speech to text on microsoft word mac

Dictate in Microsoft 365

Dictation lets you use speech-to-text to author content in Office with a microphone and reliable internet connection. Use your voice to quickly create documents, emails, notes, presentations, or even slide notes.

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To get a sense of how it works, see the video below:

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How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word

Speech to text in Microsoft Word is a hidden gem that is powerful and easy to use. We show you how to do it in five quick and simple steps

Master the skill of speech to text in Microsoft Word and you'll be dictating documents with ease before you know it. Developed and refined over many years, Microsoft's speech recognition and voice typing technology is an efficient way to get your thoughts out, create drafts and make notes.

Just like the best speech to text apps that make life easier for us when we're using our phones, Microsoft's offering is ideal for those of us who spend a lot of time using Word and don't want to wear out our fingers or the keyboard with all that typing. While speech to text in Microsoft Word used to be prone to errors which you'd then have to go back and correct, the technology has come a long way in recent years and is now amongst the best text-to-speech software .

Regardless of whether you have the best computer or the best Windows laptop , speech to text in Microsoft Word is easy to access and a breeze to use. From connecting your microphone to inserting punctuation, you'll find everything you need to know right here in this guide. Let's take a look...

How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word: Preparation

The most important thing to check is whether you have a valid Microsoft 365 subscription, as voice typing is only available to paying customers. If you’re reading this article, it’s likely your business already has a Microsoft 365 enterprise subscription. If you don’t, however, find out more about Microsoft 365 for business via this link .

The second thing you’ll need before you start voice typing is a stable internet connection. This is because Microsoft Word’s dictation software processes your speech on external servers. These huge servers and lighting-fast processors use vast amounts of speech data to transcribe your text. In fact, they make use of advanced neural networks and deep learning technology, which enables the software to learn about human speech and continuously improve its accuracy.

These two technologies are the key reason why voice typing technology has improved so much in recent years, and why you should be happy that Microsoft dictation software requires an internet connection.

An image of how voice to text software works

Once you’ve got a valid Microsoft 365 subscription and an internet connection, you’re ready to go!

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Step 1: Open Microsoft Word

Simple but crucial. Open the Microsoft Word application on your device and create a new, blank document. We named our test document “How to use speech to text in Microsoft Word - Test” and saved it to the desktop so we could easily find it later.

Step 2: Click on the Dictate button

Once you’ve created a blank document, you’ll see a Dictate button and drop-down menu on the top right-hand corner of the Home menu. It has a microphone symbol above it. From here, open the drop-down menu and double-check that the language is set to English.

One of the best parts of Microsoft Word’s speech to text software is its support for multiple languages. At the time of writing, nine languages were supported, with several others listed as preview languages. Preview languages have lower accuracy and limited punctuation support.

Supported languages and preview languages screen

Step 3: Allow Microsoft Word access to the Microphone

If you haven’t used Microsoft Word’s speech to text software before, you’ll need to grant the application access to your microphone. This can be done at the click of a button when prompted.

It’s worth considering using an external microphone for your dictation, particularly if you plan on regularly using voice to text software within your organization. While built-in microphones will suffice for most general purposes, an external microphone can improve accuracy due to higher quality components and optimized placement of the microphone itself.

Step 4: Begin voice typing

Now we get to the fun stuff. After completing all of the above steps, click once again on the dictate button. The blue symbol will change to white, and a red recording symbol will appear. This means Microsoft Word has begun listening for your voice. If you have your sound turned up, a chime will also indicate that transcription has started.

Using voice typing is as simple as saying aloud the words you would like Microsoft to transcribe. It might seem a little strange at first, but you’ll soon develop a bit of flow, and everyone finds their strategies and style for getting the most out of the software.

These four steps alone will allow you to begin transcribing your voice to text. However, if you want to elevate your speech to text software skills, our fifth step is for you.

Step 5: Incorporate punctuation commands

Microsoft Word’s speech to text software goes well beyond simply converting spoken words to text. With the introduction and improvement of artificial neural networks, Microsoft’s voice typing technology listens not only to single words but to the phrase as a whole. This has enabled the company to introduce an extensive list of voice commands that allow you to insert punctuation marks and other formatting effects while speaking.

We can’t mention all of the punctuation commands here, but we’ll name some of the most useful. Saying the command “period” will insert a period, while the command “comma” will insert, unsurprisingly, a comma. The same rule applies for exclamation marks, colons, and quotations. If you’d like to finish a paragraph and leave a line break, you can say the command “new line.”

These tools are easy to use. In our testing, the software was consistently accurate in discerning words versus punctuation commands.

Phrase and output screen in Microsoft Word

Microsoft’s speech to text software is powerful. Having tested most of the major platforms, we can say that Microsoft offers arguably the best product when balancing cost versus performance. This is because the software is built directly into Microsoft 365, which many businesses already use. If this applies to your business, you can begin using Microsoft’s voice typing technology straight away, with no additional costs.

We hope this article has taught you how to use speech to text software in Microsoft Word, and that you’ll now be able to apply these skills within your organization.

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How to Use Voice Typing in Microsoft Word Windows and Mac?

Preparing a long document by typing word by word can easily make you boring. Microsoft Word being a most popular documentation software offers simple solution to overcome this situation. It is called “Dictate” feature which helps to convert your speech to text and type on the document. You can use voice typing in Microsoft Word without touching keyboard and finish the document quickly. After finishing the document, you can use Editor to check spelling and grammar to correct mistakes before sharing the document with others.

Voice Typing in Microsoft Word

Before explaining the function in Word, here are the things you should understand.

Voice typing or dictate function needs internet connection. This means, your voice input is sent to Microsoft and processed for converting to text. Though Microsoft claims they do not store any voice data, you should be aware of this and avoid using dictation for preparing confidential documents.
The function is available in both Windows and Mac versions of Word as part of Microsoft 365 subscription.
You do not need to activate voice typing and is available as an in-built feature in Word. Similarly, you also do not need any additional configurations in system level.
Dictate feature in Word is different than “Voice typing” accessibility feature in Windows operating system and “Dictation” feature in macOS.

Considering voice typing or dictation is part of both operating system and Word, here are the possible ways to use in Word:

Dictate feature in Word for Windows
Voice typing feature in Windows OS
Dictate feature in Word for Mac
Dictation feature in macOS

1. Use Voice Typing in Word Windows Version (Dictate)

It is super easy to start using dictation in Word.

Open a blank Word document and go to “Home” tab.
Click on “Dictate” icon from the ribbon to open a toolbar menu.

Click the microphone icon in the toolbar and start speaking. Word will automatically recognize your voice input and start converting to text in your document. However, make sure you have stable internet connection for this to work faster.

Dictation Working in Word Windows Version

For configuring the dictation, click on the gear icon in the toolbar. You have options to select the language, microphone device , adjust volume, enable auto-punctuation and filter sensitive phrases. If you make changes, make sure to click “Save” button to apply your settings.

Configure Dictation Settings in Word Windows

2. Use Windows Voice Typing in Word

As mentioned above, Windows has a separate feature called voice typing. This works similar as Word dictation and generate text output from voice or audio input. Earlier, you should setup external microphone and configure voice recognition for using Windows voice typing feature. Now, you can simply start using the feature by using a keyboard shortcut on any text input screen.

Open your Word document and press “Win + H” keys.
This will open a toolbar showing a microphone, settings and help icons.
Click the microphone icon and start using voice typing similar to dictation feature in Word.

For configuring the voice typing, click on the gear icon and change your settings.

3. Use Voice Typing in Word for Mac (Dictate)

Word for Mac ( Microsoft 365 subscription ) also has a similar setup like Windows version.

When you are in Word document, go to “Home” tab and click on “Dictate” icon in the ribbon.

On the pop-up that appears, click on the microphone icon and start talking.
Word will convert your speech to text and start typing on the document.
Click on the gear icon to configure the dictate options. Here you can switch the language , select different microphone, set input volume level, enable auto-punctuation and enable avoiding sensitive content while text conversion process.

Configure Dictation Settings in Word for Mac

4. Using macOS Dictation Feature in Word

Mac comes with a “Dictation” feature similar to Windows voice typing. This is by default enabled and you can check and configure the settings if required.

Click on the Apple logo menu and select “System Preferences…” option.
Go to “Keyboard” section and then click “Dictation” tab.

Make sure “Dictation” is “On”, select the language and check the keyboard shortcut keys . By default, pressing function key twice will open dictation feature in Mac.
Launch Word app to open a blank document and press Fn key twice on your keyboard.
This will show the microphone and you cat start speaking.
Mac will convert your speech to text and type on the document.

Using System Dictation Function in macOS Word

Remember that when using dictation, Mac will send your voice inputs, contacts and location information to Apple for processing and converting to readable text.

Voice Typing Commands for Word

As we tested, voice typing and dictation features work very well with all the above options for converting your speech to text. However, the problem is that you should understand some basic commands for using these features.

For example, you need to say “full stop” or “period” to end a sentence and “next line” to start a new line when using “Dictate” in Word. Most of these command also work with voice typing feature in all Windows apps.
However, these commands are slightly different when using “Dictation” feature in macOS. For example, the command for creating a new line with macOS dictation feature is “new line” and using “next line” command will not work.

Below are the links to get complete list of voice typing commands from official Microsoft and Apple documentations.

