Which languages does Windows 10 dictation support?

Windows 10 dictation supports 12 language variants for basic text, symbols, letters and numbers ¹. That is the whole list, and it has no Bangla, Urdu or Arabic. The commands that edit and punctuate your text work only in US English ², so a German or Spanish speaker gets text, but not the spoken editing commands.

The 12 variants cover Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish

Microsoft's list names these variants for basic text, symbols, letters and numbers. The table shows each one as Microsoft writes it.

English has four variants here, and US English is not one of them. Microsoft's dictation commands are available in US English only, which is why the list omits it. Some readers count 13 variants because they add US English, but the basic-text list itself contains 12, so this answer does too.

Commands work only in US English

Windows 10 treats text and commands differently. Microsoft says the dictation commands are available in US English only ². Phrases such as "delete that" and "select the previous word" are examples of those commands. A user dictating in one of the other 12 variants can still write sentences, but cannot use those phrases to edit.

This is stricter than Windows 11 voice typing, which shows a command table for each of its languages ³. The difference matters if you rely on spoken editing.

Dictation needs an internet connection

Microsoft says dictation on Windows 10 requires the PC to be connected to the internet ⁴. Microsoft also describes the feature as using speech recognition that is built into the operating system ⁵. Both statements come from Microsoft, and the connection requirement is the one that affects use, so plan for a connection when you dictate.

To start dictation, select a text field and press Windows logo key + H.

Windows 10 is out of support, so the list will not grow

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025 ⁶. After that date Microsoft no longer provides feature updates or security updates for the system. The list above therefore describes Windows 10 as it was last maintained. If your language is missing, a Windows 10 update is not a way to add it.

It depends: which tool and which Windows version

The answer changes with the version of Windows and the tool you use.

If you are on Windows 10 and your language is on none of these lists, no built-in Windows tool will dictate in it. If you plan to move to Windows 11, check the 46-language list first, because it is much longer. Our answer on changing the voice typing language in Windows 11 shows the steps.

What to do if your language is not on the Windows 10 list

1. Check whether the language is on the Windows 11 voice typing list, which is longer.
2. If it is not on either list, test a browser or third-party tool with a short passage of your own speech.
3. For Voice Access, a separate Windows 11 feature, read which languages Voice Access supports.

Our guide to Windows dictation languages puts the three Windows lists side by side. The Windows Speech Recognition term explains the older tool, and dictation on Windows covers the rest of the Windows tools.