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Operating SayPaste

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Operating SayPaste

Does SayPaste have automatic punctuation?

Yes. SayPaste adds punctuation automatically, so you don’t need to dictate it. But if you prefer, you can also speak punctuation yourself—for example, saying “exclamation mark.” (See the next questions below.)

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How do I dictate a line break?

Open the SayPaste window and go to the Words tab. There you can add your own dictionary entry that tells SayPaste to insert a line break whenever you say a certain phrase.

Examples:
English: line break ➝ line break
Spanish: salto de línea ➝ salto de línea
Portuguese: quebra de linha ➝ quebra de linha
Polish: złamanie linii ➝ złamanie linii
German: neuer Absatz ➝ neuer Absatz
French: nouveau paragraphe ➝ nouveau paragraphe
Romanian: alineat nou ➝ alineat nou
Dutch: nieuwe regel ➝ nieuwe regel

Other languages: just add the phrase you would normally say for “new paragraph” or “line break” in your language to the dictionary and point it to line break.

Examples:
Turkish: yeni paragraf ➝ line break
Russian: новый абзац ➝ line break

Once you add your word pair to the dictionary, SayPaste will insert a real line break in your text whenever you say that expression in your language.

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How can I add my own punctuation marks or special characters (like an exclamation mark)?

Open SayPaste and go to the Words tab. There you’ll find the dictionary, where you can add your own entries for punctuation, special characters, or auto-corrections.
Examples:
Exclamation mark ➝ !
Hashtag ➝ #
Euro ➝ €
double quote ➝ “
open parenthesis ➝ (
close parenthesis ➝ )

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What punctuation marks or special symbols does SayPaste support?

SayPaste automatically adds the most common punctuation (such as periods, commas, and question marks). If you’d like to add more punctuation marks or symbols, you can set them up in the dictionary the same way as shown in the previous FAQ.

Punctuation & symbols supported in SayPaste:
English: . , ; : ? ! \ ” ‘ ` < > ( ) { } [ ] % # ~ @ – _ —
Spanish: . , ; : ¿ ¡ ? ! \ ” ‘ ` < > ( ) { } [ ] % # ~ @ – _ —
French: . , ; : ? ! \ ” ‘ ` < > ( ) { } [ ] « » % # ~ @ – _ —
Other languages: . , ; : ? ! \ ” ‘ ` < > ( ) { } [ ] % # ~ @ – _ —

Currency symbols: $ € ₿

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I added “exclamation mark ➝ !” to my dictionary, but sometimes SayPaste misunderstands me (e.g., “explanation mark”). What can I do?

If SayPaste occasionally mishears a phrase, just add the misheard version to your dictionary as well. For example, if “exclamation mark” is sometimes transcribed as “explanation mark,” you can add both entries:

Exclamation mark ➝ !
Explanation mark ➝ !

This way, SayPaste will automatically correct the mistake in future transcriptions.

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My wife’s name is Meghan with an “h”, but SayPaste writes Megan. How can I make it correct every time?

Open the SayPaste window and go to the Words tab. There you can use the Dictionary to teach SayPaste your preferred spellings, names, or terms. You can add as many custom entries as you like—for example, names, brands, acronyms, or technical terms.

Examples:
Megan ➝ Meghan
Chatchy PT ➝ ChatGPT

Once you’ve added them to your dictionary, SayPaste will always write them exactly the way you want.

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My transcripts contain many wrong words. How can I improve accuracy?

There are a few simple ways to get better results with SayPaste:

• Try a more accurate transcription model (e.g., switch from “Fast and Balanced” to “Accurate”).
• Speak a little more slowly and clearly.
• Reduce background noise if possible.
• Add recurring terms, names, or technical words to the Dictionary so SayPaste always recognizes them.

These steps usually boost accuracy noticeably.

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Which languages does SayPaste support?

SayPaste uses OpenAI’s Whisper models for speech-to-text. Whisper supports nearly 100 languages—including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and many others—but accuracy depends on how much training data each language received. Whisper performs best in English and good in other high-resource languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Italian. Less common languages may be less accurate.

In SayPaste’s settings, you can choose English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, or Italian as your transcription language. There is also an Auto option, which will try to detect your language automatically.

If you use a language other than English—or if you speak English with a strong accent—you will usually get better results with the Accurate or Highly Accurate models available in the transcription model dropdown. These larger models deliver higher accuracy but may take significantly longer to process, especially with the Highly Accurate model.

Tip: You can always switch models in the dropdown if the results don’t look right.

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My language is not in the SayPaste “Language” dropdown list. Can I still use SayPaste?

Yes, you can. Just select Auto in SayPaste’s Language dropdown, and SayPaste will try to detect your language automatically.