Dictate commands for Word Windows
Dictate command for Word for Mac
Voice typing commands for Windows OS
Dictation commands for macOS

Final Words

We strongly recommend using the “Dictate” feature which comes as part of Word app. This function does not need internet connection and your voice input is not sent to Microsoft/Apple for processing. In case, if you are not comfortable using Word feature, then you can use the system wide “Voice typing” in Windows or “Dictation” in Mac. However, this needs a stable internet connection and your voice input is sent to Microsoft/Apple for processing. In either case, make sure to go through the voice typing/dictation commands and familiarize yourself before using the function.

About Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WebNots are team of experts who love to build websites, find tech hacks and share the learning with community.

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How to use speech-to-text on Microsoft Word to write and edit with your voice

You can use speech-to-text on Microsoft Word through the "Dictate" feature.
With Microsoft Word's "Dictate" feature, you can write using a microphone and your own voice.
When you use Dictate, you can say "new line" to create a new paragraph and add punctuation simply by saying the punctuation aloud.
If you're not satisfied with Word's built-in speech-to-text feature, you can use a third-party program like Dragon Home.
Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

While typing is certainly the most common way to create and edit documents in Microsoft Word , you're not limited to using a keyboard.

Word supports speech-to-text, which lets you dictate your writing using voice recognition.

Speech-to-text in Word is convenient and surprisingly accurate, and can help anyone who has issues typing with a typical keyboard.

You can use speech-to-text in Microsoft Word in the same way on both Mac and PC.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Apple macbook pro (from $1,299.00 at apple), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to use speech-to-text on word using dictate.

Make sure you have a microphone connected to your computer. This can be built-in, like on a laptop, or a separate mic that you plug into the USB or audio jack.

It doesn't matter which type you use, though the best kind of mic to use is a headset, as it won't need to compete with as much background noise as a built-in microphone.

1. In Microsoft Word, make sure you're in the "Home" tab at the top of the screen, and then click "Dictate."

2. You should hear a beep, and the dictate button will change to include a red recording light. It's now listening for your dictation.

3. Speak clearly, and Word should transcribe everything you say in the current document. Speak punctuation aloud as you go. You can also say "New line," which has the same effect as pressing the Enter or Return key on the keyboard.

4. When you're done dictating, click "Dictate" a second time or turn it off using your voice by saying, "Turn the dictate feature off."

You can still type with the keyboard while Dictate is on, but if you click outside of Word or switch to another program, Dictate will turn itself off.

Want to change languages? You can click the downward arrow on the Dictate button to choose which of nine or so languages you want to speak. You might also see additional "Preview Languages," which are still in beta and may have lower accuracy.

Speech-to-text alternatives

You're not limited to using the Dictate feature built into Word. While not as popular as they once were, there are several commercial speech-to-text apps available which you can use with Word.

The most popular of these, Dragon Home , performs the same kind of voice recognition as Word's Dictate, but it also lets you control Word, format text, and make edits to your text using your voice. It works with nearly any program, not just Word.

Related coverage from Tech Reference :

How to use speech-to-text on a windows computer to quickly dictate text without typing, you can use text-to-speech in the kindle app on an ipad using an accessibility feature— here's how to turn it on, how to use text-to-speech on discord, and have the desktop app read your messages aloud, how to use google text-to-speech on your android phone to hear text instead of reading it, 2 ways to lock a windows computer from your keyboard and quickly secure your data.

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Dictate into documents with Word 365 for Mac

Mac Word 365 and Outlook 365 have the same powerful ‘Speech to Text’ option, Dictate, that’s in the Windows version of Word and Outlook. No compromises or differences except the setup is a LOT easier.

Dictate is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers with Office 365 software for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android devices. In this article we’ll look at how Dictate works in Word and Outlook for Mac.

Dictation in Word 365 (and Outlook 365) is cloud based. It’s being improved regularly and isn’t as dependant on the speed of your computer.

It’s also context sensitive, using whole spoken phrases to work out the right words (instead of the old method which converted each spoken word individually).

Another improvement is microphones, especially in laptops, which now pick up speech with better fidelity.

Microphone setup

Make sure the Mac computer and Office can ‘hear’ you. It’s a lot easier on a Mac than in Windows.

If you want to use the in-built or default microphone, just click the Dictate button on the Home tab in Word.

The first time, a standard security warning will appear. Mac blocks apps from using some elements like microphone or camera until the user specifically approves. Click OK.

A microphone in a laptop or webcam should be enough in most cases. Wireless microphones may work. If you’re in a noisy area, a headset with mic close to the mouth might be necessary. Dictate needs to ‘hear’ your voice clearly without distracting background noise.

To choose a specific microphone or check it’s working go to Apple | System Preferences | Sound | Input.

Choose the microphone or device you want to use. The input volume can be adjusted with the slider. As you can see above,

Check the microphone is working with the Input Level ‘VU meter’ bars moving as you speak

Mac users might hear a faint sigh of envy in the distance … that’s millions of Windows users looking at the above image and wondering why it can’t be that easy in Windows! As we’ve noted before, even the Microsoft’s Skype division does a better job of audio/video setup than Windows itself.

Dictate Setup

With a default microphone setup and working try Dictate. It’s on the Home tab.

Pull down the list and choose your spoken language. ‘Preview’ languages aren’t fully developed but should work fairly well. This selection is separate and not linked to any language setting for the Mac.

Chinese (China)
Dutch (Netherlands)
English (Australia)
English (Canada)
English (India)
English (United Kingdom)
English (United States)
French (Canada)
French (French)
German (Germany)
Italian (Italy)
Norwegian (Bokmål)
Portuguese (Brazil)
Spanish (Mexico)
Spanish (Spain)
Swedish (Sweden)

Some of these languages are currently tagged as ‘Preview’. The list can change at any time as Microsoft improves Dictate.

Does language selection matter for dialects? Probably, though Peter’s Australian accent worked just as well with the setting on English US, UK, Canada or Australia.

If your English dialect isn’t listed, try something close. Our New Zealand and South African friends can try English (Australia) … even though it might seem unpatriotic <g>.

We’d be interested to hear from French speakers about their experience with French (France) and French (Canada). Or Spanish speakers with the Spain or Mexico variants. Can people from Portugal effectively use the Portuguese (Brazil) option?

Dictation Start

Click the Dictate button, wait a second until the button changes with a red dot.

Whatever you say now will be heard and turned into text.

Punctuation

Dictate has Automatic punctuation where the following words insert the symbol of that name.

Period or Full Stop
Question mark
Exclamation point or Exclamation mark
New line or New paragraph
Open quote or Open quotes
Close quote or Close quotes

There are more spoken punctuation phrases and symbols available – see our full Dictate punctuation list .

Microsoft now addresses privacy concerns with this statement.

“This service does not store your audio data or transcribed text.

Your speech utterances will be sent to Microsoft and used only to provide you with text results.”

That’s good, as far as it goes. Laws in various countries, including the USA, mean Microsoft can be compelled to monitor and handover data from any customer. That can happen without notice to the customer or even a court warrant.

Troubleshooting

The most common problem with Dictate is the microphone setup. Click the Dictate button, start talking but no typing appears.

This happens a lot less on the Mac because the operating system and hardware are better integrated.

Dictate in Word or Outlook has no controls to choose a microphone. Use System Preferences | Sound to select and check the microphone.

Dictate voice commands – the full list Turn talk into text in Word 365 for Windows

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How to Use Speech to Text in Word

Category: Transcribe Voice

August 22, 2023 3 mins read

In a world where time is of the essence, finding ways to streamline tasks is paramount. Microsoft Word is the ubiquitous word processing software, that can significantly boost productivity using the speech-to-text feature. In this article, we'll delve into the steps to effectively utilize the speech-to-text feature in Microsoft Word .

In this article:

Part 2. Speech-to-Text in Microsoft Word on Windows

Part 3. using dictation in word on mac, part 4. bonus tips: a great ai speech dictation app, part 5. tips for effective usage, part 6. benefits and applications, part 1. getting started: enabling speech recognition.

Before you start, you need to check these things:

1. System Requirements: Ensure you have a compatible microphone and a version of Microsoft Word that supports the speech-to-text feature.

2. Language Selection: Access your computer's settings to set your desired language for speech recognition.

3. Activating Speech Recognition: Open the Control Panel (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac), locate the speech recognition settings, and enable the feature.

Follow the steps to use speech dictation in Word on your Windows PC:

1. Open a new or existing document, navigate to Start > Dictation.

2. Activate the Dictation button and begin speaking.

3. Your spoken words will appear as text on the screen.

4. (Note: Dictation is exclusively for Microsoft 365 subscribers.)

Let's see how to use speech dictation in Word on your Mac:

1. On a microphone-enabled device with Microsoft 365, open a new or existing document, and access Home > Dictation.

2. Tip: Use the keyboard shortcut: Option (⌥) + F1.

3. Activate Dictation and start speaking.

4. Witness your spoken content transform into on-screen text.

VoxNote is a comprehensive speech-to-text application designed to simplify transcription tasks. It offers features such as live and file transcription, multi-language support, speaker identification, keyword, and summary generation, as well as the ability to edit and export transcriptions. VoxNote aims to enhance productivity by making transcription more efficient and accessible.

