Fact · Voice and AI
In Word's dictation settings, the Filter sensitive phrases option masks potentially sensitive phrases with asterisks, and it can be switched off.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“Filter sensitive phrases: Mask potentially sensitive phrases with ***”
Dictate your documents in Word, Microsoft, 2026, Dictation settings section.
Open the original- What it measures
- Microsoft lists this option next to Auto Punctuation in the gear menu of the Dictation toolbar in Word. It changes words in the output, so it is a rewrite of a kind, even though it is not a language-model edit.
- What it does not show
- The page does not list which phrases are masked. The steps describe the Microsoft 365 version of Word as the page was read on the check date, and the menu may move in later versions.