Please note that SayPaste works best in English and other major languages. For less common languages, you’ll usually get the best results by switching the transcription model to Highly Accurate. This larger model provides better accuracy, though transcriptions may take significantly longer to process.

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What makes SayPaste AI different from other speech-to-text programs?

Most speech-to-text tools send your audio and text to the cloud for processing. SayPaste is different: it runs 100% locally on your Windows PC. This means both your recordings and your transcripts stay on your computer—your privacy is fully protected.

That makes SayPaste a great choice for professionals handling sensitive information, as well as for anyone who prefers not to share their voice or data online.

SayPaste also gives you features you rarely find together in one package:
• Automatic and spoken punctuation
• A custom Dictionary for names, brands, and symbols
• Instant clipboard-ready output
• No account, no login required
• A simple, one-time purchase price (no subscription)

And best of all, it’s very easy to use 👍

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Tech Questions

I connected a Bluetooth headset, and since then SayPaste doesn’t record my voice. How can I fix this?

SayPaste connects to your active microphone and speaker when it starts. If you switch to a Bluetooth headset, a USB microphone, a webcam, or any other audio input/output device while SayPaste is already running, you may need to update the settings.

Try this first:
1. In the SayPaste window, go to Settings and click Refresh Audio Devices.
2. Select your new device in the Input Device and Output Device dropdowns.

Alternative:
Simply restart SayPaste—it will pick up your current Windows audio settings on startup.

If it still doesn’t work:
• Open Windows Settings → System → Sound and make sure the correct Input device is selected (not “Stereo Mix” or a webcam).
• In Sound Control Panel → Recording, disable unused microphones and check that the active mic’s Levels are not muted.
• In Privacy & Security → Microphone, ensure desktop apps are allowed to use the microphone.
• Restart SayPaste after making changes.

Following these steps usually fixes Bluetooth problems, USB microphone issues, and most other audio problems quickly.

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What are the system requirements?

➡️ OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
➡️ RAM: 16 GB recommended
➡️ CPU: Modern quad-core processor (Intel Core i5 / i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 / Ryzen 7 or better). Older or lower-end CPUs may still run SayPaste, but transcriptions will be slower. ARM-based processors (such as Surface Pro X) are not supported.
➡️ Microphone: Any basic microphone will do
➡️ Disk space: ~2.8 GB
➡️ Note: For best performance, install SayPaste in a local folder (e.g., C:\SayPaste), not in OneDrive, Google Drive, or other cloud-synced locations.

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Does SayPaste run on ARM-based devices (like Surface Pro X)?

No, not at the moment. SayPaste supports only 64-bit Intel and AMD processors. The required libraries for the Whisper transcription models are not yet available for Windows on ARM, so SayPaste cannot run on ARM-based devices such as the Surface Pro X or laptops with Snapdragon processors.

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How do I check if my computer is ARM-based or x64?

You can check this directly in Windows:

1. Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System → About.
3. Under System Type, you’ll see one of the following:

• 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor → ✅ Supported
• 64-bit operating system, ARM-based processor → ❌ Not supported

SayPaste supports 64-bit Intel and AMD processors, but not ARM-based processors. Most Windows PCs are x64, so unless you have a device like a Surface Pro X (which is ARM-based), you’re probably supported.

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How do I install SayPaste on my computer?

Installation is simple:
1️⃣ Download SayPaste_Setup.exe from the official channels (saypaste.com / FastSpring).
2️⃣ Double-click to launch the installer (SayPaste_Setup.exe) and follow the prompts. No administrator rights required (installs to your user profile).
3️⃣ After installation, start SayPaste from the Start menu or the optional desktop shortcut.

💯 Tip: After the first launch, right-click the blue SayPaste icon in your taskbar and choose Pin to taskbar. That way, you can start SayPaste with one click whenever you boot your PC.

  • Disk space: ~2.8 GB.
  • Privacy: SayPaste runs fully in user space, so it never makes system-level changes to your PC.
  • Privacy: All processing happens locally on your computer. No data is ever sent to the cloud.
  • Authenticity: For extra peace of mind, SayPaste is digitally signed with an Extended Validation (EV) Code Signing Certificate, which guarantees the software comes from a verified publisher.
  • Best location: Use the default install path. Don’t place the SayPaste folder inside OneDrive, Google Drive, or other cloud-synced folders, as ongoing cloud sync can interfere with the Whisper transcription models.
  • Uninstall: Removes the app and frees disk space. Your settings & custom dictionary are kept by default; you can choose to remove them during uninstall.
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Do I need administrator rights to install SayPaste?

No. SayPaste uses a per-user installer and places everything in your Windows user account, so no administrator rights are required. That makes it easy to install on work PCs where you don’t have admin access. Once installed, SayPaste works entirely offline—your audio and text never leave your computer.