Key Features of VoxNote:

Live/File Transcription: Converting speech to text in a live meeting or working with recorded content.
Multiple Languages Support: It supports 16 languages, such as English, French, Spanish, German, and so on, accommodating diverse communication needs.
Speaker identification: In conversations involving multiple speakers, it intelligently identifies and differentiates speakers.
Keyword & summary generation: Extracting essential keywords and generating summaries.
Edit & Share: It allows you to edit transcriptions seamlessly and export them in various formats.

Try It Free Try It Free

Clear Pronunciation: Speak clearly and enunciate your words to enhance accuracy.

Pacing: Maintain a steady pace to help the software transcribe accurately.

Commands Familiarization: Learn common voice commands to navigate through the text and make edits without manual typing.

Practice: As with any new tool, practice makes perfect. Experiment with the feature to become comfortable with its capabilities.

Faster Typing: Speech-to-text significantly accelerates the typing process, making it ideal for lengthy documents.

Accessibility: It's a game-changer for individuals with mobility challenges, making content creation more accessible.

Multi-Tasking: While speaking, you can simultaneously carry out other tasks, further optimizing your workflow.

Reduced Strain: It reduces strain on your wrists and fingers, promoting better ergonomics.

In conclusion, the speech-to-text feature in Microsoft Word is a valuable asset for enhancing productivity, improving accessibility, and simplifying content creation. By following the steps outlined in this guide, users can harness the power of speech recognition to transcribe thoughts and ideas effortlessly, bringing a new dimension of efficiency to their work.

Kevin Walker

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Best Dictation Software For Mac of 2024 (Free & Paid)

Why spend hours typing when you can dictate text in less than half the time? Speech recognition technology can save you time, money and stress so we tested and reviewed the most accurate dictation apps for Mac of 2024.

Whether you’re a business report writer, lawyer, secretary, author, journalist, technical writer or medical professional you’ll find Mac compatible speech-to-text software here that saves you valuable time and fits your budget.

In our research and testing, we found that the best dictation software on a Mac is Otter (Free) which offers incredible levels of accuracy and speed especially for transcribing conversations or meetings.

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1. Otter (Free)

2. dragon dictate (best for accuracy), 3. macos dictation (best apple app), 4. macwhisper (best for writers), 5. google voice typing (best google app), 6. microsoft word (best for microsoft office), 7. dictation.io (best free web app), 8. onenote for mac (best for note taking), 9. speechnotes (best for chrome), 10. deepscribe (best for medical dictation), what is dictation software, why use dictation software, do macs have a dictation tool, dictation microphones to enhance recognition, useful dictation tips.

In our tests, we found Otter was the best dictation app for Macs overal l thanks to its impressive accuracy, ease of use on a Mac and generous free forever plan too .

Otter can be used for any kind of dictation although it has positioned itself more recently as an “AI meeting assistant” for transcribing meetings and sales meetings with tight integration with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

Most importantly though, it was the only dictation tool that came close to the industry standard tool Dragon Dictate (see review below) in terms of accuracy and speech-to-text recognition.

It also works in any browser on a Mac whereas Dragon Dictate will only work on a Mac in a virtual machine running Windows since Nuance has discontinued the Mac desktop version.

Otter has many useful touches for meetings such as Speaker Identification which is ideal for transcribing Zoom meetings as it automatically detects different voices and transcribes them separately.

Otter also allows you to import audio and video files which it will then transcribe automatically.

It also includes a feature called “Otter AI chat” which allows you to chat within the app to other Otter meeting members and teammates to get instant answers to meeting questions.

Although there’s no desktop app, there is a Chrome extension for Otter which automatically detects if you’re about to enter a Zoom Meeting, Google Meet or Google Calendar appointment.

The Otter app also offers one of the best free plans with 300 minutes of dictation per month although there’s a limit of 30 minutes per session.

However, you’ll need to subscribe to Otter Pro starting at $10 per month for up to 1,200 minutes for transcription per month with a limit of 90 minutes per transcription.

The Otter Business Plan allows you to use Otter in multiple meetings at the same time for up to 6,000 minutes with a limit of 4 hours per conversation or meeting.

If you pay annually, the pricing plans are 40% cheaper so it’s well worth doing as you’re almost getting it for half price over paying monthly.

Enterprise plans are available on request for company wide deployments.

Our advice is to try the free version of Otter to see just how well it transcribes, meetings and just about anything you throw at it on your Mac.

Pricing: Free for 300 minutes/Plans starting from $10/month

Although Dragon Dictate is the industry standard when it comes to dictation, the reason it only comes second on our list is that Nuance discontinued the Mac version back in 2018.

However, you can still use the Windows version of Dragon Dictate on a Mac by running Windows on your Mac using a virtual machine.

Even though this adds an extra layer of software, we still think its worth doing because of the amazing accuracy and sophistication Dragon Dictate offers compared to any other dictation tool.

Dragon products use unique Deep Learning technology that actually learn your accent and speaking style to deliver accuracy rates of up to 99%.

In fact Microsoft was so impressed by Nuance’s range of products including Dragon Dictate that it bought Nuance for $16 billion in 2021.

The big downside for Mac users is that to use it, you need to run Windows on your Mac.

By far the easiest and best way to run Dragon Dictate on a Mac is by using Parallels which makes it simple to install Windows on a Mac.

In fact, one of the World’s leading Dragon Dictate teachers Scott Baker recommends using the Windows version of Dragon on a Mac because the Windows version of Dragon has more features anyway.

In particular, the Windows version gives you more control when tweaking and refining texts compared to on macOS.

Dragon Professional is ideal for office environments as it’s optimized for reducing background noise such as in cubicles. It also has Smart Format Rules which understand how you want phone numbers, dates, abbreviations and other data to appear.

Another nice touch is that you can import audio clips from a device such as your iPhone and Dragon Professional will transcribe it into text.

The accuracy isn’t quite as good as live dictation but it’s a lot faster than typing it out. This is especially useful for journalists who have to record and transcribe long interviews.

With Dragon Professional, there is also an option to listen to audio playback of your own dictation with the associated text highlighted on the screen making it easier than ever to proofread while supporting multi-tasking.

Dragon Dictate Professional also integrates with many word processing software on Mac too including Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, Scrivener and more.

Note that Nuance has discontinued the Home Edition of Dragon Dictate and you can now only get Dragon Professional Individual and Dragon Legal.

Unless you’re in the legal profession, we strongly recommend going with Dragon Professional Edition not least because it allows you to dictate directly in Microsoft Office and other apps.

There’s also Dragon Anywhere which is the mobile version of Dragon Dictate.

Pricing: $699

Dictation is Apple’s own free dictation app (and the equivalent of WSR – Windows Speech Recognition) that has been a feature since macOS Sierra.

Up until macOS Mojave, Dictation used it’s own voice recognition system but from macOS Catalina onwards, it now relies on Siri.

The good news for those concerned about privacy is that on Apple Silicon Macs with the M1, M2 and M3 chips, you can transcribe offline as long as your language is supported by Apple for offline dictation.

However, on older Intel Macs, anything you dictate in Apple Dictation is sent back to Apple’s servers so it may not be suitable if you want to dictate personal or confidential information.

Apple’s Dictation tool in macOS has improved significantly over the years and although it can’t compare to professional dictation apps, it’s free and works on your Mac desktop.

Dictation also works in many word processors on a Mac , messenger apps and just about any app that allows you to type.

By default it’s only suitable for dictations of 30 seconds or less but you can turn-on Enhanced Dictation for unlimited transcriptions.

To enable Apple Dictation in macOS Ventura and Sonoma:

Go to the Apple () logo in the top left of your screen and select > System Preferences > Keyboard
Click on the Dictation Tab
Switch Dictation “On”

In macOS Catalina, Big Sur and Monterey Enhanced Dictation has been removed by default because anything you dictate is now translated by Siri.

Siri is far more accurate than the old Enhanced Dictation engine in macOS and even allows you to dictate offline on a Mac for supported offline languages.

If you want to delete your dictation history in Siri at any time:

Go to the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Siri
Click Delete Siri and Dictation History

If you’re still using High Sierra or Mojave, you can also dictate offline without being connected to the internet by activating “Enhanced Dictation” in the Dictation tab.

Be aware though that this requires 422MB of disk space to download some additional tools before it can work on your Mac.

You then simply configure a language and hotkey to start dictation or you can even activate it with a keyword. You can use this to start dictation in any application.

Dictation works with any app including Office applications (although not Google Docs which has its own voice recognition feature – see below).

What we also like in Apple Dictation is that the voice controlled formatting commands are quite extensive and you can even create your own customized commands.

Dictation also supports over 60 languages including English, Arabic, Chinese and Spanish.

If you’re looking for a free desktop dictation tool on your Mac that works offline for major languages, macOS Dictate is definitely worth trying.

Pricing: Free

MacWhisper is a free tool that uses the incredible power of OpenAI to quickly and accurately transcribe interviews, conversations, meetings and lectures on your Mac.

MacWhisper has a Mac desktop app and apart from the free version, is also available as a one off purchase for €29 for batch transcriptions and many other added features.

MacWhisper is very basic but supports dragging and dropping audio files for transcribing and can even export transcripts for subtitles in .srt and .vrt format.

The app also allows you to dictate offline – all transcription is done on your device using a local OpenAI model and nothing is sent to servers to protect your privacy.

MacWhisper supports over 100 languages and works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. However, because the processing power required to transcribe is quite high, we recommend an Apple Silicon Mac with an M1, M2 or M3 chip.

