Can Microsoft Word transcribe an audio file?

Yes. Word can transcribe an audio file, but only with Transcribe, which is a separate feature from Dictate. You upload the file in the Transcribe pane, and Word returns a transcript. Dictate types what you say as you speak and cannot read a recording. Transcribe has tight platform and license limits, so check them before you plan a backlog of recordings.

Word transcribes a file through the Transcribe pane

To transcribe a recording you already have, open the Transcribe pane and upload it. Microsoft's steps are to go to Home, then the Dictate dropdown, then Transcribe, and in the pane to select Upload audio and choose a file from the file picker ¹. The menu route is Home, then Dictate, then Transcribe.

Transcribe takes four audio formats. Microsoft says the feature supports .wav, .mp4, .m4a and .mp3 files for upload ². A file in another format, such as an .ogg or a .wma, is not on that list, so convert it first.

Transcribe also records in Word. You can start a recording in the pane and transcribe it when you finish. The rest of this answer covers uploaded files, which is the case the question asks about.

Dictate and Transcribe do different jobs

People search for both because they sound alike, but they work on different inputs. The table sets out the difference for a reader who has a file in hand.

Microsoft states that, unlike Dictate, Transcribe does not automatically add the audio to the document ³. You review the transcript in the pane and choose what goes into the document.

For the wider difference between the two words, see dictation vs transcription. For the Dictate button itself, see the guide to Dictate in Word.

Transcribe works on Windows in commercial tenants and in the browser

The limit that matters most is the platform. Microsoft's note says the feature is currently available only in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows in commercial tenants ⁴. A commercial tenant is a work or school Microsoft 365 account. A personal account is not covered by that note.

Microsoft's article also describes Transcribe in the browser. It says that to use it, you sign in to Microsoft 365 with the new Microsoft Edge or Chrome ⁵. The note and the browser instructions in the same article do not agree in full, so if you need the browser route, test it with your own account before you rely on it.

Microsoft's Transcribe note does not name Word for Mac. On a Mac, do not count on Transcribe. For free transcription that works in a browser, use free audio to text instead.

The monthly limit caps how much audio you can upload

Transcribe has a monthly cap. Microsoft says a Microsoft 365 subscriber can transcribe a maximum of 300 minutes of uploaded audio per month ⁶. A 45-minute interview uses 45 of those minutes, so a month of recordings can run out quickly.

Check which limit applies to your account before a large project, because a month of recordings can use it up quickly.

Transcription takes about as long as the audio

A file is not transcribed instantly. Microsoft says the time depends on your internet speed and can be up to about the length of the audio file ⁷. Microsoft advises keeping the Transcribe pane open while the transcription runs, though you can do other work and come back to it.

Your audio and transcript are saved to OneDrive

Transcribe keeps the audio file. Microsoft says the audio, whether recorded in the pane or uploaded, is saved to the Transcribed Files folder in OneDrive ⁸. You can delete the recordings there. When a project ends, check that folder and delete the recordings you no longer need.

What to do with a recording in Word

1. Check that you have a Microsoft 365 account on Windows, in a commercial tenant, or a browser route that Microsoft's article describes.
2. Convert the file to .wav, .mp4, .m4a or .mp3 if it is in another format.
3. Check how many minutes you have left in the monthly limit.
4. Open the document, go to Home, then Dictate, then Transcribe, and select Upload audio.
5. Keep the pane open while the transcript is made, then review it and add the parts you want to the document.
6. Delete the recording from Transcribed Files in OneDrive when you no longer need it.

If Word does not fit your account or your computer, see can Copilot transcribe audio and can Google Docs transcribe an audio file. Both are other tools with their own rules. For the broader subject of how the tools compare, see the overview of transcription, and for the other ways to type with your voice, see voice typing and dictation.