Forum Discussion
Word Dictation not working
1. Quick check
Make sure the microphone is working
Check internet connection
Make sure you are using the latest version of Word → Accounts → Update Office
2. Permission settings
Press Win+I to open Settings
Go to "Privacy and Security" → "Microphone"
Turn on:
"Allow apps to access the microphone"
"Allow desktop apps to access the microphone"
3. Basic fixes
Re-activate dictation:
Press Win+H in Word → Close then re-enable microphone icon Clear cache: Close Word Press Win+R enter %appdata%\Microsoft\Office → Delete "16.0\Speech". → Close and re-open the microphone icon
Clear the cache:
Close Word
Press Win+R and type %appdata%\Microsoft\Office → Delete the "16.0\Speech" folder
Restart Word
4. System Repair
Repair Office:
Control Panel → Programs and Features → Select Microsoft 365 → Changes → Quick Repair Repair
Update Language Pack:
Settings → Time & Language → Language → Add English (US) → Download Speech Pack
5. Ultimate Solution
Reset Word Settings:
Close Word
Rename Folder: %appdata%\Microsoft\Word
Re-open Word