Dictation function not working

[Father Fred]

when I try to use dictation in high Sierra get a Small box with three Small circles where the Mikrophone icon should appear. If I wat long enough ihe Mikrophone appears but the dictation takes much more time than it should. is there any wway to fix this. I am recovering from a stroke and have only one Hand with which ti type and dictation would be very helpful. If toi See Errors it probably is a result of my onehanded keyboard skills. Any help would be greatly appreciatedi

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

-Which model Mac?
-Are you running any third-party software like MacKeeper, CleanMyMac, antivirus, etc?
-After the pause, dictation does work, correct?

C

 

[Father Fred]

Mac mini: yes, cleanmymac3. Yes, it seems to work but very slowly.

 

[Cory Cooper]

As I mentioned in my PM to you, I apologize for not getting back to you sooner.

-Which model is the Mac mini? You can find it in  > About This Mac
-If you are running a Mac mini, what brand/model microphone are you using? Or, is there one built-in to the display that is connected?
-CleanMyMac is an app that has been known to cause more problems than it is worth. It can slow down your entire computer, as it is processing things in the background. Did you purchase it, or is it a trial?
-With which apps are you using it the most - Safari, word processing, etc.?

C

 

[Cory Cooper]

From your PM:

-Mac mini 2011
-Microphone: plantronics audio 478 USB also have VF 0610 Live! Cam Socialize HD
-I Purchased CleanmyMac 3 but would not be unhappy if uninstalling it made things run better
word processing and Safari. I don't game much

It may be the Plantronics, as I have heard of many people having issues with it an OS X 10.12.x and later:
Some macOS 10.12.4 users complaining of stuttering or distorted audio with USB headsets

Also, the VF 0610 Live! Cam Socialize HD seems to be a Windows only device. I don't see any reference to Mac support for it?

You could try uninstalling CleanMyMac for now, and see if it does help at all.

C