Dictate in Word: how to type with your voice

Dictation is built into Word for Microsoft 365. You need a microphone, a reliable internet connection and to be signed in with an account that has a Microsoft 365 subscription.

In Word on your PC (Windows)

1. Open a new or existing document and place the cursor where the text should go.
2. On the Home tab, select Dictate (the microphone icon).
3. Wait until the button is active and the dictation toolbar is listening.
4. Speak at a normal pace. The text appears in the document as you go.
5. To stop, select the microphone again or say “pause dictation”.

In Word for the web

1. Open the document in your browser, signed in to Microsoft 365.
2. Select Home, then Dictate.
3. The first time, allow the browser to use your microphone.
4. Speak, then select Dictate again when you have finished.

Voice typing in Word shortcut: Microsoft gives Alt + ` (the backtick key, left of 1 on a UK keyboard) to resume dictation. On a Mac, Option + F1 starts it.

You say punctuation out loud. These are some of the English commands Microsoft lists for Word:

With auto punctuation switched on, Word adds full stops and commas based on your pauses, so you do not have to say every one.

Word dictates in the language of the document by default. If that is wrong, change it in the dictation toolbar:

1. Select the gear icon in the dictation toolbar.
2. Under Spoken language, choose for example “English (United Kingdom)”.
3. Pick the right Microphone, such as your headset instead of the built-in one.
4. Turn Auto punctuation on or off.

You will also find Filter sensitive phrases there, which masks potentially sensitive words with asterisks. According to Microsoft, English (UK), English (US) and German are fully supported; many other languages are in preview with lower accuracy.

The most common causes and what to do about them:

• No Dictate button: Dictate is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers. According to Microsoft it is not available in Office 2016 or 2019 without Microsoft 365. Also check that you are signed in and on Windows 10 or later.
• Dictate is greyed out: the document is read-only, for example an email attachment opened in Protected View. Select “Enable Editing” or save a copy.
• Connected experiences are turned off: Microsoft counts dictation among the connected experiences that analyse your content. If these are off, the command stays grey. With a personal account, check File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings. With a work account, your IT admin decides.
• “We don’t have access to your microphone”: close other apps using the microphone, such as Teams. In the browser, allow microphone access and refresh the page.
• Missing or wrong words: Microsoft recommends a fast, stable connection, little background noise and a headset rather than a built-in microphone.

Without a subscription, there is a fallback: Windows voice typing with Windows + H also types into Word. Our guide to Windows dictation explains how.

Word’s Dictate does not recognise speech on your computer but in Microsoft’s online services. According to Microsoft, your speech is sent to Microsoft and used only to give you the text, and the service does not store your audio or the transcribed text.

For personal notes that is usually fine. If you dictate patient details, client matters or HR issues at work, processing by a cloud service needs to be part of your UK GDPR assessment, and for professions bound by confidentiality every transfer to a third party matters. Our page on GDPR-compliant AI explains what to look for.

Dictate writes down what you say. For a first draft, that is enough. In daily work, three limits stand out:

• Microsoft 365 only: Dictate works in Word and some other Microsoft 365 apps, not in your practice software, your CRM or a web form.
• Raw text, not finished text: self-corrections such as “by Wednesday, no, by Thursday” stay in. Dictate cannot rephrase, shorten or make a text more formal.
• Internet only: without a connection nothing is recognised, and every dictation goes to Microsoft.

SpeechToWork is Windows dictation software that types into Word without an add-in, and just as well into Outlook, Teams, your browser and any other program. Here is how:

1. Place the cursor in your Word document.
2. Hold your record key and speak freely, “ums” and corrections included.
3. Let go. The tidied-up text appears at the cursor.

Speech recognition and the language model run entirely on your computer, even without internet. What that means technically is explained on our page about local AI. You do not need a Microsoft 365 subscription for it.