Official documentation
Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC
Microsoft, 2026
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Microsoft's Windows support article for voice typing. It covers the Automatic punctuation setting, the Fluid dictation feature on Copilot+ PCs, and the spoken punctuation table.
- How much weight it carries
- Official Microsoft documentation, read on 2026-10-16. Fluid dictation is limited to Copilot+ PCs and English locales, according to the page. The command table is language specific.
Facts taken from this source
- Windows voice typing needs an internet connection, a working microphone and the cursor in a text box before it will type what you say.
“To use voice typing, you'll need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box.” (How to start voice typing)
- On Windows, you start voice typing by pressing the Windows key and H together on a hardware keyboard.
“Press Windows key+ H on a hardware keyboard.” (How to start voice typing)
- Microsoft says Windows voice typing uses online speech recognition powered by Azure Speech services.
“Voice typing uses online speech recognition, which is powered by Azure Speech services.” (Introduction)
- Microsoft lists a Default microphone option among the voice typing settings that open from the gear icon on the voice typing flyout.
“Default microphone. Wait time before acting setting allows users to choose how long Voice typing waits before carrying out a voice command” (Voice typing settings)
- Windows 11 voice typing lists Dutch (Netherlands) as its Dutch entry, with no Belgian Dutch entry.
“Croatian Czech Danish Dutch (Netherlands) English (Australia)” (Supported languages)
- Microsoft's list of languages that support voice typing in Windows 11 includes French (Canada) and French (France) as two separate entries.
“French (Canada) French (France) German Gujarati” (Supported languages)
- Windows 11 voice typing lists German as one language with no regional variant, and it has no Swiss German entry.
“French (Canada) French (France) German Gujarati Hindi Hungarian” (Supported languages)
- Windows 11 voice typing lists Italian (Italy) as its Italian entry.
“Irish Italian (Italy) Japanese Korean Latvian” (Supported languages)
- Microsoft gives the Settings path for adding a voice typing language that differs from your Windows display language: Time & language, then Language & region.
“Select Start > Settings > Time & language > Language & region” (Install a voice typing language)
- Microsoft says that to use voice typing on Windows, you need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box.
“To use voice typing, you'll need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box.” (How to start voice typing)
- Windows 11 voice typing lists Portuguese (Brazil) and Portuguese (Portugal) as separate languages.
“Portuguese (Brazil) Portuguese (Portugal) Romanian (Romania) Russian Slovak” (Supported languages)
- Microsoft says Windows voice typing uses online speech recognition, and that the online recognition is powered by Azure Speech services.
“Voice typing uses online speech recognition, which is powered by Azure Speech services.” (Introduction)
- Microsoft says voice typing on Windows needs a working microphone, an internet connection and the cursor in a text box.
“have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box” (How to start voice typing)
- Windows 11 voice typing lists Russian as one language, with no region in its name.
“Romanian (Romania) Russian Slovak Slovenian Spanish (Mexico)” (Supported languages)
- Microsoft says you stop Windows voice typing by saying a command such as Stop listening, or by pressing the microphone button on the voice typing menu.
“To stop voice typing: Say a voice typing command like "Stop listening". Press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.” (Turn on voice typing, To stop voice typing)
- Microsoft says voice typing has a wait time setting that controls how long it waits before carrying out a voice command.
“Wait time before acting setting allows users to choose how long Voice typing waits before carrying out a voice command.” (Voice typing settings)
- Microsoft says that on a hardware keyboard you turn on voice typing in Windows 11 by pressing the Windows key and H.
“Press Windows key+ H on a hardware keyboard” (How to start voice typing)
- The Windows voice typing settings include Automatic punctuation, which inserts punctuation based on what you say.
“Automatic punctuation, to let voice typing automatically insert punctuation based on what you’re saying.” (Voice typing settings list)
- Fluid dictation in Windows voice typing corrects grammar, punctuation and filler words as you speak.
“It automatically corrects grammar, punctuation, and filler words as you speak, reducing the need for manual editing.” (Fluid dictation section)
- The English voice typing command table in Windows lists 'new line', 'new/next line' and 'new paragraph' as line break commands.
“¶ paragraph sign/mark new line new/next line new paragraph” (Spoken punctuation and symbols table (English))
- The Windows voice typing symbol table lists the spoken phrase 'question mark' for the ? symbol.
“? question mark @ at sign, at mention” (Spoken punctuation and symbols table (English))
- Microsoft says dictation commands on Windows 10 are available in US English only.
“Dictation commands are available in US English only.” (Dictation commands, Windows 10 section)
- Microsoft gives "delete that" and "select the previous word" as examples of the dictation commands on Windows 10.
