How do you dictate an email in Outlook?

To dictate an email in Outlook, click into the message body, select Dictate on the Message tab, and speak. Microsoft documents this route for new Outlook, classic Outlook and Outlook for Mac. The steps are the same apart from the menu path and one shortcut. The first requirement is the subscription: Dictate is a Microsoft 365 feature ¹. Microsoft also says Dictate needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection ².

Click into the message body before you press Dictate

Microsoft's steps for new Outlook have four parts. Start a New Email, or select Reply on a message. Select the body of the message, not the subject line. Go to the Message tab and select Dictate ³. Then wait for the button to turn on before you speak.

If you stop to check a name or a figure, you can resume from the keyboard. Microsoft says to press ALT+` to resume dictation, or to press the Mic icon in the ribbon ⁴.

Classic Outlook and Outlook for Mac use a different menu path

In classic Outlook on Windows, the sequence is the same as in new Outlook, with one added condition. You must be signed in to Microsoft 365 on a device with a microphone ⁵. Check that the microphone is not muted before you start.

Outlook for Mac puts the control in the menu bar. Go to Message and choose Dictate, while signed in to Microsoft 365 on a device with a microphone ⁶. Microsoft also gives a keyboard route: Option + F1 starts dictation ⁷. The shortcut suits people who keep their hands on the keyboard while they write.

Speak punctuation as commands from Outlook's own list

Outlook accepts spoken commands for punctuation and special characters, in addition to the words you dictate ⁸. Microsoft lists the commands for each language in a dropdown on its page, and the list changes with the language. Check the list for the language you write in before you rely on a command, and read the draft before you send it, because a command that works in one language may not work in another.

On a phone, use the keyboard's microphone instead of Dictate

Microsoft's message center said it would retire the Dictation feature from Outlook for iOS and Android, starting in early September 2024 ⁹. On a phone, tap a text field and use the microphone key on the keyboard instead, as described in our guide to dictating emails in Outlook and Gmail. The microphone key works in any text field, so the same habit covers your other messages.

The route depends on where the email is written

The answer changes with three conditions.

• Your account. The button exists only for Microsoft 365 subscribers. An account without a subscription has no Dictate button, so the steps above will not find one.
• Your device. On a computer, use the Dictate button in Outlook. On a phone, use the keyboard.
• Your app. Gmail on a computer has no dictation button of its own. Use your system's dictation there, as the question on whether Gmail has voice typing explains.

If the button is present but the words do not appear, or the button is missing on a subscribed account, go to the question on why dictation is not working in new Outlook. It lists the checks in the order that fixes the most cases. Word has its own Dictate button with similar rules, so the question on why Dictate is greyed out in Word covers the same ground for documents.

What to do first

Use this order each time you dictate an email.

1. Confirm that you are signed in to the Microsoft 365 account that has the subscription.
2. Click into the body of the new email or reply, not the subject line.
3. Go to the Message tab in new or classic Outlook, or the Message menu on a Mac, and select Dictate.
4. Wait for the button to turn on, then speak in short phrases.
5. Read the first and last sentence, and every name and number, before you send.

For the wider picture of dictating into different apps, read how to dictate into any app, and for the Word route, read the guide to Dictate in Word. The overview of dictation in your apps puts the Outlook, Word and Google Docs routes side by side.