Potok turns speech into text in 33 languages, including English and Russian.
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 (in Russian).
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.
Voice input in Evernote. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input in Evernote you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Evernote. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. Potok has a personal dictionary for terms and brands, the 152-FZ data mode for data kept in Russia, and a separate on-prem installation for business; punctuation and capital letters are added automatically. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input in Evernote you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Evernote. Versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the default hotkey is Ctrl+Space; there are no mobile versions. Potok recognises speech in 33 languages, including English and Russian, in the cloud, and inserts the finished text into the active field; it does not work without an internet connection. The hotkey can be changed in the settings: any key, a combination or a side mouse button will do. Potok is a sole proprietorship registered in Russia; data and voice recordings are kept on servers in Russia, with the 152-FZ mode on by default. For Voice input in Evernote you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
Voice input in Evernote. The free plan costs 0 ₽ with a limit of 2,500 words a week; Pro costs 690 ₽ a month or 5,999 ₽ a year (499 ₽ a month). Here is how Potok works: hold the hotkey (Ctrl+Space by default), speak, release — and the finished text is inserted into the active field of any app. Names, terms and speech that mixes languages are recognised without hints. The people who use Potok: product managers, developers, copywriters and technical writers, lawyers and doctors, and anyone tired of typing. For Voice input in Evernote you dictate into the same field where you normally type, so there is no need to switch between apps.
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, so 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, RuTube, Instagram or TikTok 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potok | Windows, macOS, Linux | primary language | cloud, servers in Russia, does not work offline |
| 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 |
Primary sources: evernote.com · help.evernote.com