Where is the Dictate button in Word?

The Dictate button is on the Home tab of Word. Microsoft's steps say to open a new or existing document and go to Home > Dictate, while you are signed in to Microsoft 365 on a device with a microphone ¹. If you cannot see the button, check your account before you look for a different menu.

The Dictate button is on the Home tab on desktop and in the browser

Microsoft documents Dictate in Word for Windows, Mac, Word for the web and the mobile apps. The menu route is the same on the desktop and in the browser. The mobile apps use a microphone icon instead.

On Windows, Microsoft's guide for screen-reader users lists Alt+H then D, and Alt+` as keyboard routes ². On a Mac, Option + F1 starts dictation ³. In Word for the web, the route is the same Home tab menu ⁴. On an iPhone or iPad, Microsoft says you start dictation by tapping the microphone icon ⁵.

If the button is missing, check the Microsoft 365 sign-in first

Microsoft says that if you cannot see the button, you should make sure you are signed in with an active Microsoft 365 subscription ⁶. Dictate is also not part of Office 2016 or 2019 for Windows, unless you have a Microsoft 365 subscription ⁷.

The license rule has one gap. The Applies To list on Microsoft's article includes Word 2021 and Word 2024 for Windows ⁸, but the article's text says the feature is only for Microsoft 365 subscribers. We read the text as the rule. If you have a one-time Word 2021 or 2024 and no Dictate button, that is the result Microsoft's text predicts. Check which Word product your account has, and if the copy comes from a work or school organization, ask your IT team.

Start Dictate from the keyboard once you have found the button

Use the menu the first time, so you know where the button is. After that, the shortcut is faster.

1. Open a new or existing document.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.
3. Select Home > Dictate, or press Alt+H then D on Windows, or Option + F1 on a Mac.
4. Check that the Dictate button is on, then speak.

If the button is greyed out, the cause is a different one, covered in why Dictate is greyed out in Word. If it turns on but no text appears, see why Dictate is not working in Word.

Where to go next

Word also has a separate Transcribe feature for recordings. It is not the same button, so see whether Word can transcribe an audio file. For the commands you can speak once Dictate is on, see the dictation commands in Word.

If Word's Dictate is not available on your account, Yap, which we make, is an on-device dictation app for Mac and Windows. The download page lists the current versions. For a side-by-side view of the built-in options, read how to dictate into any app.

If you use a Mac and the button is missing or greyed out, the Mac version of this check walks through the same causes for Word on that platform. For the full set of steps, settings and limits, read our guide to Dictate in Word, which sits inside the overview of dictation in your apps.