Dictation in Microsoft Word on Mac

What you need before you start

• An Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 26 or later.
• TypeSeer for Mac and an editable Microsoft Word document.
• Accessibility permission for TypeSeer, plus microphone permission for dictation.
• The speech language pack downloaded to your Mac. Translation needs a supported output language pack too.

TypeSeer is a separate Mac app. It works through your text cursor and does not require a Word add-in. For application notes, see Mac app compatibility.

How to dictate into Word

1. Set up TypeSeer. Open the app and follow its setup steps, including Accessibility permission.
2. Turn on dictation. Open Settings → Dictation. Choose the language you speak and finish any requested language download.
3. Choose where to write. Open Word and click in the document where the next sentence should begin.
4. Press ⌃⌥D and speak. Allow microphone access if macOS asks. Recognised phrases enter the document; the latest words appear in grey first.
5. Say punctuation and paragraph breaks. Use commands in your speech language. Open “Show Spoken Commands…” in TypeSeer’s Dictation settings for the list.
6. Press ⌃⌥D again to stop. Review your text and correct any errors before sharing it.

You can also hold the shortcut while speaking and release it when finished. With toggle mode, TypeSeer keeps listening during pauses until you stop or change the focused app or field.

Try a short paragraph

If you prefer to say all punctuation yourself, turn off “Add punctuation for me” in Settings → Dictation. Spoken punctuation commands then work more reliably.

Review and edit in place

Stop dictation before moving to a different paragraph to edit it. In most apps, Command-Z removes the last inserted phrase. Check the result before undoing again.

For preview before insertion, turn off “Type as I speak”. Your speech waits as grey text, and your suggestion-accept keys insert it.

When you switch to typing, TypeSeer’s AI autocomplete can suggest the rest of your sentence. Dictation does not need to be running.

Use Word dictation offline

TypeSeer processes speech on your Mac after its language packs have downloaded. Its paid license stays active offline for up to seven days after a successful check.

Your document’s storage is separate. Word and OneDrive may sync documents according to your Microsoft settings. TypeSeer’s local speech processing does not change those settings.

If words do not appear

• Check that the document is editable and the cursor is inside its text.
• Check TypeSeer’s Accessibility and microphone permissions in macOS System Settings.
• Check that dictation is turned on and the speech language download has finished.
• If you changed apps or fields, start dictation again. TypeSeer stops when focus moves.
• Try a short sentence in Notes to help identify whether the issue is specific to Word.

If the problem continues, use TypeSeer’s Troubleshooting & Support menu. The setup guide explains the available settings.

Questions about Word dictation

Explore related workflows

Learn about dictation with translation or compare TypeSeer with Apple Dictation.