How to dictate in Word on Windows

Word has dictation built in, in both the Windows desktop app and Word for the web. Here is the quickest path, what you need, and where the built-in option stops.

Quickest path

Home > Dictate, wait for the microphone to turn on, then speak. Say "stop dictation" to finish.

What you need

A microphone, an internet connection, and either a free Microsoft account (Word for the web) or Microsoft 365 (desktop app).

Word for the web

The same Home > Dictate button in your browser, free with a Microsoft account. Allow microphone access when the browser asks.

Where it falls short

It needs internet, the desktop button needs Microsoft 365, and it only works inside Microsoft 365 apps.

Select the gear icon on the floating dictation toolbar to open the dictation settings. Four settings matter most.

Spoken Language

Choose the language you will speak. Microsoft lists 15 fully supported languages, including several English and Spanish variants, French, German, and Japanese, plus 36 preview languages that may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation.

Auto Punctuation

Adds commas and periods for you, where the selected language supports it. You can still say punctuation out loud.

Filter sensitive phrases

Masks potentially sensitive phrases with asterisks.

Microphone

Pick which microphone Word listens to. Check this first if the button turns on but no text appears.

Common English voice commands

While dictating in English, say these phrases to add punctuation, edit, or control dictation.

Commands differ by language, and some languages have none. See the full list for each language in Microsoft's Word dictation guide.

No Dictate button

In the desktop app, Dictate comes with Microsoft 365. Sign in with the account that has the subscription and update Word. On a one-time purchase version, open the document in Word for the web, where Dictate is free with a Microsoft account.

Dictate is greyed out

Make sure the document is not read-only. Dictate is one of Microsoft's connected experiences that analyze your content, so check File > Account > Manage Settings. At work or school, an administrator may control these settings.

Listening, but no text

Pick the right microphone in the dictation settings, then check Windows Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and make sure apps and desktop apps can use it.

Dictation stops on its own

If dictation stops before you finish, press Alt+` or select the microphone icon to resume. Dictate needs a reliable connection, so check your internet if it keeps stopping.

Wrong words or language

Set Spoken Language in the dictation settings to the language you are speaking. Preview languages may be less accurate.

No internet connection

Word's Dictate needs a reliable internet connection and stops working without one. For offline dictation, use Voice Access or a local dictation app, described below.

Windows has its own dictation features that work in Word and most other apps, with or without a Microsoft 365 subscription. They are separate features with different requirements, so do not confuse them.

Word's Dictate is a good choice for writing in Word with a steady connection. A local dictation app is worth trying when one of these is true:

• You need to dictate without internet, or you prefer that your voice is processed on your own computer.
• You use a one-time purchase version of Word and want to dictate in the desktop app.
• You also want to dictate into other apps, such as email, a browser, or a chat window, with the same shortcut.
• You dictate in a language that Word only offers as a preview, or does not offer, and the local app supports it.

Know the trade-offs. A local app types the finished text where your cursor is, so it does not understand Word's voice commands for formatting, selecting, or deleting text. Speech recognition runs on your computer, but where the document is saved still depends on Word and OneDrive.

For a wider look at the options, see the offline dictation software comparison for Windows.