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Office 365 - Word on the Web Dictation
This article outlines using the dictation feature in Word on the web.
Dictation allows users to use speech-to-text to create content in Word on the web. This feature is also available in the desktop version as long as one is signed in with an Office 365 account; all UWGB students and staff have Office 365 accounts. All Dictation requires is a microphone and a reliable internet connection.
To turn on Dictation:
1. Go to Home > Dictate. First-time users will need to enable microphone permissions.
2. A mic icon will appear. Wait for it to turn on before you begin speaking.
You may insert punctuation and make corrections using the Dictation suggestions; you may also use your keyboard.
Exit Dictation with the Close (X) in the Dictation toolbar or by pressing the button in the ribbon again.
The following commands are recognized by Dictation:
Punctuation
| Phrase(s) | Output |
period, full stop | . |
comma | , |
question mark | ? |
exclamation mark/point | ! |
new line | new line |
apostrophe-s | 's |
colon | : |
semicolon | ; |
open quotes close quotes | " " |
hyphen | - |
ellipsis, dot dot dot | ... |
begin/open single quote end/close single quote | ' ' |
left/open parentheses right/close parentheses | ( ) |
left/open bracket right/close bracket | [ ] |
left/open brace right/close brace | { } |
Editing
undo |
delete* |
delete that* |
delete last [1-100] words/sentences |
delete [word or phrase]* |
insert space |
backspace |
backspace [1-100] |
- Saying “delete” by itself removes the last word or punctuation before the cursor.
- Saying “delete that” removes the last spoken utterance.
- An example of using [phrase] would be dictating “what a super nice day” and then saying “delete super.” You would then be left with the phrase "what a nice day."
Formatting
bold |
italics |
underline |
strikethrough |
<format*> [word or phrase] |
superscript |
subscript |
indent |
decrease indent |
clear all formatting |
align [left, center, right] |
You can bold, italicize, underline, or strikethrough a word or phrase. An example would be dictating “review by tomorrow at 5PM”, then saying “bold tomorrow” which would leave you with "review by tomorrow at 5PM."
Try phrases like “bold last word” or “underline last sentence.”
Creating lists
start list |
start numbered list |
next line |
exit list |
Adding comments
add comment [your message here]* |
- Saying “add comment look at this tomorrow” will insert a new comment with the text “Look at this tomorrow” inside it.
- Saying “add comment” by itself will create a blank comment box that can be manually typed into.
While dictating
show help |
pause dictation |
exit dictation* |
- To resume dictation, use the keyboard shortcut (ALT + `) or press the Mic icon in the floating dictation menu.
Symbols
| Phrase(s) | Output |
asterisk | * |
backslash | \ |
forward slash | / |
vertical bar sign, pipe character | | |
backquote, backtick | ` |
underscore | _ |
m-dash | — |
n-dash | – |
paragraph sign/mark | ¶ |
section sign | § |
ampersand, and sign | & |
at sign | @ |
copyright sign | © |
registered sign | ® |
degree symbol | ° |
caret symbol | ^ |
Mathematics
| Phrase(s) | Output |
percent sign | % |
number/pound sign | # |
plus sign | + |
minus sign | - |
multiplication sign | x |
plus or minus sign | ± |
division sign | ÷ |
equal sign | = |
less than sign, left angle bracket greater than sign, right angle bracket | < > |
Currency
| Phrase(s) | Output |
dollar sign | $ |
pound sterling sign | £ |
euro sign | € |
yen sign | ¥ |
Emoji/faces
| Phrase(s) | Output |
smiley face | :) |
frowny face | :( |
winky face | ;) |
heart emoji | <3 |
