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You could type your documents the old-fashioned way in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, but why not dictate the text instead? Whether you have a disability, medical condition, or are looking to save some time, Microsoft’s Dictate tool can help you get work done.
Based on a Microsoft Garage project that was developed to test dictation in Office applications, Dictate has now been implemented across Microsoft Word for Office 365, PowerPoint for Office 365, the free Word for the web, the free OneNote for the web, and the free OneNote app for Windows 10. You can access the built-in tool through an icon in the Ribbon of whichever program you’re using.
Dictate in Word for Office 365
If you have a subscription for Office 365, launch Microsoft Word and open a document. Position your cursor where you want to start dictating. Click the Dictate icon on the Home Ribbon. The first time you do this, Word may ask for permission to use your microphone. Grant permission and you can start speaking.
Dictate words, punctuation, and specific actions, such as “new line” and “new paragraph.” You may want to dictate just a few sentences or a single paragraph at a time and then stop so you can review your text for any mistakes. To stop dictating, press the Dictate icon again.
After activating the tool, click the Settings icon on the small Dictate window at the bottom of the screen. Here, you can turn on Auto Punctuation so your dictation automatically includes periods, commas, and other marks without you needing to speak them. You can also turn the profanity filter on and off. With this filter on, any profane words show up as a series of asterisks.
You can also dictate text in other languages. Click the Settings icon on the Dictate window. Move to the command for Spoken Languages and choose the language you wish to use.
Dictate in PowerPoint
Launch PowerPoint for Office 365 and open a new or existing presentation. Click the Dictate icon on the Ribbon and dictate your text. When finished, click the icon again to stop dictation.
Dictate in Word For the Web
If you’re using Office on the web, head to the website and sign in with your Microsoft Account. At the main Office screen, click the icon for Word. Open a document and click the Dictate icon on the Home Ribbon and dictate your text. When finished, click the icon again to turn off Dictation. To see other languages available for dictation, click the Down arrow next to the Dictate icon and choose the language you’d like to use.
Dictate in OneNote
You can dictate text in two different versions of OneNote. Either go to Office on the web and choose OneNote, or use the OneNote Windows 10 app. In either version, open a OneNote document and click the Dictate button on the Home Ribbon, then start dictating. Click it again to stop. Click the Down arrow to see other languages for dictation.
Dictate on Your Mobile Device
Your iPhone, iPad, and Android devices offer built-in dictation features accessible from the keyboard. These tools support Microsoft Office apps and other text-based programs.
To dictate text in an Office document, tap in any area to display the keyboard and select the microphone icon. You can then dictate to your mobile device. Tap on any area of the screen to stop the dictation.
Windows Speech Recognition
The Microsoft Office Dictate tool doesn’t work with Excel or earlier versions of Office, and Dictate doesn’t offer a way to easily correct mistakes, add words to a dictionary, or manage settings. One option that can get past these limitations is the Windows Speech Recognition tool built directly into Windows 10.
The tool is compatible with any Windows program, including all versions of Office, such as Office 365, Office 2019, and prior versions. Open Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or any other program, and hold down the Win key and press H to open a dictation toolbar at the top of the screen. You can then begin dictating.
You can dictate punctuation and specific actions for moving around the screen. For example, say “tab” to move to the next cell in the column, or “new line” to move to the next cell in the row. Or say things like “Undo that” to erase the last word you dictated. Microsoft provides a full list of phrases and actions you can dictate with Windows speech recognition.
If you open the Control Panel in Windows 10 and click Speech Recognition, you can set up a microphone, train the speech recognition, or take a speech tutorial.
Third-Party Programs
If you don’t want to use one of Microsoft’s solutions, there are many third-party voice-dictation programs available that work with Office, other applications, and Windows as a whole. Some of these products come with a premium price tag, but they also provide more power and flexibility than you will find in Microsoft’s built-in tools.
For instance, Nuance’s Dragon program costs $200 for the Home Edition and $500 for the Professional Edition. Meanwhile, Braina offers a Lite version for free and a Pro version that runs $49 per year or $169 for lifetime use.
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