How to use Microsoft Dictate in PowerPoint?

Did you know that you can now write PowerPoint slides with your voice? Microsoft Office Dictation feature for PowerPoint lets you use speech-to-text to create content in Office, providing you have a microphone and a reliable internet connection (a built in microphone in a laptop works). Use your voice to quickly create documents, presentations, or and slide notes in PowerPoint.

This blog provides a step by step guide for how to use PowerPoint dictate feature to write slides.

How to Use PowerPoint Dictation feature

Microsoft Dictate is available online via your Microsoft login or, if you have a Microsoft 365 desktop subscription you can access the Dictate feature for Windows directly from your PowerPoint Ribbon. Note that whether you are using Microsoft Dictate via the Web or on your desktop, you will need an active internet connection.

How to use Microsoft Dictate in desktop PowerPoint

1. Navigate to the Home Tab. The Dictate feature is found on the far right of the Ribbon, it looks like a microphone

2. Click on the Dictate icon and wait for the button to become active. When Dictate is ready to start listening, you'll hear a short sound and the icon will change to the 'Record' image

3. Move your cursor to a placeholder on the slide, or to the slide notes and start speaking. Text will appear in the selected placeholder.
4. To insert punctuation, say these clearly at the appropriate moment in the text.
5. You can fix mistakes with your keyboard without having to toggle the mic icon off.

How to use Microsoft Dictate in PowerPoint online

1. Sign in to your Microsoft account using your chosen web browser (e.g. Edge, Chrome or Firefox)
2. Open PowerPoint from the list of applications available

3. Create a new or open an existing PowerPoint document
4. From the Home Tab, select Dictate - i.e the button that looks like a microphone. (note; you'll need to be signed into your Microsoft account on a microphone enabled device to access the Dictate feature)

5. Click on the Dictate icon and wait for the button to become active. You may need to allow permission for Microsoft to access your mic before the recording starts. When Dictate is ready to start listening, you'll hear a short sound and the icon microphone icon will disappear

6. Move your cursor to a placeholder on the slide, or to the slide notes and start speaking. Text will appear in the selected placeholder.
7. To insert punctuation, say these clearly at the appropriate moment in the text.
8. You can fix mistakes with your keyboard without having to toggle the microphone icon off.

How can I improve accuracy using PowerPoint Dictate feature?

Although the feature has high accuracy levels, Microsoft Dictate doesn't always get it right. You will likely need to edit the content of the slide before finalizing the document. Here are a few tips to help you get the correct result more often:

• Speak as clearly as possible. This is probably the most important thing you can do for Microsoft Dictate to 'get it right' the first time.
• Try to speak at a natural pace, not too fast, but also not too slowly.
• Try not to pause between words. The speech recognition system is better able to determine what you are trying to say if it's said as a phrase rather than random words.
• You will need to speak the punctuation. For example - "period" or "full stop" to end a sentence. There's no need to pause. Speaking the command is sufficient.
• To start a new paragraph or a new line in your text, you will need to speak the command. For example, say "Enter" or "New Paragraph" to start a new paragraph, but say "New Line" to start a new line as part of the same paragraph.

The more you use the Dictate feature in PowerPoint, the easier it will become. Accuracy will also improve over time - PowerPoint will also get better at transcribing what you are saying as the speech recognition system remembers information about your voice and your vocabulary. This means accuracy improves over time with use.