If you want a free, offline app for basic dictation then MacWhisper is one of the best free dictation apps we’ve tried on a Mac.

You can buy MacWhisper direct from the developer Jordi Bruin or from the Mac App Store .

Pricing: Free/€29 one off purchase for Pro version

Not many people are aware that Google Docs has a surprisingly powerful free voice recognition engine which not only transcribes speech to text but also allows you to change the formatting of documents with voice commands.

Google Docs Voice typing is arguably even more accurate than Apple Dictation and it has now been updated to work with most browsers, such as the latest versions of Firefox, Edge and Safari.

To activate Google Docs Voice Typing, open any Google Doc and go to Tools > Voice typing… and click on the microphone that appears to start transcribing.

voice recognition mac - google voice typing

Google Docs Voice Typing is pretty accurate for a free online text-to-speech tool.

Probably the most impressive thing though is the an extensive list of commands for formatting text.

You can simply say things like “go to end of paragraph” or “create bulleted list” to perform formatting actions. Note that formatting commands are only available in English but the voice engine recognizes over 50 languages.

If you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber then did you know you can use the speech to text function in Microsoft Word for Mac?

Microsoft Word is surprisingly good at recognizing speech and transcribing text as it is continuously being improved by being trained with Microsoft’s huge user base and artificial neural networks.

MS Word’s in-built dictation tools are easy to use:

Go to Home > Dictate in Microsoft Word for Mac
Click on the Dictate button and wait for the red button to appear
Start talking and Word will transcribe your speech in real time

You can also use voice commands for punctuation and formatting.

Currently it only supports a few languages although Microsoft are adding to this all the time.

If you’re unsure about getting a Microsoft 365 subscription, check out our look at Microsoft 365 vs Office for Mac .

Pricing : Requires Microsoft 365 subscription

Dictation.io is a web based dictation platform that works on any browser on a Mac and supports over 100 languages.

The service is based on Google Speech Recognition so the accuracy is very good and its very quick at transcribing text.

Because of this though, Dictation.io only works in Google Chrome – it’s not compatible with Safari or Firefox and it also does not work on mobile devices.

Dictation.io saves all of your transcriptions in the browser so nothing is saved online unless you click “Publish” in which case, your transcriptions will be available publicly.

Other options include the ability to save transcriptions in a text file, tweet them, play the audio of it, email it and print it.

You have to grant Dictation.io permission to use your Mac’s internal microphone in Chrome too although this is only activated when you’re using Dictation.io.

You can’t dictate offline with Dictation.io either so you need to be online all the time.

OneNote For Mac is Microsoft’s note taking software for Mac and Windows and the Mac version now supports dictation.

If you’ve already got Microsoft Office For Mac or Microsoft 365 account then you’ll already have OneNote on your Mac.

Of course, OneNote isn’t really suitable for dictating letters and essays but it’s ideal for jotting down notes, memos and conducting research for later.

The dictate feature in OneNote for Mac allows you to format and organize text from speech and uses artifical intelligence (AI) to transcribe speech to text.

OneNote For Mac dictation also supports auto-punctuation although you can disable this.

OneNote for Mac dictation supports 50 languages and you can also filter out swear words or profanity.

To use dictation in OneNote for Mac follow these instructions:

Go to Home > Dictate while signed into Microsoft 365 on any Mac with a Microphone which includes MacBooks.
Wait for the Dictate button to activate.
Start speaking and you will see text appear in OneNote.

You can find more information on how to dictate in OneNote for Mac here .

You can also read about some excellent alternatives to OneNote for Mac here .

Speechnotes is a cheap and cheerful online speech-to-text service which works in Google Chrome and on Android devices.

Speechnotes actually uses Google’s own voice recognition engine so it’s basically just an enhanced version of Google Docs Voice Typing tool.

There’s also a Speechnotes Chrome extension which allows you to voice type directly into any website including Gmail, WordPress and most other text fields.

Speechnotes claims to be a free alternative to Dragon Naturally Speaking and although the accuracy can’t really compare with Dragons products, it’s pretty good. Unlike Dragon Dictate, Speechnotes also can’t be used to voice control your Mac either.

Speechless gives you the advantages of Google’s voice recognition engine but with the added advantage of things like an Android app although there’s no iPhone app.

Pricing: Free / Plans starting from $1.9/month

deepscribe medical dictation software mac

Medical professionals need specialist dictation tools and privacy protections and DeepScribe is the best medical dictation software for Mac users.

DeepScribe works via iOS apps for iPhone and iPad but anything that is recorded and transcribed on it is then available on your Mac.

DeepScribe uses AI to filter out small talk and irrelevant parts of conversations with patients, doctors, nurses and doesn’t require prompting when you want it to record.

The AI used by DeepScribe has been trained on more than 2 million patients as it has the biggest database of medical conversations in the world.

The aim of DeepScribe is to remove the administrative burden from Clinicians so that they can spend more time with patients and giving care.

DeepScribe also integrates with EHR solutions including AdvancedMD, AthenaHealth, ClaimPower and many others. The AI technology in DeepScribe is also HIPAA compliant and protected by multi factor authentication and user access restrictions.

Pricing: On Request

Dictation tools enable your Mac to translate spoken words into written text which enables you to write much more than typing alone.

The average person can only type anything up to 1,000 words in half an hour.

However, most people can speak up to 4,000 words in the same time period – that equals a massive potential increase in your productivity especially if you’re having to do tediously jobs like transcribing meetings or business conversations.

Text to speech is already in everything from Siri to Google Docs although professional dictation apps offer much greater accuracy as they actually learn how you talk.

There are many reasons to use dictation software on your Mac but some of the most important ones are:

It increases productivity as you can talk much faster than you can type.
It saves valuable time transcribing meetings and other tedious tasks.
Dictation is safer for you. Excessive typing is one of the most common reasons for repetitive strain injury on hands and the more people type on both keyboards and mobile phones, the bigger the problem is getting. Other keyboard related injuries on the rise include Tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Quadriplegia.
You can note down things hands free (for example when cooking, eating, doing the laundry etc).
It prevents you forgetting ideas that you meant to type out later. It’s an especially good way for creative writers to get all their ideas down on paper without editing along the way.
It’s more confidential than dictating notes to a secretary or colleague.
Dictating cuts down on scribbled notes on pieces of paper if you want to go paperless .

Since macOS Catalina including Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura and Sonoma you can dictate on a Mac using macOS Dictation.

Dictation is based on the Siri personal assistant tool and although it doesn’t do a bad job of transcribing text, using macOS Dictation to dictate on a Mac is not as accurate as professional dictation software.

Because its based on Siri which is still mainly designed as a personal assistant to launch apps, answer questions and generally speed-up your workflow, Apple is slowly moving Siri closer towards being a more viable dictation option for Mac users.

macOS Dictation is now available in 64 languages although only major languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese work offline.

Note also that only Apple Silicon Macs can process data in macOS Dictation offline. Anything you dictate in macOS Dictation on Intel Macs is sent via Apple’s servers.

For more on this, check out our guide on how to dictate offline on a Mac .

In these reviews, we tested a combination of offline and online dictation programs that can be used on a Mac.

Note that web-based voice recognition and voice-to-text recognition apps all require a permanent internet connection in order to work and no not work for offline dictation

The in-built microphone on Macs is good but you’ll definitely get better results by using an external microphone or dictation headset.

External mics and headsets not only pick up your voice better because the microphone is closer to your mouth, but they’re better at reducing background noise.

You’ve got three different options when it comes to dictation devices: Wired Headsets , Wireless Headsets and Desktop Microphones .

The best option for you obviously depends on whether you want to wear something on your head, walk around, or just speak into a mic next to your Mac.

A good Wired Headset for dictation is the AAAPrice noise cancelling USB headset which is optimized for Dragon Dictate although works with any dictation program.

If you like to walk around, buy a Wireless Headset but just be careful with the range as it can vary wildly depending on the model. One of the best we’ve seen is the Logitech Wireless Headset which has an impressive Bluetooth range of up to 300 feet.

If you prefer not to wear something, Microphones deliver just as good results although you may find yourself craning over the desktop ones more than sitting up straight like you can with a headset.

Dictation microphones vary in price with basic ones like the FIFINE USB microphone going for around $20 ranging up to the professional handheld Nuance PowerMic microphone costing over $200.

Dictation in itself can be a strange experience if you’ve never done it before. It can feel strange at first talking to a computer and hearing the sound of your own voice constantly.

There’s a few other things to be aware of specifically related to the way dictation apps work too.

The most important thing in any dictation app is how accurate it is at recognizing your voice. You will inevitably have a certain amount of correction to do whichever app you choose but the more accurate it is, the less errors you’ll have to correct. Most apps require you to do a certain amount of speaking first before using it so it can familiarize itself with your voice and accent.
All dictation apps have their own commands and way of working. Some definitely feel easier to use than others and once you get used to the way one works, it’s a pain to switch software at a later date.
Dictation obviously limits when and where you can work. If you’re in a public space such as on a train or even in an open plan office, it’s less private to dictate not to mention more complicated due to background noise.
You’ll make more mistakes constructing sentences dictating rather than typing. On a keyboard, you have more time to think, go back and revise, delete etc. It’s harder to formulate sentences perfectly thinking off the top of your head but the advantage is your output is more “uncensored”.
Try to avoid filler words like “erm”, “so..” and “OK” because editing these out later is a real pain. It’s actually much harder than you think to avoid filler words as it’s such a natural part of most people’s speech. Try to just take a pause or be silent instead while you think what you’re going to say next. To help avoid filler words, before you start dictating, have a rough plan of what you’re going to say.