“Use dictation commands to tell you PC what to do, like "delete that" or "select the previous word."” (Dictation commands intro, Windows 10 section)
- Microsoft says dictation on Windows 10 requires the PC to be connected to the internet.
“To use dictation, your PC needs to be connected to the internet.” (Note, Windows 10 section)
- On Windows 10, you can dictate most numbers and punctuation by saying the number or the punctuation character.
“You can dictate most numbers and punctuation by saying the number or punctuation character.” (Dictating letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols, Windows 10 section)
- On Windows 10, you dictate letters and symbols by saying "start spelling" first, then the symbol or letter.
“To dictate letters and symbols, say "start spelling." Then say the symbol or letter, or use the ICAO phonetic alphabet.” (Dictating letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols, Windows 10 section)
- On Windows 10, you stop dictating at any time by saying "Stop dictation."
“To stop dictating at any time while you're dictating, say "Stop dictation."” (Dictation section, Windows 10)
- On Windows 10, you dictate an uppercase letter by saying "uppercase" before the letter.
“To dictate an uppercase letter, say "uppercase" before the letter.” (Dictating letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols, Windows 10 section)
- Microsoft's Windows 10 instructions say that you select a text field and press the Windows logo key + H to open the dictation toolbar.
“select a text field and press the Windows logo key +H to open the dictation toolbar” (Windows 10 section, Dictation)
- Microsoft says voice typing on Windows 11 has voice typing commands that insert punctuation marks.
“Use voice typing commands to insert punctuation marks.” (Punctuation commands section)
- Microsoft's Windows 11 voice typing article lists 46 languages and locales that support voice typing, from Bulgarian to Vietnamese.
“These languages support voice typing in Windows 11: Bulgarian Chinese (Simplified, China)” (Supported languages section)
- Microsoft lists six English locales that support voice typing on Windows 11: Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States.
“English (Australia) English (Canada) English (India) English (New Zealand) English (United Kingdom) English (United States)” (Supported languages list)
- Microsoft's English (United States) voice typing table lists 'Delete that', 'Erase that' and 'Scratch that' for deleting the last spoken word or phrase, and 'Select that' for selecting it.
“Delete last spoken word or phrase Delete that Erase that Scratch that Select last spoken word or phrase Select that” (Voice typing commands, English (United States) table)
- Microsoft's English punctuation list for Windows voice typing gives spoken names for marks including the ellipsis, the forward slash, the colon, the semicolon and the question mark.
“ellipsis, dot dot dot / forward slash : colon :( frowny face :) smiley face ; semicolon ;) winky face ? question mark” (Spoken punctuation and symbols table, English)
- Microsoft's English (United States) voice typing table lists 'Undo that' and 'Revert' for undoing the previous change.
“Press Space Insert Space Press Space Undo previous change Undo that Revert” (Voice typing commands, English (United States) table, last rows)
- In Windows voice typing, if a word or phrase is selected, any of the delete commands removes the selected text.
“If a word or phrase is selected, speaking any of the "delete that" commands will remove it.” (Voice typing commands)
- Windows voice typing uses spoken commands such as "delete that" and "select that" to edit the text you just dictated.
“Use voice typing commands to quickly edit text by saying things like "delete that" or "select that".” (Voice typing commands)
- Microsoft says fluid dictation is enabled by default in Windows voice typing on Copilot+ PCs, and that you can turn it off in the voice typing settings at any time.
“Fluid dictation is enabled by default. You can turn it off from Voice typing settings at any time.” (Fluid dictation section, Using fluid dictation)
- Microsoft says that to keep the original sentence or undo a fluid dictation correction, you say "Revert" or "Undo that", or press Ctrl+Z on your keyboard.
“If you prefer to keep the original sentence or undo a correction, simply say “ Revert ” or “ Undo that ” or Ctrl+Z on your keyboard” (Fluid dictation section)
- Microsoft's voice typing steps say that on a hardware keyboard you turn voice typing on by pressing Windows key + H, with the cursor in a text box.
“To turn on voice typing: Press Windows key+ H on a hardware keyboard.” (How to start voice typing)
- Windows voice typing lets you dictate most numbers and punctuation by saying the number or punctuation character.
“You can dictate most numbers and punctuation by saying the number or punctuation character.” (Spoken punctuation and symbols section)
- In Windows voice typing, you dictate an uppercase letter by saying 'uppercase' before the letter.
“To dictate an uppercase letter, say "uppercase" before the letter.” (Spoken punctuation and symbols section)
- Microsoft's steps for adding a voice typing language start under Time & language, then Language & region, and use Preferred languages.
