Dictation
The Dictation feature allows you to speak into your microphone, and Word will convert your speech into text. Here’s how to use it:
Check Your Microphone: Ensure you have a working microphone connected to your computer.
Open Microsoft Word: Launch Microsoft Word and open the document where you want to use dictation.
Activate Dictation:
- Go to the 'Home' tab on the Ribbon.
- Click on the 'Dictate' button, represented by a microphone icon.
- A red dot will appear on the microphone icon, indicating that dictation is active.
Start Speaking: Begin speaking clearly and at a steady pace. As you speak, Word will convert your speech into text in real-time.
Insert Punctuation: You can include punctuation by saying the punctuation marks. For example, say "period" to insert a period, "comma" for a comma, and "new line" to start a new line.
Pause and Resume: To pause dictation, click the 'Dictate' button again. To resume, click the button once more.
Stop Dictation: When you’re finished dictating, click the 'Dictate' button to stop the process.
Transcription
Prepare Your Audio File: Ensure your audio file is in a supported format, such as .mp3, .wav, or .m4a.
Open Microsoft Word: Launch Microsoft Word and open the document where you want to add the transcription.
Activate Transcription:
- Go to the 'Home' tab on the Ribbon.
- Click on the arrow next to the 'Dictate' button and select 'Transcribe'.
Upload Audio File:
- In the pane that appears on the right side of your screen, click 'Upload audio'.
- Choose the audio file from your computer.
Transcription Process:
- Word will start transcribing the audio. This may take some time depending on the length of the recording.
- Once the transcription is complete, the text will appear in the pane on the right.
Review and Edit:
- Review the transcription and make any necessary edits.
- Word provides timestamps and speaker labels to help you follow along with the recording.
Add to Document:
- Click the 'Add to document' button to insert the transcribed text into your document.
- You can choose to add the entire transcript or just selected sections.