If you want to keep Dragon working, don’t upgrade to Sonoma.

I had kept Dragon 6 working natively on my sequence of Macbooks Pros and MacOS versions until updated to Sonoma recently. Now Dragon flags errors when it opens. I’ve been very lucky keeping it working this long. I now have to decide whether to buy a Windows Version of Dragon and to install it on a Parallels VM.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Did you have a Time Machine backup of your previous version of macOS? If so you can roll back to it easily. If not, you can also use Recovery mode on your Intel Mac to roll back to Ventura or use a bootable installer of Ventura.

I’m looking to buy a new MacBook next month and would really like to be able to use Dragon Professional 16 on it, having had no luck with other dictation software so far. I have some questions I hope you can help with: Is running it on Windows 11 via Parallels the best option to do this? What Macbook specs would you recommend for this set up? I’d prefer to spend extra and get one will run it all easily and last me a good while than skimp on price/specs and end up needing to upgrade again

Yes, that would be your best option. Presuming you’re buying a new Apple Silicon MacBook Pro with M1, M2 or M3 chip you would only be able to run Windows ARM on it . Although Dragon Dictate doesn’t work natively in Windows ARM, Windows ARM can translate Intel only apps like Dragon Dictate to work on a Mac. In terms of Specs, any new MacBook Pro will more than be enough for running Windows Dragon Dictate although we’d probably avoid the latest 14 inch M3 model as it may be a little bit lightweight for running Parallels .

Otter’s free plan now only allows 300 mins free.

Thanks for the update.

I’m looking for some dictation software, but when I attempted to use Siri I encountered the problem mentioned above, that it cuts out every few seconds. My main concern though is that it states in the T&Cs that everything you write in it is sent to Apple, ostensibly to improve the product. This makes it of no use where other people’s confidentiality and privacy is concerned. The purpose I want dictation software for is very much to do with confidentiality obligations. I don’t think the article above mentions that as an issue at all. I imagine there will be other providers of dictation software who have the same policy as Apple/Siri, but this issue doesn’t feature in your reviews. Any guidance would be welcome.

It used to be possible to dictate offline on a Mac with the “Enhanced Dictation” feature but it was removed from macOS Catalina onwards. With products such as Dragon Dictate however, once they are installed and activated you don’t need to be online to dictate as all the language packs and speech recognition tools are downloaded on your desktop.

Re 10.15 Catalina at least: Apple Dictation under Siri is a huge step backwards: it is not usable: It times out regardless of your speaking (and of the above steps, ie turning it on in Preferences.) AND now, ANY TIME YOU TOUCH THE KEYBOARD it turns off. Previously you could use the keyboard AND Dictation. Now it is “beep beep” while you’re trying to think and compose. Unusable in my opinion. Since these were clearly conscious choices, and since usability is a company strength, my cynical side suspects they must have opted to aggressively cut open server threads for the sake of ??? increasing their profits. Sorry but I really liked what was there.

Why do you say that the best dictation software for Mac is Dragon, when Dragon is NOT available for mac?

Because you can use it on a Mac by using Parallels which allows you to run Windows on your Mac. This is made pretty clear in the article. Even if there’s no native Mac version, Dragon is sill the best dictation software in terms of accuracy and voice recognition.

That’s fair. What isn’t exactly clear, at least to me, is whether you can actually use the Parallels/Windows Dragon directly in Mac apps? Your post mentions something about Desktop Publishing software which seems to imply that, but it isn’t clear how it really works, or if it does with ease. Otherwise, one would have to get Mac versions of all apps and install them inside the Parallels Windows instance, which isn’t really the same thing as having Dragon usable on Mac. If I’m going that route, I might as well go ahead and switch to a native Windows device because I’ll be using Windows as the primary OS.

Yes only Windows applications in Parallels will work with Dragon. Depending on the license you have though, some software and apps such as Microsoft Office allow you to install more than one installation within Windows and macOS on the same license. But in some cases, you may have to purchase the Windows version of the app too in order to use it with Dragon.

Dragon Dictate Professional 15 will not run in Parallels and MacOS if you are running an Apple CPU such as the M1 or M2 chip. Dragon Dictate will not run on the Windows ARM version.

Dragon Naturally Speaking does run in Parallels running Windows ARM as long as you’re using Parallels 18.0.1 or later. Windows ARM can “translate” Intel only software to work in Windows ARM including Dragon. There was an issue with Dragon not working in Parallels 18 running Windows ARM initially but an update to Parallels fixed it.

Having bought Dragon 6.0.8 for Mac years ago, I still have it running very well natively on my MacBook Pro with OS 13.1. I’ve successfully migrated it several times with both hardware and software updates.

Not much help to others, I know.

I agree with Andy – excellent dictation on Mac. Sadly I had to stop using it because my older Mac OS version was 32 bits vs. the news ones 64 bits. (And the 6.0 version is probably no longer available. The big picture is: Microsoft has bought Dragon from what I hear – and then ‘killed’ the MacOS version… Is this fair competition?

It can be a little buggy but I am still able to use Dragon Dictate 4.04 on my MacBook Air running Monterey 12.2.1. With each Mac OS update I worry that it will fail to work but it’s still going strong, for which I am thankful.

Your Instruction for Mac For High Sierra IS WRONG! In systems Preferences, there is NO “Dictation and Speech”!!! There is Only ‘SirI’!

If you go to the Apple () logo in the top left of your screen and select > System Preferences > Keyboard you will see the Dictation Tab where you can Switch Dictation to “On”.

They are greedy and determined to make us give them all our data. They took off the ability to easily dictate off line in the last two upgrades/. Just greedy. and I do not like them acc essing everything. It is just so wrong.

I agree, but Tim Cook doesn’t see the advantage in this? But, then, Apple is trying to be a force unto itself and to hell with everyone else. Mistake.

It is really frustrating that Apple and Dragon can’t work together to provide dictation for the Mac equal to that available for Windows. Apple should accept that developing their own software to match Dragon is not cost effective and the best way for them would be to partner with Dragon. Apple are just that bit too proud, I suppose.

I have a new Air M1 and an older Mac laptop w Dragon on it. Parallels on the Air was a nightmare, so I dictate w Dragon on the older Mac and transfer it over to my new Air. Can’t be bothered with all the special software I had to download and install bc I have an M1. Why hasn’t Mac come up with a Dragon version of their own? Are they still in the “I’m typing all of this” dark ages?

Mac Version 4 is ancient… I used to have Mac Version 5 way back in 2015. His boastful post is nearly useless for this decade and what’s currently available.

Unfortunately, Mac’s dictation feature is extremely buggy to the point of being unusable. At first it only worked in just a few apps for me, then, without me changing anything, it quit working altogether. Voice commands like “paste that” still work everywhere but actual dictation of text is completely non-functional. It’s hard to believe that it’s 2021 and a leader like Apple fails so badly at accessibilty.

I should have said “Unless you use Parallels”, of course. I am a Parallels user, but for me Dragon works fine natively

I’m using Dragon 6.0.8 (14812) on Mac OS 11.4 and it works fine. Fortunately, Dragon has been preserved through each Mac Book Pro replacement. It has survived through transfers of accounts and apps using Migration Assistant. I very much doubt if there is a now way of installing Dragon on any Big Sur Mac.

It’s Mac Version 4.0.4 (13062).

Surprise. Dragon Dictate is working seamlessly on my Mac with Big Sur. It had been balky with Catalina but Big Sur somehow brought it back to life. No need for Parallels at this juncture.

Can you confirm which version of Dragon Dictate you’re using as the latest version 15 is Windows only?

So, in reality, there is no way to really just point a cursor in a document or mail and just start voice-typing on a Mac? I have Dragon, but it seems not to work in Catalina. Version 5.5 I have Parallels but don’t have a PC version of Dragon… for $200+ dollars. Seems Mac is behind on this important ability.

Very interesting article.

I have PARALLELS and know the DRAGON software well. My hesitation: many anecdotal reports were that it was hard to dictate from DRAGON on Windows to Mac applications

If this hurdle could be overcome, I would buy & install DRAGON WINDOWS in a heartbeat.

All the best,

Hello Andy, Thanks for your helpful comments. I am using the latest version of Parallels. I was trying to use the on-line install when I ran into difficulties. Since then Nuance have provided me with a temporary direct download ling for the complete .exe file and I am glad to say the installation has worked and I now have Dragon 15.61 running in my VM environment. My next challenge is now to make the necessary changes so I can dictate in English and in German. Cheers Hans

I am fortunate that I have Dragon running on Big Sur without recourse to Parallels, but I do use Parallels a lot for other things. It is no surprise that Nuance don’t support Dragon on Parallels. However, most Windows apps are oblivious to being run on Parallels. Dragon might differ because of the complexity of audio being routed through the Mac to the Windows virtual machine or the download process is sensitive to being run on a VM. The latter seems to be your current problem. Is the download just a download of an install package or an online install process, I wonder. If the former, you might try the download on a ‘pure’ Windows PC and copy the install package over. Are you using Parallels 16.1.2 the latest? Good luck!