“Find Preferred languages in the list and select Add a language” (Install a voice typing language)
- Microsoft's list of languages that support voice typing in Windows 11 includes Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Marathi and Italian (Italy).
“Hindi Hungarian Irish Italian (Italy) Japanese Korean Latvian Lithuanian Maltese Marathi” (Supported languages)
- Windows voice typing uses online speech recognition that Microsoft says is powered by Azure Speech services.
“Voice typing uses online speech recognition, which is powered by Azure Speech services” (Introduction)
- In English, Microsoft's voice typing symbol table gives the spoken names backquote or backtick for the backtick character, and pipe character for the vertical bar.
“backquote, backtick { left/open (curly) brace | vertical bar sign/character, pipe character” (Punctuation and symbols table, English)
- Microsoft says voice typing can use a language that is different from the one chosen for Windows.
“You can use a voice typing language that's different than the one you've chosen for Windows.” (Install a voice typing language)
- Microsoft says voice typing uses echo cancellation, which suppresses audio from the PC's speakers, such as Narrator or app playback, so that only your voice is transcribed.
“It automatically suppresses audio coming from your speakers, such as Narrator or app playback so your dictated text stays clean, accurate, and free from unintended echoes.” (Echo cancellation paragraph, under How to start voice typing)
- Windows voice typing has a settings option called Filter profanity, which lets you block or allow typing out profanity.
“Filter profanity, which lets you block or allow typing out profanity.” (Voice typing settings)
- Microsoft says that to switch voice typing languages on Windows you change the input language you use.
“To switch voice typing languages, you'll need to change the input language you use.” (Switch voice typing languages)
- The gear icon in the Windows voice typing flyout opens settings that include the voice typing launcher, which offers voice typing when you are in a text box.
“Select the gear icon from the voice typing flyout to manage settings for: Voice typing launcher, which lets you quickly use voice typing when you’re in a text box.” (Voice typing settings)
- Microsoft says voice typing on Windows needs an internet connection, a working microphone and the cursor in a text box.
“To use voice typing, you'll need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box.” (How to start voice typing)
- Windows voice typing needs an internet connection, a working microphone, and the cursor in a text box.
“To use voice typing, you'll need to be connected to the internet, have a working microphone, and have your cursor in a text box” (How to start voice typing)
- Microsoft says Windows voice typing uses online speech recognition, which is powered by Azure Speech services.
“Voice typing uses online speech recognition, which is powered by Azure Speech services.” (Introduction)
- Microsoft says speech recognition features are not required for voice typing to work.
“These features, including speech recognition, aren't required for voice typing to work.” (Install a voice typing language)
- To stop Windows voice typing, you say a command such as "Stop listening" or press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.
“To stop voice typing: Say a voice typing command like "Stop listening". Press the microphone button on the voice typing menu.” (How to start voice typing)
- Microsoft says voice typing starts listening automatically when you turn it on, and that you should wait for the Listening alert before you speak.
“Wait for the "Listening..." alert before you start speaking.” (How to start voice typing)
- On Windows 11, you turn on voice typing by pressing the Windows key + H on a hardware keyboard, or the Microphone button on the touch keyboard.
“To turn on voice typing: Press Windows key+ H on a hardware keyboard. Press the Microphone button on the touch keyboard.” (How to start voice typing)
Pages that rest on this source
- Dictation Languages: What Each App and Device SupportsGuide
- How to Dictate Into Any App: Built-in vs System-WideGuide
- Speech to Text With Translation on Phones and ComputersGuide
- Japanese, Chinese and Korean Speech to TextGuide
- Speech to Text for Students: Essays, Notes, HomeworkGuide
- Speech to Text in French, German, Russian and MoreGuide
- Can AI dictation run entirely on your own computer?Question
- Can Chrome do speech to text offline?Question
- Can speech to text run on an air-gapped computer?Question
- Can you use speech to text for confidential documents?Question
- Does dictation work for both Brazilian and European Portuguese?Question
- Does Gmail have voice typing?Question
- How do you dictate in French?Question
- How do you dictate in German?Question
- How do you dictate in Japanese on a phone or computer?Question
- How do you voice type in Chinese?Question
- How do you voice type in Korean?Question
- How do you voice type in Russian?Question
- Is there a free speech to text AI?Question
- Is there a speech to text extension for Google Docs?Question
- What is the best dictation software for Microsoft Word?Question
- What is the best free speech to text app for students?Question
- What is the best speech to text extension for Chrome?Question
- What is the best speech to text for Japanese?Question