What is the difference between Dictate and Transcribe in Word?

Dictate and Transcribe are two different features in Word, and they answer different needs. Dictate writes your live speech into the open document. Transcribe takes a recording and turns it into a transcript. Microsoft says the difference in one line: unlike Dictate, Transcribe does not automatically add the audio to the document ¹. You review the transcript, then add the parts you want.

Dictate types as you speak, and Transcribe works on audio

Dictate is for writing in the moment. You press the button, speak, and the words appear where the cursor is. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription ².

Transcribe is for audio that already exists. You record in its pane, or upload a file. Microsoft says uploads support .wav, .mp4, .m4a and .mp3 files ³. The transcript arrives as text you can review, and you choose what goes into the document.

If you want to talk while you write, use Dictate. If you have a meeting or an interview to turn into text, use Transcribe.

The two features differ in input, output and limits

The cap is the biggest practical difference. Microsoft says a Microsoft 365 subscriber can transcribe 300 minutes of uploaded audio per month ⁴. A user with a Microsoft Copilot license can transcribe 30,000 minutes of uploaded audio per month ⁵. Dictate has no comparable number in Microsoft's article, so the cap is a Transcribe rule, not a Dictate one.

Transcribe may not appear, and the platform is the usual reason

If you cannot find Transcribe, check the platform first. Microsoft's note says Transcribe is currently available only in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows in commercial tenants ⁶. Its web section describes a different route: sign in to Microsoft 365 using the new Microsoft Edge or Chrome ⁷. The two statements do not fully agree, so check which applies to your account.

Where you find it also matters. In Word, you start a recording for transcription from Home, then Dictate, then Transcribe ⁸. If you see Dictate but no Transcribe item under it, your account or platform is the likely cause. Microsoft's article does not mention a Mac for Transcribe, so we could not confirm it there.

Which one to use

1. You are writing now. Use Dictate, and check the mic icon before you speak a long passage.
2. You have a recording on a Windows PC. Use Transcribe, and check that your account is a commercial tenant.
3. You have a long recording and a 300-minute monthly cap. Plan the upload, because the cap is shared across everything you transcribe that month.
4. You are on a Mac, or Transcribe is missing. Transcribe may not be available for you. Free transcription in a browser is an option, described in can Microsoft Word transcribe an audio file.

For Dictate's steps and settings, read our guide to dictating in Word. The question on whether Microsoft has dictation software covers the wider Microsoft tools. The glossary entry for Transcribe in Microsoft 365 defines the feature in one place. For a free option without Word, see free audio to text in your browser.