Windows dictation: how to use voice typing with Win+H

Voice typing is built into Windows, so there is nothing to install. You need an internet connection, a working microphone and a cursor in a text box.

1. Click into the text box you want to write in, such as an email or a document.
2. Press Windows + H. On a touchscreen, tap the microphone on the touch keyboard.
3. Wait for “Listening…” and start speaking.
4. To stop, say “stop listening” or select the microphone in the voice typing menu.

That makes Windows + H the Windows dictation shortcut. Windows + Alt + H lets you move through the voice typing menu with the keyboard. Using the gear icon, you can turn on the voice typing launcher, which shows a microphone whenever you click into a text box. In Windows 10 the feature is still called dictation and also starts with Windows + H.

You say punctuation and commands out loud. These are some of the English (UK) commands Microsoft lists:

It is easier with automatic punctuation, which you switch on via the gear icon in the voice typing menu. There you can also choose the default microphone, filter profanity and set how long voice typing waits before it carries out a command.

Voice typing uses your current input language. Switch it with Windows + Spacebar or the language switcher on the taskbar. To add another language:

1. Open Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
2. Under Preferred languages, select Add a language.
3. Search for the language, select Next and install it.

According to Microsoft, Windows 11 supports voice typing in more than 40 languages and variants, including English (United Kingdom) and German. Windows 10 supports far fewer.

If Windows + H does nothing or no text appears, check these in order:

1. Internet: voice typing does not work without a connection.
2. Online speech recognition: Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Speech, switch it On. Voice typing relies on it.
3. Microphone access: Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, turn on microphone access and let desktop apps use it.
4. The right microphone: Start > Settings > System > Sound > Input. A headset usually works better than a built-in microphone.
5. Input language: press Windows + Spacebar and pick a supported language.
6. Cursor: voice typing only writes when a text box is active.

If voice access is already running, Windows points you to it when you press Windows + H, because it can dictate as well. On company PCs, online speech recognition may also be blocked by policy. In that case, ask your IT team.

According to Microsoft, voice typing uses online speech recognition powered by Azure Speech services, so your voice data is sent to Microsoft. Microsoft says it is used only to provide the service and create the text, and is not stored, sampled or listened to without your permission. Contributing voice clips is optional; with a work or school account it is not available at all.

Voice typing does not work offline. With online speech recognition switched off, only device-based features are available, according to Microsoft. The exception is voice access (see below), which works without internet once its language files are downloaded.

Whether the transfer is acceptable depends on what you dictate. More on our page about GDPR-compliant AI.

Windows has three speech features that are easily confused:

Voice access is mainly an accessibility feature: you open apps, click buttons by voice and dictate. On Copilot+ PCs, voice typing also offers fluid dictation in all English locales. According to Microsoft, it corrects grammar, punctuation and filler words using small language models on the device, while voice typing itself still relies on online speech recognition.

For a quick note, voice typing is handy. With longer texts you notice that it mostly writes word for word, it does not rephrase or change the tone, and every dictation goes through online speech recognition.

SpeechToWork is Windows dictation software that picks up where voice typing stops:

1. Put the cursor in any program, such as Outlook, Word or your industry software.
2. Hold your record key and speak freely.
3. Let go: the text appears tidied up and properly worded at the cursor.

Speech recognition and the language model run on your computer, and once installed also without internet. How that works is explained on our page about local AI. If you mostly write in Word, see our guide on how to dictate in Word.