Why does it say dictation is not available in the current language?

On Windows 11, the full message reads Voice typing isn't available in the current language. It appears when the language your PC is using for input has no voice typing support. Microsoft's answer is to install a supported language ¹. That is the core fix. The steps below show how to do it, and what to try when a supported language still fails.

The message refers to the input language, not the display language

Windows voice typing follows the input language you type with. Microsoft says you switch voice typing languages by changing the input language you use ². So the message is about the language you are typing in at that moment.

The display language is not the setting to check. Microsoft says voice typing can use a language that is different from the one chosen for Windows ³. A Windows screen in a supported language does not guarantee that voice typing works.

Three fixes that usually work

1. Press Windows logo key + Spacebar and choose one of your available languages ⁴. Microsoft gives this as a check when the words are not entered correctly.
2. If the language you need is missing, open Settings, select Time & language, then Language & region, and use Preferred languages to add it ⁵. Then test one sentence in the new language.
3. Check the list before you choose. Windows 11 lists 46 languages and locales that support voice typing ⁶. If your language is not among them, the message is accurate, and you need one of the other options in this guide.

It depends: a supported language can still fail

Two cases look like this message but need different fixes.

• No internet connection. Windows voice typing needs an internet connection, a working microphone and the cursor in a text box ⁷. If the PC is offline, changing the language will not help. Check the connection first, then test one sentence.
• A regional variant that Windows does not list. Language lists count locales, and the lists differ between Microsoft products. Microsoft's Azure Speech table includes Bengali (India) and Urdu (India), and Windows voice typing offers neither in its own language list ⁸. A language can be in one Microsoft list and missing from the Windows list. For Windows voice typing, pick a locale that Windows actually shows.

What to do now

1. Note the exact message and your Windows version. The steps above describe Windows 11.
2. Press Windows logo key + Spacebar and try each language in the list.
3. If the language you need is missing, add it under Time & language, then test one sentence that includes a name.
4. If the language is not on the supported list at all, read how to dictate in a language your device does not support.

For the steps on every platform, read how to change the dictation language on any device. If you already have two languages set up and want to move between them quickly, see how to switch dictation languages quickly. Our overview of dictation languages, accents and voice translation covers the wider topic.