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Is SayPaste safe to install?

Yes. SayPaste is digitally signed with an Extended Validation (EV) code-signing certificate and timestamped. On Windows, right-click SayPaste.exe → Properties → Digital Signatures to verify.

  • EV code signing = verified publisher. My identity (“Vos, Cornelia Irmgard”) was validated by Certum using official documents and a hardware security key. This helps Windows SmartScreen recognize the app and reduces warnings.
  • Timestamp = long-term validity. The signature includes a trusted timestamp, so it remains valid even after the certificate expires—as long as the file hasn’t been altered.

How to double-check

  1. Right-click SayPaste.exe → Properties → Digital Signatures.
  2. Select the signature and click Details. The signer should be Vos, Cornelia Irmgard, and the timestamp should be from Certum.

Note: Code signing confirms the publisher and integrity; it isn’t a full security audit. Always download via our official channels: saypaste.com and our official FastSpring store (linked from our site).

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Do I need an internet connection to use SayPaste?

No. SayPaste runs fully offline on your PC. Neither your recorded audio nor your transcripts ever leave your device—all processing happens locally.
This makes SayPaste ideal for secure environments where online speech tools aren’t allowed or wanted!

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Does SayPaste ever send my voice or transcripts to the cloud?

No. SayPaste never uploads anything. Both your audio and your transcripts are processed entirely on your computer. There’s no cloud connection, no hidden uploads, and no telemetry.
Your data stays 100% yours.

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Is SayPaste really using AI? How does it work?

SayPaste uses AI to transcribe your speech into text with high accuracy—fully offline, without ever sending your data to the cloud.

It is powered by OpenAI’s Whisper models, which are advanced AI speech-to-text systems. Unlike traditional transcription software, Whisper is an AI-based speech recognition model trained on hundreds of thousands of hours of multilingual audio and transcripts. By learning from this huge dataset, Whisper can recognize speech patterns, accents, and languages with impressive accuracy—all while running locally on your PC.

This makes SayPaste a reliable speech-to-text app for everyday dictation, note-taking, or converting voice recordings into text. The AI doesn’t just match words one by one—it predicts text based on the context of your speech. That’s why it usually gets punctuation and grammar right automatically, but may sometimes mishear rare names or technical terms. You can easily fix those cases using SayPaste’s custom Dictionary.

It’s worth noting that Whisper* is an ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) model, not a Large Language Model (LLM) like GPT-4 or GPT-5. ASR models are trained on audio recordings and transcripts to convert spoken words into accurate text. LLMs, on the other hand, are trained on huge text datasets to generate and rephrase language. That means SayPaste focuses on accurate transcription of your speech, while LLMs focus on creating new text.

*SayPaste uses OpenAI’s Whisper speech recognition models, which run entirely on your computer. When you download SayPaste, some of these models are included locally. Learn more about Whisper on OpenAI’s official site.

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Commercial Questions

If I buy SayPaste and it doesn’t work for me, what are my options?

Your purchase is completely risk-free. If SayPaste doesn’t work on your system or isn’t what you expected, just reach out within 14 days and I’ll give you a full refund—no questions asked.

Of course, if you run into problems, first check the FAQ section—most issues can be solved there. And if it still doesn’t work for you, just reach out within 14 days for a full refund.

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Is there a trial version of SayPaste?

Yes! You can download the free 24-hour trial here:
👉https://saypaste.com/free-trial/

Just install it and start using SayPaste right away — it’s incredibly simple, and you’ll quickly see whether it’s a good fit for you.

And don’t worry: your purchase is still completely risk-free. If SayPaste doesn’t work for you or isn’t what you expected, you can request a full refund within 14 days — no questions asked.

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Will SayPaste receive updates or improvements?

Yes. I’m planning ongoing improvements to usability, accuracy, and polish.

• Maintenance updates (bug fixes and small enhancements) will be free for all customers of the current major version.
• Major upgrades that add big new features may be a paid upgrade, with a friendly discount for existing customers.

Because SayPaste runs fully offline, there’s no automatic online updater. When a new version is available, I’ll let customers know how to download it. You can always keep using your current version if you prefer.

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Need More Help?

I didn’t find my question in the FAQs—how can I contact you?

If your question isn’t covered here, the easiest way is to use the contact form. Alternatively, you can reach me at the email address listed in the Impressum.

I also welcome your feedback—whether it’s something you love about SayPaste, something that could be improved, or even an idea for a new feature. Your input helps me make SayPaste better with every update. 🙂

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I’m super happy with SayPaste! How can I spread the word?

Thank you! You can share SayPaste with colleagues or friends, write a short review, or link to the site from your blog or forum. Word of mouth helps indie software a lot 💙

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