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Quick Answer

In Word or Outlook, click the Dictate button (microphone icon) on the Home tab. When the red light turns on, start speaking naturally. Say words like 'Period' or 'New Paragraph' to format the text.

How to Use Dictation and Voice Commands in Microsoft 365 Apps ​

Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneNote), Windows 11, Windows 10
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-05-17

Summary ​

This article shows you how to use the built-in Dictate feature in Microsoft 365 apps to convert speech to text in Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It covers how to start dictation, use voice commands for punctuation and formatting, change the dictation language, and understand the difference between M365 Dictation and Windows Voice Typing.

Prerequisites ​

  • A Microsoft 365 account (Dictation is included in all Business and Enterprise plans).
  • A working microphone (built-in or external).
  • An active internet connection (Dictation uses cloud-based speech recognition).
  • Microsoft 365 desktop apps or the web versions at https://www.office.com.
  • No admin rights are required for any step in this article.

Instructions ​

1. Start Dictation in Word ​

Dictation in Word lets you speak entire paragraphs, letters, or reports without touching the keyboard.

  1. Open a document in Word (desktop or web).
  2. Place your cursor where you want the text to appear.
  3. Click the Dictate button in the Home tab of the ribbon. The button shows a microphone icon 🎙️.
  4. When the microphone icon turns red (or shows a pulsing indicator), dictation is active.
  5. Speak naturally at a conversational pace. Your words appear in the document as you speak.
  6. To stop dictating, click the Dictate button again or press Ctrl + Shift + S (the keyboard shortcut to toggle dictation).

Verification: The text you spoke appears in the document. Review it for accuracy and make any corrections manually.

2. Start Dictation in Outlook ​

Use dictation to compose emails, meeting invitations, and replies without typing.

  1. Open Outlook (desktop, new Outlook, or web).
  2. Click New Mail to start a new email, or open an existing email and click Reply or Reply All.
  3. Click inside the message body.
  4. Click the Dictate button in the compose toolbar (microphone icon 🎙️).
  5. Speak your message. Dictation automatically inserts text at the cursor position.
  6. Click Dictate again to stop.

Tip: You can dictate the subject line too — click inside the Subject field before starting dictation.

3. Start Dictation in PowerPoint and OneNote ​

Dictation works the same way across all Microsoft 365 apps.

PowerPoint ​

  1. Open a presentation in PowerPoint.
  2. Click inside a text placeholder or text box on a slide.
  3. Click Dictate in the Home tab of the ribbon.
  4. Speak your slide content. Click Dictate again to stop.

OneNote ​

  1. Open a notebook in OneNote.
  2. Click inside a note container on any page.
  3. Click Dictate in the Home tab of the ribbon.
  4. Speak your notes. Click Dictate again to stop.

Note: Dictation in OneNote is useful for capturing meeting notes, brainstorming ideas, or journaling — situations where typing might slow you down.

4. Use Voice Commands for Punctuation and Formatting ​

You do not need to go back and add punctuation manually. Speak these commands while dictating and Microsoft 365 inserts them automatically.

Punctuation Commands ​

Say ThisInserts
"Period" or "Full stop".
"Comma",
"Question mark"?
"Exclamation mark" or "Exclamation point"!
"Colon":
"Semicolon";
"Open quote" / "Close quote"" "
"Open parenthesis" / "Close parenthesis"( )
"Hyphen"-
"Ellipsis"...

Formatting and Editing Commands ​

Say ThisAction
"New line"Starts a new line (same as pressing Enter once)
"New paragraph"Starts a new paragraph (inserts a blank line)
"Delete" or "Backspace"Deletes the last word
"Bold"Toggles bold formatting on/off
"Italics"Toggles italic formatting on/off
"Underline"Toggles underline formatting on/off
"Strikethrough"Toggles strikethrough formatting on/off

Example dictation:

Saying: "Dear team comma new paragraph I wanted to share an update on the project period The deadline has been moved to June fifteenth period new paragraph Bold Action items colon bold new line"

Produces: "Dear team, ¶ I wanted to share an update on the project. The deadline has been moved to June 15th. ¶ Action items: (new line)"

5. Change the Dictation Language ​

Microsoft 365 Dictation supports over 30 languages. You can switch languages without changing your system settings.

  1. Click the Dictate button to activate dictation.
  2. Click the small gear icon (⚙️) or dropdown arrow next to the Dictate button.
  3. In the Settings panel, select your preferred Spoken language from the dropdown list (e.g., English (United States), Spanish (Spain), French (France), Portuguese (Brazil)).
  4. Close the settings panel.
  5. Begin speaking in the selected language. Dictation processes your speech using the chosen language model.

Verification: Dictate a few sentences in the selected language and confirm the text appears correctly. If accuracy is poor, verify you selected the correct regional dialect (e.g., Portuguese (Brazil) vs. Portuguese (Portugal)).

6. Enable Auto-Punctuation ​

Auto-punctuation uses AI to automatically insert periods, commas, and question marks based on your speech patterns — so you do not need to say punctuation commands manually.

  1. Click the Dictate button to activate dictation.
  2. Click the gear icon (⚙️) next to the Dictate button.
  3. Toggle Auto-punctuation to On.
  4. Close the settings panel.
  5. Speak naturally without saying punctuation commands. Microsoft 365 inserts punctuation based on your pauses and sentence structure.

Tip: Auto-punctuation works best in English. For other languages, accuracy may vary — consider using manual punctuation commands for critical documents.

7. Understand the Difference: M365 Dictation vs. Windows Voice Typing ​

Microsoft 365 offers two separate dictation tools. Knowing which to use avoids confusion.

FeatureM365 Dictation (this article)Windows Voice Typing
How to startClick Dictate in the ribbonPress Windows + H
Works inWord, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneNote (M365 apps only)Any text field in any app
Requires internetYes (cloud-based)Yes (Windows 11) / No (Windows 10 offline)
Voice commandsFull formatting commands (bold, italic, etc.)Basic punctuation only
Auto-punctuationYes (toggle in settings)Yes (built-in)
Best forLong-form content in Office appsQuick text entry in any app

Recommendation: Use M365 Dictation when working in Office apps (better formatting commands and accuracy). Use Windows Voice Typing (Windows + H) when dictating in non-Office apps like browsers, Notepad, or chat windows.

Troubleshooting ​

INFO

Dictation requires a stable internet connection because speech-to-text processing happens in the Microsoft cloud. If you are in an area with limited connectivity, consider using Windows Voice Typing (Windows + H) as an offline alternative on Windows 10.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Dictate button is greyed outNo microphone detected or permissions deniedCheck that a microphone is connected. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and ensure the Office app has permission to access the microphone.
Dictation produces incorrect or garbled textBackground noise or poor microphone qualityMove to a quieter environment. Use a headset with a built-in microphone for best accuracy. Speak at a steady, moderate pace.
Punctuation commands are typed as textAuto-punctuation is on and overriding commandsTurn off Auto-punctuation in the Dictate settings if you prefer to use manual voice commands.
Dictation stops after a few seconds of silenceInactivity timeoutDictation pauses after approximately 30 seconds of silence. Click the Dictate button to resume.
Dictate button is not visible in the ribbonOlder Office version or feature not enabledEnsure you are using a current Microsoft 365 subscription (not Office 2019 or earlier). Update Office via File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.