Word has its own Dictate button on the Home tab. This guide covers Windows and Mac computers. If you searched on a phone, Microsoft has separate pages for the mobile apps.
How to dictate in Word
- Sign in to Microsoft 365 on a computer with a working microphone.
- Open a new or existing document, and click where you want the words.
- Go to Home and select Dictate.
- Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening.
- Talk. Your words appear in the document.
- To stop, say “stop dictation”.
On a Mac the steps are the same, and Microsoft lists a shortcut: Option + F1. The steps come from Microsoft’s page on dictating in Word, which we read on 6 November 2026.
What you need before Dictate works
- A Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft says the dictation feature is only available to subscribers.
- Internet. Microsoft says you need a reliable connection. The page does not describe an offline mode.
- A microphone that the computer or browser is allowed to use.
Speech to text on Word: settings and spoken punctuation
Select the gear icon beside Dictate to change the spoken language, pick the microphone, switch automatic punctuation on or off (where your language allows it), and filter sensitive phrases. Microsoft says 15 languages are fully supported, and more are in preview, which may be less accurate or have limited punctuation.
You can also say punctuation. Microsoft’s examples include “period”, “comma”, “question mark”, “new line”, “open quotes” and “close quotes”.
| Task | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Start Dictate | Home, then Dictate | Home, then Dictate, or Option + F1 |
| Change language or microphone | Gear icon | Gear icon |
| Automatic punctuation | Gear icon, if your language supports it | Gear icon, if your language supports it |
If it still doesn’t work
Microsoft’s page suggests these fixes:
- Dictate is missing: check you are signed in with an active Microsoft 365 subscription, and that you are on Windows 10 or later.
- Dictate is greyed out: make sure the document is not read-only.
- Microphone access denied: make sure no other app or web page is using the microphone. In a browser, refresh, select Dictate and allow the microphone when asked.
- Word cannot hear you: check the microphone is not muted, adjust its input level, and move somewhere quieter. With a built-in microphone, try a headset or external one.
Tips for dictating in Word
- Say punctuation as you go, or switch automatic punctuation on in the gear menu if your language offers it.
- Check names and unusual words after each section, since any dictation can mishear them.
- Try a short paragraph first to test the microphone before you dictate a long section.
No Microsoft 365? Your computer’s own dictation
Word’s Dictate needs the subscription, but the dictation built into your computer types into Word too, because it writes wherever your cursor is. On Windows, that is voice typing: Windows key + H, with an internet connection (Windows voice typing guide). On a Mac, it is Apple Dictation, which Apple says works anywhere you can type (how to dictate on a Mac). Writing in Google Docs instead? It has its own tool: Google Docs voice typing.
Dictation for Microsoft Word, or a dictation app
Word’s Dictate comes with Microsoft 365 and is built into the program. If you only dictate in Word and already subscribe, it may be enough.
A dictation app helps when you also write elsewhere. Talkativ types into any app where you can type, so Word, your email and your chat all work the same way. It runs on Windows and Mac, and it does not depend on a Microsoft 365 subscription. Press Ctrl + Space on Windows, ⌥ Option + Space on a Mac with your cursor in the document, talk, and press again to stop. Punctuation and capital letters come by default, and “ums” are taken out. You can compare it with Windows’ own tool on Windows voice typing compared, and see how it handles email on dictating emails in Outlook and Gmail.
Talkativ’s limits: it needs the internet, has no offline mode, cannot transcribe an audio file, has no phone app, and its shortcut is fixed. It is press to start and press to stop, not hold to talk. The Free plan gives 2,200 words a week with no card, and a 7-day Max trial starts inside the app. See plans and prices.