Microsoft Word Has Dictation Built In (And It's Actually Decent)

I watched my colleague google "dictation software for Word" and start researching Dragon NaturallySpeaking. She was about to spend 200 dollars on software to dictate into Word.

I asked if she'd tried Word's built-in dictation feature. Blank stare. "Word has dictation?"

In Word for Microsoft 365, click the microphone icon on the Home tab. Or press Alt+grave accent. Start talking. Words appear in your document. That's it. Free if you already have Microsoft 365, no additional software needed.

It's not perfect. But it's surprisingly competent for a feature most people don't know exists.

How to Actually Dictate in Word

The mechanics depend on which version of Word you have:

Microsoft 365 (subscription Word): Click the microphone icon on the Home tab ribbon. Or press Alt+grave accent (the key above Tab). A small dictation toolbar appears.

Word 2019 or older: No built-in dictation. You need to use Windows Voice Typing (Windows key plus H) which works in any Windows application including Word. Or use third-party software.

Word for Mac: Click the microphone icon on the Home tab. Or press Fn twice. Dictation toolbar appears.

The actual dictation uses your operating system's speech recognition processed through Microsoft's cloud servers. It requires internet connectivity.

What Works Well When Dictating in Word

I've used Word dictation for the past year. Here's what actually works:

Basic prose dictation. Writing emails, reports, articles, casual documents. If you're writing conversational content, Word dictation is 85-90 percent accurate.

Automatic punctuation. Word adds periods, commas, and question marks based on your speech patterns. You don't have to say "period" constantly.

Real-time editing. You can dictate, see the text appear, stop dictating, edit with your keyboard, then resume dictating. The workflow is smooth.

Common formatting commands. Say "new line," "new paragraph," "delete that" and Word responds appropriately.

It's genuinely useful for first drafts where you'll edit anyway. Dictating thoughts quickly beats staring at a blank page.

What Doesn't Work (And Will Frustrate You)

Word dictation has significant limitations:

Complex formatting. Trying to dictate "insert a table with three columns and five rows" doesn't work. You have to switch to keyboard/mouse for anything beyond basic text.

Citations and footnotes. Academic writing or legal documents with extensive citations are painful to dictate.

Technical terminology. Medical terms, legal jargon, specialized industry vocabulary - Word dictation stumbles on these constantly.

Numbered and bulleted lists. Saying "start numbered list" sometimes works, often doesn't. The formatting gets weird.

Accents and non-standard speech patterns. If English isn't your first language or you have a strong regional accent, accuracy drops noticeably.

Offline use. Word dictation requires internet. If you're on a plane or anywhere without connectivity, it doesn't work at all.

Word Dictation vs. Dragon NaturallySpeaking

I used Dragon Professional with Word from 2015 to 2024. Let me compare it honestly to Word's built-in dictation:

Dragon accuracy after training: 95-97 percent. Word dictation accuracy: 85-90 percent.

Dragon training time: 20-30 minutes initial setup, plus 1-2 weeks of corrections. Word dictation training time: zero.

Dragon works offline: yes. Word dictation works offline: no.

Dragon cost: 500 dollars one-time. Word dictation cost: free with Microsoft 365.

Dragon handles technical terms after training: excellent. Word handles technical terms: hit or miss.

For casual Word users writing straightforward documents, Word dictation is good enough. For power users creating complex documents with specialized terminology, there are better options than Dragon now.

What I Actually Use for Dictating in Word

I have Microsoft 365 and use Word constantly. Here's my actual workflow:

For quick emails and simple documents (1-2 pages): Word's built-in dictation. Click the microphone, talk, done. 85-90 percent accuracy is fine for content I'll edit anyway.

For longer documents (10-plus pages): Dictation Daddy. I have obvious bias (I built it), but the higher accuracy (96-98 percent) and better handling of technical terms matters when I'm dictating for hours.

Dictation Daddy is available on Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, and Chrome extension. The apps don't sync between devices, but I can dictate into Word on any platform. Under 100 dollars per year. For enterprises needing SOC2 or HIPAA compliance, there's a dedicated plan.

The AI achieves higher accuracy than Dragon without any training required. Auto-corrects punctuation, handles false starts naturally, adapts to technical terminology immediately.

For complex formatting (tables, charts, lists, citations): I just type. Voice is inefficient for these tasks.

Hybrid approach: dictate prose, type structure and formatting. Works better than trying to do everything with one input method.

Voice Commands That Actually Work in Word

Word dictation recognizes specific voice commands for editing and formatting. The ones that actually work reliably:

"New line" - moves to next line without creating new paragraph.
"New paragraph" - creates paragraph break.
"Delete that" - deletes your last utterance.
"Go to end of paragraph" / "Go to start of paragraph" - moves cursor.
"Select [word]" - selects the specified word if it exists in nearby text.
"Bold that" - makes your last phrase bold.

The ones that work sometimes are inconsistent. Don't rely on voice commands for complex operations. Use them for basic editing, switch to keyboard for anything complicated.

When to Use Word Dictation vs. Other Options

Use Word's built-in dictation when:
You're already a Microsoft 365 subscriber (it's included).
You're dictating simple, straightforward documents.
You don't need specialized technical vocabulary.
You're okay with 85-90 percent accuracy.
You have reliable internet connectivity.

Use AI dictation services (like Dictation Daddy) when:
You want higher accuracy (96-98 percent) without any training time.
You work across multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, mobile).
You need better handling of technical terminology.
You're willing to pay under 100 dollars per year for better accuracy and convenience.

Use Word dictation as your starting point. If it's not accurate enough, explore AI alternatives that provide higher accuracy without Dragon's training requirements.

Last updated: January 13, 2026, verified with current Microsoft Word dictation features in Microsoft 365