What is the keyboard shortcut for Dictate in Word on Windows?

The keyboard shortcut for Dictate in Word on Windows is a sequence, not a single key. Press Alt, then H, then D. Microsoft writes it as "Alt+H, D" ¹. The first two keys open the Home tab, and D chooses Dictate. Press the keys one after another, not all at once.

Alt+` is the second Windows shortcut, and it also switches the mic

Microsoft gives a second route: **Alt+**, where is the backquote key. Microsoft says the same pair resumes dictation when it has stopped ². Its Dictate Help page also says that on Windows this key toggles the microphone ³.

That second use matters once you are dictating. A stray press of Alt+` can switch the microphone off, and then your words stop appearing. On US keyboards the backquote key sits below Esc, but its position differs on other layouts, so find it on yours before you rely on it.

Windows+H starts a different tool

Many people searching for this shortcut find Windows key + H instead. That combination starts Windows voice typing, a system feature that types into any text box ⁴. It is not Word's Dictate.

The two tools need different things. Word's Dictate is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers ⁵. Windows voice typing works in any text box, but it needs an internet connection ⁶. If you want Dictate's behavior inside Word, use the Word route, not Windows+H.

Steps the first time

1. Open a new or existing document, and sign in to Word with your Microsoft 365 account.
2. Click where you want the words to go.
3. Press Alt, H, then D. If you prefer the menu, select Home > Dictate.
4. Wait for the Dictate button to turn on, then speak.

Use the first run to find the button, so you know where it sits if the keys ever fail.

On a Mac, and in older Office versions, the route is different

On a Mac, the shortcut is Option + F1 ⁷. The Windows keys above do not apply there. On Windows, Dictate is not available in Office 2016 or 2019 unless you also have Microsoft 365 ⁸. In those versions there is no Dictate to start, so no shortcut will work. For the Mac side, see the question on the Dictate shortcut in Word on a Mac.

If the shortcut does nothing, check the sign-in and the button

Check the sign-in before you try the keys again. If you are not signed in to an active Microsoft 365 subscription, the button will not appear, and the keys have nothing to start ⁹. If the Dictate button is missing or greyed out, the causes are in why Dictate is not working in Word.

If Windows+H opens a small voice typing panel instead, you pressed the system shortcut. Close it, open Word, and use Alt+H, D.

What to do

1. Open a blank document, sign in, and press Alt, H, then D.
2. Say one short sentence, and check that it appears in the document.
3. If nothing appears, press Alt+` once to check whether you switched the microphone off, then press it again.
4. Decide which tool you want for each job. The comparison of Word's Dictate and Windows voice typing sets out the trade-offs.

Our guide to dictating in Word covers the menus, settings and the Word for the web route. The wider picture of dictation in your apps explains where each shortcut works. The term voice typing names the Windows feature, and Dictate in Microsoft 365 names Word's button.