Get the most out of Speakey.
Guides for the features worth knowing about, plus answers to the questions that come up most. Everything here works the same way Speakey does — locally, on your machine.
System requirements
What Speakey needs on Windows and Linux — supported versions, 64-bit only, the .deb vs the portable AppImage, GPU vs CPU, and which Linux distros we've actually tested.
// keep your dictionary everywhereSync your dictionary across computers
Keep your custom vocabulary identical on every machine — peer-to-peer with Syncthing, no cloud and no account.
// teach Speakey your wordsUsing the dictionary
Add vocabulary, write replacement rules, and let Speakey learn the words and names you actually use.
// author your own vocabularyCreate your own custom dictionary
Build vocabulary categories and replacement rules by hand — plain text files you drop into a folder. Formats, naming, and where they go.
// type into elevated appsRun Speakey as administrator
Why some windows ignore your dictation, and how the one-time elevation toggle fixes it. Windows only.
WindowsFAQ
Does Speakey send my voice or text anywhere?
No. Transcription runs entirely on your own machine — there's no cloud, no account, and no audio or text leaves your computer. That's the whole point: keep your voice your own.
What hardware and languages does it support?
Speakey runs on NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, or plain CPU. On Windows you get two engines — faster-whisper (NVIDIA CUDA, 100+ languages) and Parakeet (any GPU or CPU, 25 European languages). On Linux, Speakey ships the Parakeet engine (25 European languages) on NVIDIA (Turing or newer) and CPU.
Which Windows and Linux versions are supported?
Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). On Linux, any modern 64-bit desktop with the standard GTK 3 + WebKitGTK runtime — in practice Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, and equivalents like current Fedora, on Wayland or X11. Install the .deb on Debian/Ubuntu or the portable AppImage anywhere else. We develop and test on Ubuntu; other modern distros should work but aren't formally tested. There's no ARM build yet. See the system requirements guide for the full picture.
How do I change the dictation key?
Settings → Dictation → Dictation key. Click the field and press the key you want. The default is Left Ctrl — non-printing and reliable everywhere.
Text isn't appearing in one specific app. Why?
Almost always because that app is running as administrator and Speakey isn't, so Windows blocks the keystrokes. Turn on "Run Speakey as administrator" in Settings → System. See the elevation guide for details.
Where is my custom dictionary stored, and can I move it between computers?
It's a plain folder: %APPDATA%\io.speakey.app\dictionary\ on Windows, ~/.local/share/io.speakey.app/dictionary/ on Linux. You can keep it identical across machines with Syncthing — see the sync guide.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — 15 days, no credit card and no account. Download, install, and start talking.
Common gotchas
Elevated apps swallow your dictation (Windows)
If you run a game, terminal, or tool as administrator, a normal Speakey can't type into it. Enable "Run Speakey as administrator" so it can reach those windows.
Your dictionary doesn't follow you to a second PC
Nothing syncs by default — the dictionary is a local folder. Point Syncthing at that folder on each machine to keep your vocabulary and rules in lockstep.
First run pauses to download a model
The Parakeet model (~270 MB) downloads once on first use of that engine. It's cached locally afterward — later launches are instant and fully offline.
Antivirus flags a brand-new install
Real-time keyboard hooks and synthetic keystrokes are exactly what dictation needs, and some antivirus heuristics are twitchy about unfamiliar signed apps. If yours quarantines Speakey, add an exclusion for the install folder.