Thank you for the clear article. I have followed your advice but have found that the Parallels/Windows 10 based approach is quite difficult to install. I have been trying for several days to download the Dragon Pro exe file and have not succeeded. I have tried three different browsers, have disabled the Windows Firewall but it simply does not work for me. The Nuance Download manager displays the message ‘creating download’ and gets stuck there without any progress. Nuance support are trying to help but make it quite clear that the Dragon on Windows on Parallels is not a supported environment. I would be grateful for any suggestions how to resolve this.

I am using MacOS 14.02. Do you know if Dragon Dictate professional works on this version?

As stated in the article, the Mac version has been discontinued. You need to run Windows on your Mac in order to install it but yet, it will work running Windows in macOS 14.02

I would be interested if the author of this nice article actually has used Dragon Professional for Windows on a Mac using Parallels? It sounds so nice. However, I bought Parallels and Dragon Professional…the Parallels was fine (although the fan ran constantly) but the Dragon on it never worked well and transferring to WOrd on Mac side was so clunky. I gave up trying (I have a day job!!). I am back using Dragon for Mac on Mojave with my wonderful library of words that I have trained over 10 years. It works fine. I am afraid to upgrade though and am looking for anyone who has tried it on M1 chip Macs.

Worth observing that some have had trouble installing Dragon 6.0.x on Catalina or even earlier MAC OS versions.

I originally installed an earlier version of Dragon, perhaps as much as 10 years ago. Since then I have taken every Dragon upgrade and every MAC OS upgrade including the Big Sur Public Beta and used Migration Assistant when I bought each new Mac. I’ve been lucky, perhaps.

It’s likely anyone wishing to do a clean install of Dragon on Catalina will fail.

Anyone who has Dragon 6.0.8 running on Mojave is likely to be able to get it working on Catalina or Big Sur by adopting my approach. Do NOT try going direct from Mojave to Big Sur.

Like some others, I have found that Dragon 6.0.8 works satisfactorily with Mac OS Catalina, despite support having been withdrawn by Nuance. Dragon remains my dictation tool of choice on the Mac.

In the last month, I have installed the Mac OS 11 ‘Big Sur’ public beta and I find Dragon still works.

There were a few problems selecting the microphone to dictate with, but that is just a change to Big Sur’s bluetooth selection.

I am dictating using my AirPods rather than a headset. I am usually in a quiet environment.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with it. Interesting that you’ve managed to get it to work with macOS Big Sur already.

Let’s face it: we Mac/IOS users continue to be at a disadvantage when it comes to dictation software. Ever since Nuance discontinued Dragon Dictate in 2018 we’ve had little to turn to. Apple’s current built-in dictation software (Catalina) is about where Dragon Dictate was around 2012 – it doesn’t “learn” or improve with us very well and you can’t even easily copy or download the commands for it found in Preferences.

We can hope for improvement with upcoming Big Sur and IOS 14, but chances are Apple will continue its traditional emphasis on gaming, glitz, and the creative arts other than serious writing. For serious long form writing beyond the memo we’re stuck with using the ancient Dragon Dictate 6, patching something else together, or paying a couple hundred dollars to install Parallels and Windows and buying the latest version of Dragon Naturally Speaking 16 for PC. Why bother using a Mac for dictation with all this going against us?

My setup: MacBook pro dec 2016; Catalina; MS Word 2019 standalone version (not 365); LG 5K display w/mic and camera; iPhone

OK, so this is how I do it: 1. record memo on iPhone Voice Memos 2. use airdrop to move memo to MacBook 4. Open Word 5. ->Edit -> Start Word Dictation 6. open and play the memo 7. watch Word listen to it and type it into the document

Pretty cool.

Obviously, I can just dictate straight into Word, but this is how I can input a memo made on my phone. I also played the memo on the iPhone in front of the microphone, and that worked too.

Interesting solution. It’s a bit long winded for most users but if you find the accuracy is good, then it’s a clever workaround.

My Mac version of Dragon crashed after many years of use. So installed Parallels and Windows 10. I installed Dragon Professional on this. I crashed after a day or two; when I called for support, Dragon said they did not support Dragon on Parallels. They offered to return my payment, which I accepted. Does anyone know if Dragon will run successfully under Bootcamp. Maybe I could try again with Dragon Professional, it worked well until it totally crashed and would not load.

After reading this article, I installed Parallels, Windows, and Dragon onto my Mac. I had used Dragon back in 2014, and am in need of dictation software again. The problem is that I’ve only been able to figure out how to dictate into a dictation box in the Windows window. I can get it to transcribe into any of my Apple apps. Is this a real limitation? Or is there some way to dictate into the programs I want to use, such as Scrivener?

Unfortunately you won’t be able to dictate into programs on macOS using Dragon Dictate installed in Windows under Parallels. It will only only work with Windows programs so you could use the Windows version of Scrivener instead.

Thank you for your prompt response. So, do you think it’s worthwhile to spend the time and effort to correct it is always mistakes by hand or his mistakes by hand? I mean, all his mistakes.

It’s worthwhile if you’re going to rely it for dictation but you may find you spend more time correcting than dictating in the long run. Dictation will probably improve in future versions of macOS though.

Thank you for your very helpful article. I am the published author of several books. During the recent pandemic, I have been Writing more than usual and my fingers started to hurt. In Seoul and so I’ve been using the Apple dictation the built in Apple dictation feature on my MacBook Air, my iPhone, and my iPad in various applications. My big question this question is does this thing learn? And if so, how do I make it learn my fission Lee learn more efficiently and faster? I have the Viking pression vegan impression vague impression that it works better on my cell phone damn on MacBook. Sb is this because the microphone is better? Any advice you are others may have for me would be much appreciate it. I’m also dismayed to read in your article that dragon the dragon has discontinue serving the Mac. I wrote this using dictation with a minimum amount of editing. Thank you very much!

macOS dictation doesn’t “learn” to recognize your voice in the way Dragon Dictate does. However, as you correct it manually, it will learn how to recognize those particular words better in future.

If we had a government that actually cared about regular citizens this wouldn’t be a problem as Nuance’s patents would be lifted by Congress because (1) they have a monopoly on the software; and (2) they refuse to share a significant minority of users in the Apple and Linux, etc. communities. This isn’t rocket science. Nuance should be either compelled to serve Mac OS users or lose the protections given to them by the US Government. This situation is analogous to a Pharma company patenting a vaccine for Covid-19 but refusing to market it.

Hope this helps at least a few people. I use Dragon Dictate 6.0.8, the last version available before Nuance pulled the plug on us. I installed it on this Mac (late 20`9 with Catalina) from a Time Machine backup of my older Mac. Dragon works just fine here, better accuracy than Apple Dictation and Voice Control. I dictate a lot of long book notes into Word and Scrivener with no problem. I don’t use it to control the computer or transcribe text from another source.

I just purchased a 2020 MacBook Pro, OS Catalina and am trying to figure out how to access the built-in speech recognition system when I’m offline. In comparison to my old (now defunct circa 2010) MacBook Pro, it doesn’t appear that I have the offline option as detailed above. When I click the “on” button for dictation, I get a msg. stating what I dictate will be transmitted to Apple to be converted into text, as well as other info such as names of my contacts. I want the option of dictating when off-line and am also leery of sending Apple my names of my contacts. Any ideas? Also, is Dragon Professional compatible with Mac OS Catalina?

It is possible to dictate offline in macOS Catalina but Apple has changed the way you activate it. It’s also not great if you need it for non US English languages.

As stated in the article, Dragon Professional has been discontinued on Mac but you can still run it on macOS Catalina by installing Windows on your Mac .

How do you judge TEMI or dictate2us v/s REV?

Aaaaand for the rest of us who’s Apple dictation simply does not work – the frustration is without bounds. I have tried EVERY possible site and absolutely no results. I have been using the build in Mac dictation for quite some time and I am happy with it – although I sometimes need to make a correction it is better than having to type up every single word. I am working on a publication with a deadline. Needless to say I am so unhappy about not getting dictation to work. I am currently searching for software to buy as I simply cannot continue like this. Very disappointed in Apple.

Yes John I agree with you about Apple. When apple started it was for artists, creators, and it offered a more secure, closed system free from all the tech problems that plagued windows. I was one of those artists that they counted on while they built their market share. I bought the 17 in laptop because I needed the real estate for my photoshop work. I am no longer their target market. They now cater to the masses so the 17 in can’t be special ordered or bought in any way. So, we see how apple treats those that supported them in the beginning as they built their name and market share. We aren’t their masses anymore. We are the artists and creators – still only the 5%, but probably the top 5%.

I would really love to move to a better dictation system than my built-in Mac version and I hate the thought of installing Windows on my Mac just to get Dragon.

So, tell me more about your experience running Dragon on Mojave; are you still happy with it? And, is it still possible to purchase the Dragon for Mac somewhere?

A few days ago I decided to give up on High Sierra and Dragon for Mac because it was a pain to use. So I decided to upgrade to Mojave and rely on Macintosh dictation. Just for fun, I tried out Dragon and found that works much better on Mojave than it does on High Sierra.

So far, I haven’t detected any major problem.

That’s interesting because according to Dragon, it still doesn’t support Mojave.

