You can dictate into Microsoft Word on macOS in two common ways. The practical difference is where speech recognition happens (Word/Microsoft 365 vs macOS).
Option A: Use Word’s built-in Dictate (Microsoft 365)
Word includes a Dictate feature. Microsoft’s documentation describes it as speech-to-text that works with a microphone and a reliable internet connection.
- Open Word and sign in (if prompted).
- Find the Dictate button in Word’s toolbar (feature availability varies by license/version).
- Click Dictate, speak, then stop dictation to insert text.
Option B: Use macOS Dictation in Word (system-wide)
macOS Dictation works anywhere you can type — including Word. This is useful if you want a single shortcut that works across Word, email, Slack, and everything else.
- Enable Dictation: System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → On.
- Click into your Word document where you want text.
- Start Dictation (microphone key if present, or the Dictation shortcut — often Fn twice).
- Speak, then stop Dictation to finalize.
If you dictate daily (privacy + consistency)
If your priority is a consistent hotkey workflow and on-device processing, Voice Type is designed for exactly that: hold a hotkey, speak, release to finalize — anywhere on macOS.