How to dictate in OneNote with your voice (Windows and Mac)

Option 1: OneNote's Dictate button

OneNote has its own dictation on Windows, on Mac and in OneNote for the web.

1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 on a computer with a microphone.
2. On the Home tab, click Dictate.
3. Wait for the button to show it's listening, then talk. The text appears on the page.
4. To stop, click Dictate again.

It needs a reliable internet connection. On Windows, Office 2016 and Office 2019 don't have it without Microsoft 365.

Good for: dictating without installing anything, if you already use Microsoft 365. Missing: working outside the Microsoft 365 apps that have the button, and removing filler words.

Option 2: Windows or Mac dictation

It's already on your computer, and it works in OneNote and any other app.

• On Windows: click in the page and press Windows + H. To stop, click the microphone on the voice typing bar. It uses Microsoft's online speech recognition, so it needs the internet. How to use Windows voice typing.
• On a Mac: turn it on in Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation, then start it with the Microphone key or a shortcut you choose. To stop, press the Microphone key or your shortcut again. Depending on the language and your Mac, it may need the internet; that same setting tells you. How to use Mac dictation.

Good for: dictating in any app without installing anything. Missing: removing filler words. It types exactly what you say: if you said "um", it types it, and if you corrected yourself mid-sentence, both versions stay. The exception is Windows "fluid dictation", which cleans up filler words in English on Copilot+ PCs.

Option 3: Loro

Loro types what you said, minus the "um"s and the half-sentence you corrected.

1. Download Loro for free for Windows or Mac.
2. Click in the OneNote page where the note goes.
3. Hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac) and talk the way you talk.
4. Let go. The note appears where your cursor is.

In the OneNote app, when you're online, Loro writes in paragraphs and, if you list three or more things, puts them in a list with dashes. In OneNote for the web it still types, just without the paragraphs and lists.

For example, right after a call, you say:

um, talked to the supplier, uh, delivery is Tuesday, no, Wednesday the 21st, and we need to order the new boxes before Friday

And Loro types:

Talked to the supplier. Delivery is Wednesday the 21st, and we need to order the new boxes before Friday.

When you're online, it understands that "no, Wednesday the 21st" corrects the day.

Good for: dictating in OneNote and any other app without filler words. Missing: it doesn't come installed (you have to download it), and lists and self-corrections need the internet; offline, it still types and removes filler words. Rewriting by voice ("summarize it") is Pro-only, and the free plan dictates 2,000 words a week.

Quick ideas with "Loro, note"

If you use OneNote to jot down stray ideas, Loro saves you from opening it. Hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac) and start with "Loro, note". Loro doesn't type anything in the window you're in: it saves the idea in its Notes.

For example, you say "Loro, note, call the accountant before Friday", and Loro's Notes get "Call the accountant before Friday". When you sit down to get organized, you copy it into OneNote.

And if you keep your meeting notes in OneNote, Loro can take them on your video calls (Meet, Zoom, Teams and others), without a bot: when you hang up, you get the topics and each person's next steps, ready to copy. Tell the others you're taking notes. How Loro's meeting notes work.

The three options, compared

Tips for dictating notes

• Talk as if you were telling someone. Don't say the commas: Loro adds them.
• One idea per dictation. Let go, check it, keep going.
• Add names to your dictionary: clients, classes, projects. Loro spells them right from then on.
• Tidy up at the end. With Pro, select the note, hold Ctrl + Win and say "turn this into a list" or "summarize it".

Try Loro for free

Dictate in any app and get notes from your meetings, with no bot. For Windows and Mac, no card needed.

Download for free

Frequently asked questions

How do I dictate in OneNote?›

On the Home tab, click Dictate and talk once the button shows it's listening. You need to be signed in to Microsoft 365, a microphone and the internet. Without Microsoft 365, Windows + H, Mac dictation and Loro also type into OneNote.

Why is the Dictate button missing in OneNote?›

Check that you're signed in with your Microsoft 365 account and that you're online. On Windows, Office 2016 and Office 2019 don't have it without Microsoft 365. Meanwhile, Windows + H and Loro type into OneNote just the same.

Can I dictate in OneNote on a Mac?›

Yes. OneNote for Mac has the Dictate button with your Microsoft 365 account, the Mac has its own dictation, and Loro works by holding the fn key.

Can I dictate in OneNote offline?›

Not with the Dictate button, and not with Windows + H either. On a Mac, it depends on the language. With Loro, yes: it turns your voice into text on your computer. The parts that use AI, like understanding self-corrections or making lists, need the internet.

Does Loro work in OneNote for the web?›

Yes: it types wherever your cursor is and removes filler words. The paragraphs and lists are only for the OneNote app.

Does OneNote dictation work in Spanish?›

Yes. Besides English, it supports Spanish from Spain and from Mexico.

Sources

• Microsoft, Dictate your notes in OneNote, checked October 15, 2026.
• Microsoft, voice typing in Windows, checked October 15, 2026.
• Apple, dictation on Mac, checked October 15, 2026.