Anne-Louise, you’ve made a profound contribution to this discussion. I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and it’s devastated my ability to write. I’ve been described by others as a truly exceptional writer, and one editor/publisher told me “Don’t let life get in the way!” (of my book writing).

Life got in the way.

RA makes every single keystroke painful.

While RA might not be seen in the disability community as a truly disabling condition, I’ve discovered that it truly shuts down anything involved in my personal writing process.

So: All I can really contribute is a “me too” reply, but I hope that software developers, MacHow and similar blogs and sites, will take notice and advocate for better dictation options for Mac users who can’t type.

I have Parallels, and installed Dragon on it, but cannot get it to recognize the microphone plugged into the Mac. I spoke with Parallels support, and they were unable/unwilling to help. They said it was a Dragon problem.

Is there some video or web page that will guide me on how to get Dragon to work with Parallels? I am running Windows 10.

Does the error generate a technical report in Parallels? If so you can send the details to Parallels via Parallels Help Menu and they will try and diagnose the problem.

So how well does running Dragon Naturally Speaking for Windows on Parallels work? I have a Macbook Air 2014 w/ 8 GB Ram, and SSD drive. Has anyone tried this?

Yesterday, I used my computer (iMac) for the first time to dictate some material. The results were better than I had expected but not really completely satisfactory, so the thought of buying the Dragon version occurred to me. I had read about Dragon many years ago, so I presumed, perhaps unreasonably, that it would still be the best dictation software for my iMac. I had my finger on the Amazon purchase trigger, but then I decided t read the reviews. They were terrible. Not one of the Dragon models received even mediocre reviews. Now, I have my reservations about Amazon reviews, but I can’t disregard them, either. I was stuck. Buying a Dragon package seemed like a gamble with the odds against me, and I hadn’t decided what to do until I read your comments. I’ll certainly have to consider them. Installing a Windows’ product on my iMac instead of using a product designed for the Mac seemed ridiculous, but you’re the expert, and I’m not. I’m going to see what others have to say on the subject. That may seem overly cautious, but I am not a computer expert, so it is very possible that I might end-up blaming myself for problems caused by the software. Well, one thing is certain, I won’t be buying anything tonight.Thanks for improving my chances of success.

I will no doubt catch a lot of heat for this…but I believe that Apple has abandoned the idyllic original idea of the Mac being the computer created for “the rest of us” to give regular, every day, non-techie people, a computer that was friendly, simple to use… non-elitist. Apple should stop depending on companies like Nuance and Microsoft and a host of others who have interest in Mac users only so long as they are compliant with their wishes with no respect for us as significant users. Over the years, my first Mac was the Plus when it came off the line, I have seen Apple slowly drift away from its original tenets. Apple could easily develop great Dictation Software to help not just the ordinary at home user but also the handicapped and the professional. Maybe the focus should be diverted from continuing to build exotic new operating systems and to start agin to build user helpful and friendly computers and software for the “rest of us” who do not want to bow down to the world of Windows and its cohorts. God knows we spend enough on our Macs to get this done for us.

Nuance just discontinued the only available comprehensive voice dictation software for Mac, leaving disabled Mac users in the lurch.

For over a decade, disabled computer users have relied the only 2 comprehensive voice dictation software programs available-: Dragon NaturallySpeaking for Windows, and Dragon professional for Mac.

Nuance abruptly terminated and ended support for Dragon professional for Mac on October 18, 2018, leaving disabled Mac users in the lurch.

Mac users who upgrade their operating systems risk losing being able to continue to use their voice dictation software, due to software incompatibilities.

(Nuance warned Dragon for Mac users not to upgrade to more operating systems to Mojave, saying that it was not tested or supported.)

Only 3 limited and unsatisfactory options at present:

1) Not upgrading their Mac operating systems, in order to continue using Dragon for Mac. (However, this will not be an option when buying a new Mac, as it will not give the option of an older operating system).

2) Buy loads of expensive new Windows software to run voice dictation on Mac ( approximately $570).

3) Mac users abandoning Macs and switching over to Windows across the board.

For those who do not rely on voice dictation due to a disability, be assured that the voice dictation capabilities that exist on a Mac computer at present are not remotely as comprehensive as a full-fledged voice dictation program. It’s analogous to rollerskating across the United States versus driving in a car.

It seems important to get visibility about the issue before the public, Apple, potential software developers, and the disability community, in the hope of encouraging addressing the future void for disabled Mac users being able to continue using their Macs.

It is sobering to realize that a commercial third-party software monopoly has the potential to completely turn a disabled person’s tech world upside down by discontinuing its product.

Thanks for your thoughtful comment and you make a very good point about disabled users being left in the lurch by Dragon’s decision. Unfortunately, even if you install Windows on your Mac and then install Dragon Dictate, you still can’t control your Mac with it via voice. Dragon Dictate for Mac was by far the best tool for voice control and it’s a big loss for the disabled community that relied on it. In future versions of macOS, it would be nice to see Apple add more comprehensive voice controls so that you don’t have to resort to third party software in the first place.

I advise staying away from Dragon Dictate in any form. True, it works well but this is NOT a Mac oriented company. Support when I used the app was terrible, frequently rude and combative. Apple’s Dictation is very similar to Dragon, and I found it to be a viable asset for my Mac as it is 100% Mac supported!

I think Dragon simply didn’t think it was worth putting resources into supporting the Mac version, hence the poor customer support you experienced and the eventual decision to drop it. The problem is that it’s still the best dictation software on the market, particularly for professionals in the medical, legal and other fields. As mentioned in the article, even professional writer and Dragon Dictate expert Scott Baker uses a Mac but actually recommends installing Windows on your Mac and using the Windows version because it’s that good. As you say though, for general needs, macOS Dictate is a very good alternative nowadays.

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Text to Speech in Word for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS Users

Table of contents.

Text-to-speech (TTS) technology has revolutionized the way we interact with written content, especially within popular software like Microsoft Word. Whether you’re using Windows 10, Mac, Android, or iOS, the ability to convert text into spoken words in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook, has greatly enhanced accessibility for individuals with disabilities and improved productivity for all users.

Enabling Text-to-Speech in Microsoft Word

Accessing the Feature : In Word, the ‘Read Aloud’ feature can be found under the ‘Review’ tab. This feature enables the software to read the text aloud in your document, making it easier for users to review and edit their work.
Customizing Settings : Users can customize their TTS experience in Word. This includes voice selection, reading speed, and even language preferences. These options can be accessed from the ‘Control Panel’ on Windows or system settings on other platforms.
Using the Quick Access Toolbar : For frequent use, you can add the ‘Speak’ button to the Quick Access Toolbar. This allows for faster activation of the text-to-speech feature, enhancing efficiency.

Speech Recognition and Text-to-Speech

Apart from reading text aloud, Microsoft Word is equipped with speech recognition features. This allows users to dictate text into their document, offering a hands-free way of typing. This feature is particularly useful for drafting emails in Outlook, creating spreadsheets in Excel, and taking notes in OneNote.

Advanced Features and Accessibility

Immersive Reader : For an enhanced reading experience, especially for users with learning disabilities, the Immersive Reader in Word offers a distraction-free environment, with options for different voices, playback speeds, and text spacing.
Keyboard Shortcuts : Users can quickly start or stop the read aloud feature using keyboard shortcuts. For instance, pressing ‘Ctrl’ along with the ‘Down Arrow’ can activate the reading of an entire document or selected text.
Using TTS Across Devices : The TTS functionality in Microsoft Office extends beyond desktop computers. On Android and iOS devices, users can also utilize the read aloud and speech recognition features, making it convenient to work on documents on the go.
Customizing Voice and Speed : Within the TTS settings, users can select from different voices, including a female voice, and adjust the voice speed to suit their listening preference. This is especially useful for listening to text aloud in audiobooks or lengthy documents.
Accessibility for All : The incorporation of text-to-speech technology in Microsoft Word signifies a commitment to accessibility. It not only aids those with disabilities but also provides a valuable tool for all users to process information more efficiently.

Text-to-speech technology in Microsoft Word is a significant step towards making information more accessible and workplaces more inclusive. Whether it’s for reviewing a document, listening to an audiobook, or dictating text, the TTS feature in Microsoft Office ensures that everyone, regardless of their device or ability, has the tools they need for effective communication and productivity.

Speechify Text to Speech

Cost : Free to try

Speechify Text to Speech is a groundbreaking tool that has revolutionized the way individuals consume text-based content. By leveraging advanced text-to-speech technology, Speechify transforms written text into lifelike spoken words, making it incredibly useful for those with reading disabilities, visual impairments, or simply those who prefer auditory learning. Its adaptive capabilities ensure seamless integration with a wide range of devices and platforms, offering users the flexibility to listen on-the-go.

Top 5 Speechify TTS Features :

High-Quality Voices : Speechify offers a variety of high-quality, lifelike voices across multiple languages. This ensures that users have a natural listening experience, making it easier to understand and engage with the content.

Seamless Integration : Speechify can integrate with various platforms and devices, including web browsers, smartphones, and more. This means users can easily convert text from websites, emails, PDFs, and other sources into speech almost instantly.

Speed Control : Users have the ability to adjust the playback speed according to their preference, making it possible to either quickly skim through content or delve deep into it at a slower pace.

Offline Listening : One of the significant features of Speechify is the ability to save and listen to converted text offline, ensuring uninterrupted access to content even without an internet connection.

