How do you dictate in Word on a Mac?

Word for Mac has its own dictation feature, called Dictate. It is Microsoft's feature, not Apple's, so the Mac's Dictation settings do not switch it on or off. Dictate turns your speech into text in the open document. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, a microphone and a reliable internet connection. The steps below follow Microsoft's article on dictation in Word.

Start Dictate from the Home tab

1. Open a new or existing document in Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac.
2. Make sure Word is signed in with your Microsoft 365 account.
3. Go to Home > Dictate ¹.
4. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening.
5. Speak. Text appears in the document as you talk.

Microsoft also lists a keyboard shortcut for starting dictation, Option + F1 ². The article does not say whether the shortcut works in every version, so test it in your copy before you rely on it.

Dictate needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and a reliable connection

Two requirements decide whether the button works. The first is the subscription. Microsoft says the feature is only available to subscribers ³. The second is the connection. Microsoft says dictation in Microsoft 365 needs a microphone and a reliable internet connection ⁴.

Microsoft's article also has an Applies To list that names Word 2024 for Mac and Word 2021 for Mac next to Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac ⁵. That list does not override the subscription rule. If you bought Word as a one-time purchase, check whether your account includes a Microsoft 365 subscription before you assume the version is the problem.

Apple Dictation is a different tool, and we did not test it in Word

If Dictate is missing, you may wonder whether the Mac's own Dictation will type into Word. We did not test that combination, and Microsoft's article does not mention it. Apple says that with Dictation on a Mac, you can speak to enter text anywhere you can type ⁶, so it is worth a try. Speak a short, harmless phrase first, and check the result before you dictate a long passage. Our guide to dictation in Mac apps compares the options for each app.

Spoken punctuation follows Microsoft's command table

Microsoft's English command table for Dictate in Word lists period, comma, question mark, exclamation mark and new line as spoken punctuation or formatting ⁷. Check the result after each command, because a misheard command can add a word instead of a mark. Spoken formatting of this kind is part of dictation.

What to do when Dictate does not appear

1. Look for Home > Dictate in a new or existing document.
2. If the button is missing or greyed out, check the account and the document. Why Dictate is greyed out in Word on a Mac covers each check in order.
3. If Word does not hear you, check the microphone in macOS. Why dictation works in some apps but not others explains why one app can behave differently from another.

Google Docs and Terminal use different routes on a Mac. The answers are in dictation in Google Docs on a Mac and dictation in Terminal on a Mac. For the full picture of each Mac app, see the guide to dictation in Mac apps, and for the wider subject, dictation on Mac.