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

Option 1: Word's Dictate button

Word for Microsoft 365 has its own dictation.

1. Open the document and put your cursor where you want to write.
2. On the Home tab, click Dictate (the microphone, on the right).
3. Wait for the button to turn on and start talking. The text appears in the document.
4. To pause, click Dictate again.

You need the internet, a microphone and to be signed in with your Microsoft 365 account. You can dictate punctuation by saying "period", "comma" or "new line".

Good for: Word documents, if you already pay for Microsoft 365. Missing: it only works inside Word and the other Office apps, and it types almost word for word.

Option 2: Windows or Mac dictation

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

• On Windows: put the cursor in Word and press Windows + H. It needs the internet. How to use Windows voice typing.
• On a Mac: turn it on in Apple menu › System Settings › Keyboard › Dictation, pick a shortcut and use it with the cursor in Word. How to use Mac dictation.

Missing: like Word's button, it doesn't understand when you correct yourself, and it only removes filler words on Copilot+ PCs, in English (Windows calls it "fluid dictation").

Option 3: Loro

Loro types in Word what you meant to say, not word for word.

1. Download Loro for free for Windows or Mac.
2. Put the cursor in Word.
3. Hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac) and talk the way you talk.
4. Let go. The text appears with periods, commas and capitals.

An example, from a teacher grading homework. She says: "um, great essay Sofia, uh, check the conclusion because it needs a concrete example". Loro types: "Great essay, Sofia. Check the conclusion: it needs a concrete example.".

With Loro Pro you can also edit by voice: select a paragraph, hold Ctrl + Win and say "make it more formal" or "summarize it in three bullets".

The three options, compared

Tips for dictating long documents

• Dictate one paragraph at a time. Say one idea, let go, check it, keep going.
• Don't say the commas. Talk with natural pauses; Loro adds the punctuation.
• Add tricky names to your dictionary (in Loro, once and done). If you fix a name after dictating it, Loro learns it on its own.
• Tidy up at the end. Select the text and ask, by voice, "turn this into bullets" or "make it shorter".

Try Loro for free

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

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Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on dictation in Word?›

In Word for Microsoft 365, go to the Home tab and click Dictate. You need the internet and to be signed in. You can also use Windows + H or an app like Loro, which work in any app.

Can I dictate in Word offline?›

Not with Word's Dictate button. With Loro, yes: it ships its own voice model and works without a connection.

Can I dictate in Word on a Mac?›

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

Why is Word's Dictate button grayed out?›

It usually happens when you're not signed in with your Microsoft 365 account or there's no internet. If you don't want to depend on that, Windows voice typing (Windows + H) or Loro work inside Word just the same.

Does Word remove filler words when I dictate?›

No: it types what you say almost word for word. Loro removes the "um"s, "uh"s and repetitions and, when you're online, understands when you correct yourself.

Sources

• Microsoft, Dictate in Word for the web, checked on October 13, 2026.
• Microsoft, voice typing in Windows. Apple, dictation on Mac.