Highlighting Text : As the text is read aloud, Speechify highlights the corresponding section, allowing users to visually track the content being spoken. This simultaneous visual and auditory input can enhance comprehension and retention for many users.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Open a Word document.
Click on the ‘Home’ tab.
Select ‘Dictate’ (microphone icon) to start speech-to-text.
Click on the ‘Review’ tab.
Select ‘Language’ in the ‘Language’ group.
Choose your desired language for text to speech.
Highlight the text in your document.
Go to the ‘Review’ tab, then click ‘Read Aloud’.
Word will start reading the text aloud.
Highlight the text.
Choose ‘Read Aloud’ to start the narration.
Select ‘Dictate’ to start converting your speech to text.
Ensure your microphone is connected and working.
Open Word and go to the ‘Home’ tab.
Select ‘Dictate’ when ready to speak.
Open the PDF in Word (it will convert to a Word document).
Select the text.
Click ‘Read Aloud’ under the ‘Review’ tab.
Use ‘Alt + ` (grave accent key)’ as a shortcut to start or stop Dictate.
Go to ‘Control Panel’ > ‘Ease of Access’.
Choose ‘Speech Recognition’.
Select ‘Text to Speech’ to change the voice settings.
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Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

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Offline Transcription provides a fast and privacy-safe way to transcribe audio, video, and podcast files. If you are looking for an app to transcribe - Minutes of meetings. - Classroom audio recording. - Create subtitles for YouTube videos. - Transcribe podcasts into text. - etc. ◼ Features: - No data leaves your Mac. Transcription happens locally without the internet. - Easy to use interface. Drag and drop + one click are all you need to do. - Supported formats: - Audio: mp3, wav, m4a, ogg, aac, and caf - Video: mov and mp4 - Exported formats: text, srt, vtt, and csv. - Transcribes multiple files at once. ◼ Supported 100 different languages The app can transcribe audio in 100 different languages: Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Assamese, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Bashkir, Basque, Belarusian, Bosnian, Breton, Bulgarian, Burmese, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish, French, Galician, Georgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian Creole, Hausa, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Latin, Latvian, Lingala, Lithuanian, Luxembourgish, Macedonian, Malagasy, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Māori, Marathi, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Norwegian Nynorsk, Occitan, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Sanskrit, Serbian, Shona, Sindhi, Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Sundanese, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Tatar, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Welsh, Yiddish, Yoruba Terms of Use: https://offlinetranscription.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://offlinetranscription.com/privacy/

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Minor bug fixes and improvements.

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Anything remotely long doesn't work.

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The developer, Sarun Wongpatcharapakorn , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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How to Protect Yourself (and Your Loved Ones) From AI Scam Calls

A robotic hand holding a phone and parts of an image of a old person holding a phone showing through glitching screens.

You answer a random call from a family member, and they breathlessly explain how there’s been a horrible car accident. They need you to send money right now, or they’ll go to jail. You can hear the desperation in their voice as they plead for an immediate cash transfer. While it sure sounds like them, and the call came from their number, you feel like something’s off. So, you decide to hang up and call them right back. When your family member picks up your call, they say there hasn’t been a car crash, and that they have no idea what you’re talking about.

Congratulations, you just successfully avoided an artificial intelligence scam call.

As generative AI tools get more capable, it is becoming easier and cheaper for scammers to create fake—but convincing—audio of people’s voices. These AI voice clones are trained on existing audio clips of human speech, and can be adjusted to imitate almost anyone . The latest models can even speak in numerous languages. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT , recently announced a new text-to-speech model that could further improve voice cloning and make it more widely accessible.

Of course, bad actors are using these AI cloning tools to trick victims into thinking they are speaking to a loved one over the phone, even though they’re talking to a computer. While the threat of AI-powered scams can be frightening, you can stay safe by keeping these expert tips in mind the next time you receive an urgent, unexpected call.

Remember That AI Audio Is Hard to Detect

It’s not just OpenAI; many tech startups are working on replicating near perfect-sounding human speech, and the recent progress is rapid. “If it were a few months ago, we would have given you tips on what to look for, like pregnant pauses or showing some kind of latency,” says Ben Colman, cofounder and CEO of Reality Defender . Like many aspects of generative AI over the past year, AI audio is now a more convincing imitation of the real thing. Any safety strategies that rely on you audibly detecting weird quirks over the phone are outdated.

Hang Up and Call Back

Security experts warn that it’s quite easy for scammers to make it appear as if the call were coming from a legitimate phone number. “A lot of times scammers will spoof the number that they're calling you from, make it look like it's calling you from that government agency or the bank,” says Michael Jabbara, global head of fraud services at Visa . “You have to be proactive.” Whether it’s from your bank or from a loved one, any time you receive a call asking for money or personal information, go ahead and ask to call them back. Look up the number online or in your contacts, and initiate a follow-up conversation. You can also try sending them a message through a different, verified line of communication like video chat or email.

Create a Secret Safe Word

A popular security tip that multiple sources suggested was to craft a safe word that only you and your loved ones know about, and which you can ask for over the phone. “You can even prenegotiate with your loved ones a word or a phrase that they could use in order to prove who they really are, if in a duress situation,” says Steve Grobman, chief technology officer at McAfee . Although calling back or verifying via another means of communication is best, a safe word can be especially helpful for young ones or elderly relatives who may be difficult to contact otherwise.

Or Just Ask What They Had for Dinner

What if you don’t have a safe word decided on and are trying to suss out whether a distressing call is real? Pause for a second and ask a personal question. “It could even be as simple as asking a question that only a loved one would know the answer to,” says Grobman. “It could be, ‘Hey, I want to make sure this is really you. Can you remind me what we had for dinner last night?’” Make sure the question is specific enough that a scammer couldn’t answer correctly with an educated guess.

Understand Any Voice Can Be Mimicked

Deepfake audio clones aren’t just reserved for celebrities and politicians, like the calls in New Hampshire that used AI tools to sound like Joe Biden and to discourage people from going to the polls. “One misunderstanding is, ‘It cannot happen to me. No one can clone my voice,’” says Rahul Sood, chief product officer at Pindrop , a security company that discovered the likely origins of the AI Biden audio . “What people don’t realize is that with as little as five to 10 seconds of your voice, on a TikTok you might have created or a YouTube video from your professional life, that content can be easily used to create your clone.” Using AI tools, the outgoing voicemail message on your smartphone might even be enough to replicate your voice.

Don’t Give in to Emotional Appeals

Whether it’s a pig butchering scam or an AI phone call, experienced scammers are able to build your trust in them, create a sense of urgency, and find your weak points. “Be wary of any engagement where you’re experiencing a heightened sense of emotion, because the best scammers aren’t necessarily the most adept technical hackers,” says Jabbara. “But they have a really good understanding of human behavior.” If you take a moment to reflect on a situation and refrain from acting on impulse, that could be the moment you avoid getting scammed.

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Universal Mac Key Command Not Working In Outlook

I am on a Mac and use Outlook in browser. A key command I use relentlessly is Shift+Option+L/R Arrow in order to highlight/select text one word at a time.

As of a couple day ago this is no longer working in Outlook and it's absolutely maddening.

I have restarted my computer, restarted the browser, and tried other browsers, all to no avail.

Why does this very basic key command no longer work?

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Microsoft Agent |

Hello patrick_vw,

Good morning!

Thank you for publishing in Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with the Shift+Option+L/R Arrow key command in Outlook on the web for business.

Typically the Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook for Mac is listed via this link: Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook - Microsoft Support .

However the shortcuts Shift+Option+L/R Arrow in order to highlight/select text one word at a time is not listed in the list. I have try from my side it does not highlight/select text one word at a time.

the mouse select right click/highlight. I will test once again in another version and get back to you

I recommend contacting Outlook for Mac support to double check or get an accurate solution from a dedicated team. These experts can assist with suggestion based on your current setup. For reference: Contact support within Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support .

We look forward to your reply. This requested information will help us narrow down the scenario and find the right troubleshooting. We will continue to assist you based on the information you provide. I sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation.

Sincerely

Eben Ezer Tres | Microsoft Community Moderator

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This isn't a key command specific to Outlook for Mac so it wouldn't be listed at that link. I'm sure that list doesn't show that Shift+L/R Arrow will highlight letter by letter, because that's not specific to Outlook. This is a universal key command on a Mac that just stopped working with Outlook and Outlook only.

If you try using that same key command on a Mac anywhere else in browser, it will work. If you try using that key command in Microsoft Word, it will work. It's only in Outlook that out of nowhere it stopped working.

1 person found this reply helpful

I was having the same problem that seemed to start on the same day as this issue was reported (on a macbook pro). When I went into options and changed the keyboard options to outlook.com, it started working again.

Are you saying you went to Settings > General > Accessibility > Keyboard Shortcuts and changed to Outlook?

I sure hope that's not the only solution as I am pretty tied to using Gmail shortcuts but I do greatly appreciate the follow up.

I tried it, but it didn't work for me. In fact, none of the options made the shortcut come back.

I also just started having this problem a few days ago. What a mess.

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Universal Mac Key Command Not Working In Outlook
I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with the Shift+Option+L/R Arrow key command in Outlook on the web for business. Typically the Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook for Mac is listed via this link: Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook - Microsoft Support. However the shortcuts Shift+Option+L/R Arrow in order to highlight/select text one word at a time is not listed in the list.