How to dictate in Word

Use Word's Dictate button

1. Sign in to Word with your Microsoft 365 account.
2. Click where you want the text.
3. Go to Home, then Dictate, and wait for the microphone to turn on.
4. Speak. Click Dictate again to stop.

On Mac you can also start it with Option and F1. If you want dictation that works in every app, not just Word, see dictation in any app.

What you need

• A Microsoft 365 subscription. Office 2016 or 2019 without Microsoft 365 does not have the Dictate button.
• A microphone and a reliable internet connection.

Punctuation and voice commands

Say "period", "comma", "question mark" or "new line" to add them. Word also has voice commands for editing, formatting and lists. The full list is in Microsoft's Dictate guide for Word.

Dictate in Word without Microsoft 365

System-wide dictation types into Word like any other app. On Windows, press Win+H. On Mac, use Apple Dictation (see how to use dictation on Mac). Both are free.

Another option: Zefmi

Zefmi types into Word and every other Windows app. Hold a key, speak, let go. Its AI clean-up removes filler words and false starts; Word for word mode keeps everything. Zefmi does not do Word's formatting commands: it types text.

Word steps checked against Microsoft's guide on 30 Oct 2026.