Voice Dictation for Developers: Write Code Comments, Docs, and Slack Messages 3x Faster

Developers write a lot more than code. Documentation, code comments, PR descriptions, Slack messages, emails to stakeholders—all of this text adds up. Voice dictation can 3x your speed for non-code writing.

Why Developers Should Use Voice Dictation

Coding itself is hard to dictate (though AI coding assistants are changing this). But everything around code? That's perfect for voice input:

• Explaining complex PRs and code reviews
• Writing documentation and READMEs
• Composing thoughtful Slack responses
• Drafting emails to non-technical stakeholders
• Adding detailed code comments
• Writing commit messages that actually explain the "why"
• Rubber duck debugging (explain the problem out loud)

The "Vibe Coding" Connection

When you're "vibe coding" with AI assistants like Cursor, Claude, or Copilot, the quality of your prompts determines the quality of the code you get back.

Here's the thing: when you type, you're lazy. You write "fix this bug" and hope the AI reads your mind. When you speak, you naturally provide more context—the edge cases, the constraints, the architectural considerations.

Better prompts = better code. Voice dictation makes better prompts effortless.

Setting Up Dictation for Development

1. Get a Global Hotkey

You need dictation to work in VS Code, Terminal, Slack, browser—everywhere. A global push-to-talk hotkey is essential. macOS dictation has this, but dedicated apps like Sotto offer more control.

2. Train Your Vocabulary

Technical terms trip up speech recognition. Add these to your custom dictionary:

• Framework names: React, Vue, Next.js, Svelte
• Libraries you use: Prisma, Tailwind, Radix
• Your company's product names
• Common acronyms: API, CLI, SDK, JWT
• Variable naming conventions you use

3. Learn Punctuation Commands

Master these for clean output:

• "period" / "comma" / "colon"
• "new line" / "new paragraph"
• "open paren" / "close paren"
• "open bracket" / "close bracket"
• "dash" / "underscore"

Real Workflows from Developers

PR Descriptions

Instead of typing a terse "fixed bug", speak your thoughts: "This PR fixes the race condition in the checkout flow where simultaneous requests could create duplicate orders. The solution adds a distributed lock using Redis. I've added integration tests covering the concurrent scenario."

Code Review Comments

Voice lets you give thorough feedback: "I'd suggest extracting this into a custom hook. The current implementation re-renders on every state change, which will cause performance issues with large lists. I can share an example if helpful."

Slack Technical Discussions

Complex explanations are easier spoken: "The authentication flow works like this: the client gets a JWT from the auth service, includes it in the Authorization header, and our API gateway validates it before forwarding to the backend service..."

Best Tools for Developer Dictation

• Sotto: Best for macOS developers. Local AI, push-to-talk, auto-paste into any app. $29 one-time.
• macOS Dictation: Free, built-in, but limited customization.
• Wispr Flow: Good accuracy but requires subscription ($10/month).
• Talon: Powerful but steep learning curve, designed for full voice control.

Tips for Developer Dictation

1. Use headphones with mic: AirPods work great and isolate your voice
2. Speak in complete thoughts: Plan your sentence before speaking
3. Edit after, not during: Get thoughts out first, polish later
4. Start with low-stakes content: Practice on Slack before PRs
5. Build the habit: Use hotkey even when typing feels easier

The ROI Math

Let's say you write 2,000 words of non-code text per day:

• Typing at 40 WPM = 50 minutes
• Speaking at 150 WPM = 13 minutes
• Daily savings: 37 minutes
• Weekly savings: 3+ hours
• Yearly savings: 150+ hours

That's almost a month of work hours saved per year.