How do you dictate in OneNote?

To dictate in OneNote, open the page, select Home, then select Dictate. Wait for the button to turn on and start listening, then speak. Microsoft says to do this while signed into Microsoft 365 on a device with a microphone ¹. Your words are typed at the cursor in the note. Microsoft describes Dictate as a quick way to create drafts, capture notes and make comments ².

The same Home > Dictate route covers Windows, the web and Mac

Microsoft's Dictate article for OneNote gives its steps under separate Windows, web and Mac headings. The Mac steps read the same way: go to Home, then Dictate, while signed into Microsoft 365 on a mic-enabled device ³. So the route is the same on each platform the article covers.

Start Dictate from the Home tab, and wait for the button to turn on before you speak. To dictate into a different app with a keyboard shortcut or the operating system's tools, see how to dictate into any app.

Dictate needs Microsoft 365, and Office 2016 and 2019 on Windows do not have it

Dictate is tied to a Microsoft 365 sign-in. Microsoft says it is not available in Office 2016 or 2019 for Windows without Microsoft 365 ⁴. If your copy is one of those versions, the button will not appear, and you need either a Microsoft 365 subscription or a system-wide dictation tool.

Microsoft's troubleshooting also says to check that you have Windows 10 or later ⁵, and that the note is not in a read-only state ⁶. The question on why Dictate is not working in PowerPoint covers the same checks, because the button works the same way in both apps.

Commands you can say while dictating

Dictate takes spoken commands as well as words. Microsoft's OneNote command table includes "show help", "pause dictation" and "exit dictation" ⁷. Some entries in the table are marked with an asterisk, and Microsoft says those work only in the web version of OneNote ⁸. Check the table in Microsoft's OneNote article against your own version before you plan around a command. For the words that insert punctuation, see spoken punctuation.

Transcribing a recording is a separate feature with narrower support

This is the part that most often confuses people. Dictation types as you speak. A recording is a different job. To make an audio-only recording in OneNote, select Home, then Record Audio ⁹.

Microsoft's recording article mentions a Transcribe button, and says the Record button might be visible once you click Transcribe, depending on the OneNote version ¹⁰. The article gives no steps for transcribing. It says to read a separate help article about transcribing in OneNote for that ¹¹.

Microsoft's transcription article is written for Word, and it lists OneNote for Microsoft 365 under Applies To. Its statements about availability are narrower. Microsoft says Transcribe is currently available only on the Windows platform in OneNote for Microsoft 365 ¹². The same article's note says the feature is currently available only in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows in commercial tenants ¹³. The two statements do not fully agree, so check both against your own copy.

If you cannot find Transcribe in OneNote on a Mac or in the web version, Microsoft's Windows-only statement is the documented reason. The documentation does not show a transcription route for those versions. The question on whether OneNote can transcribe audio explains how to check your own copy. For the term, see Transcribe (Microsoft 365).

If Dictate is missing or silent, check these in order

1. Confirm the subscription and version. Microsoft says Dictate needs an active Microsoft 365 subscription and Windows 10 or later ¹⁴.
2. Check the microphone. Microsoft's troubleshooting says to make sure no other app or web page is using the microphone ¹⁵, and to check that the microphone is plugged in and working.
3. Check the connection. Microsoft says Dictation in Office needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection ¹⁶. It is not an offline tool.
4. Test one short sentence in one note before you dictate a long page.

If the button still does not appear, the steps for PowerPoint and Excel are in the question on dictating in PowerPoint and the question on dictation not working in Excel. The guide to dictation in PowerPoint, OneNote and Excel puts all three side by side, and our overview of dictation in your apps covers the other apps. For the Microsoft 365 term, see Dictate (Microsoft 365).