when your hands are busy or tired (for example, with RSI). For short precise edits (one-word commands, code) typing is often faster.
Built-in system tools (Win+H in Windows, Dictation in macOS, Voice Typing in Google Docs, Gboard on Android), voice browser extensions, and specialized desktop and web services (Potok and similar) that work on top of any app via a hotkey.
By a model estimate, the average dictation speed with Potok is about 900 characters per minute versus about 200 characters per minute with ordinary typing, so speech is noticeably faster than the keyboard.
Voice input turns speech into text on the fly: the user speaks, the program transcribes the sound with speech recognition technology (ASR) and inserts the resulting text into the active field, such as email, a messenger or a document. In Potok this works through a hotkey: hold it, speak, release, and the text is inserted.
Any microphone the system sees as a recording device will do. In Potok you choose it in the app settings or in the tray icon menu; system access to the microphone is required.
Check it in one evening
Install Potok, dictate what you usually type and compare. 14 days of full access, no card needed. Potok is a cloud service: speech is recognized on servers in Russia, and it does not work without the internet.
Download PotokExisting recordings are transcribed by Potok's Telegram bot @potok_now_bot: send a file or a YouTube, VK Video or RuTube link and the text arrives in the chat. The Potok subscription removes the limit in the bot too.
Built-in dictation and Potok
| Tool | Where it works | Russian language | Where speech is recognized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows voice typing (Win+H) | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 11 only | Microsoft cloud, does not work offline |
| macOS Dictation | macOS | yes | on the device or on Apple servers |
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
Primary sources: evernote.com · help.evernote.com