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Dictation in Microsoft Word on a Mac

Word for Mac has dictation built in. Click Home, then Dictate, or press Option-F1, and start talking. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection. Here is how to use it, the commands that save the most time, and your options if you don't have Microsoft 365.

By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Updated 12 October 2026

On this page
  1. How to use Dictate in Word for Mac
  2. What Word dictation needs
  3. Commands worth learning
  4. When Dictate doesn't work
  5. Dictating into Word without Microsoft 365
  6. Questions
  7. Keep reading
  8. Sources

How to use Dictate in Word for Mac

  1. Sign in to Word with an account that has a Microsoft 365 subscription.
  2. Open a new or existing document.
  3. Click Home, then Dictate, or press Option-F1.
  4. Wait until the Dictate button turns on and starts listening.
  5. Speak. Text appears as you talk.

The first time, macOS asks whether Word may use your microphone. Allow it, or turn it on later in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone.

What Word dictation needs

Word's Dictate
SubscriptionMicrosoft 365
VersionsWord for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Word 2024 and 2021 for Mac
InternetRequired
Where speech is processedSent to Microsoft, which says it does not store your audio or the transcribed text
Languages15 language variants fully supported, plus preview languages

Commands worth learning

Word's dictation understands a long list of spoken commands. These save the most time:

SayWhat happens
"period", "comma", "question mark"Adds the punctuation
"new line"Starts a new line
"open quotes" … "close quotes"Wraps text in quotation marks
"delete that" or "scratch that"Removes what you just said
"undo"Undoes the last change
"select" followed by a word or phraseSelects that text
"bold that", "italicize that", "underline that"Formats the last thing you said
"capitalize that"Capitalizes it

Microsoft's help page lists the full set for each language, including lists, symbols and currency.

When Dictate doesn't work

  • No Dictate button. You need to be signed in with an active Microsoft 365 subscription.
  • The button is greyed out. The document may be read-only. Save a copy you can edit.
  • "We don't have access to your microphone." Close any other app using the microphone, then check Word's permission in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone.
  • It stops or mishears. Check your internet connection, move somewhere quieter, or use an external microphone.

Dictating into Word without Microsoft 365

Word's Dictate is one option among several. Any Mac dictation tool that types where your cursor is works in Word, whether or not you pay for Microsoft 365.

  • Apple Dictation, free. Turn it on in System Settings, Keyboard, Dictation, then press the Microphone key in Word. Good for short passages. See how to dictate on a Mac.
  • SpeechBee, which we make. Hold a key in Word or any other app, talk, and the text appears at your cursor with filler words removed. Its dictionary fixes names and terms once, and snippets expand phrases you use often. Speech is transcribed on your Mac and never uploaded, so it works offline, and you can have a passage read back to you in a natural voice before you send it. $79 a year or $99 once, with a 7-day free trial.
  • Other dictation apps. We compare eight in the best dictation apps for Mac.

The difference that matters most is scope. Word's Dictate works in Word, and Microsoft's other apps have their own. A system-wide tool works the same way in Word, Mail, Slack and the browser.

Voice to text
New message

Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.

SpeechBee's listening indicator on Mac
Hold your key, talk, let go. The text lands at the cursor.
Text to speech
Article

Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.

SpeechBee's Read Aloud player on Mac
Select text, press your reading key, listen.

Dictate into Word and every other Mac app. Free for 7 days.

Voice to text and Read Aloud on your Mac, iPhone and iPad. After the week, $9 a month, $79 a year, or $99 once. Every plan has every feature.

Download for MacGet it for iPhone & iPad

Questions

How do I dictate in Word on a Mac?

Click Home, then Dictate, or press Option-F1, and start talking. You need a Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection.

What is the shortcut for dictation in Word on a Mac?

Option-F1 starts Word's Dictate. Apple Dictation has its own shortcut, set in System Settings, Keyboard, Dictation.

Why don't I have a Dictate button in Word?

Dictate is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers. Sign in with a subscribed account, or use Apple Dictation or another dictation app instead.

Does Word dictation work offline?

No. Microsoft says it needs a reliable internet connection. Apple Dictation can work offline in some languages, and SpeechBee works offline after a one-time model download.

What is the best dictation software for Microsoft Word on a Mac?

If you have Microsoft 365, Word's own Dictate is free to try and has the most Word-specific commands. If you want one tool for every app, a dictionary for names, or speech that stays on your Mac, use a dictation app such as SpeechBee, which we make.

Keep reading

Sources

All checked on 12 October 2026.