With the Dictation tool in Microsoft Word, people can talk and have their words turned into text right away. But if Word input doesn’t work on your Windows machine, it can be annoying and slow you down. You can fix this problem and figure out what’s wrong by taking a few steps. Let’s look at each of them on its own.
Table of Contents
What Are the Common Causes of Word Dictation Not Working?
Before we talk about how to fix the problem, we need to figure out why Word speech might not be working right. Here are some of the best-known ones:
- Outdated audio drivers
- Misconfigured audio settings
- Settings for words that don’t work
- When you update Windows, the power to decide changes.
- Software that gets in the way, like antivirus or firewall apps,
9 Effective Methods to Fix Word Dictation Not Working in Windows
Now that we know what’s happening, let’s talk about how to fix it.
Method 1: Check Microphone and Audio Settings
First, make sure your video settings and microphone are set up properly. What you should do is:
- How to hook up your microphone to your computer.
- Right-click on the volume button in the taskbar and choose “Sounds.”
- Make sure that the usual recording source on the “Recording” tab is your microphone.
- Make sure the sound from the microphone isn’t too low or turned off.
Method 2: Upgrade Your Sound Card Drivers
It can be hard to type words if the audio drivers are out of date or don’t work well together. To update your audio drivers:
- Press Win+X, and then click “Device Manager.”
- The place for “Audio inputs and outputs” needs to be bigger.
- Right-click on your microphone and choose “Update driver.”
- Choose the choice to look for new driver software right away.
Method 3: Turn on Speech Recognition in Word
In Word, you can sometimes turn off input in the app’s settings. To let it go:
- Open Word on your computer.
- Click “File” and then “Options.”
- Click “Proofing” and then “AutoCorrect Options.”
- On the “AutoCorrect” tab, check the box that says “Enable Dictation.”
Method 4: Check For Updates For Windows
Updates to Windows often fix bugs and make changes that can fix entry problems in Word. To see if there have been any changes:
- To open the Settings app, press Win + I.
- Go to “Update & Security” and click “Windows Update.”
- Click “Check for updates” and then accept any updates that come up.
Method 5: Run the Speech Troubleshooter
Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can fix problems with speech recognition. How to use the speech fixer:
- To open the Settings app, press Win + I.
- Go to “Update & Security” and then click on “Troubleshoot.”
- Under “Find and fix other problems,” click on “Speech.”
- Click “Run the troubleshooter” and then follow the instructions on the screen.
Method 6: Turn Off Your Antivirus or Firewall
Antivirus or firewall software can make it hard to write in Word. Try turning them off for a short time and seeing if the trouble is still there. If the problem is fixed, you might want to change the settings on your protection software so that Word can take over.
Method 7: Reset Word Settings
By resetting Word’s settings, you can fix any setup problems that are stopping you from being able to speak. Here’s what you need to do:
- Don’t use Word.
- To open the Run box, press Win + R.
- Enter “%appdata%” and hit the Enter key.
- In the “Roaming” folder, rename the “Microsoft” folder to “Microsoft.old.”
- Open Microsoft Word again and check to see if the text works.
Method 8: Repair Microsoft Office Installation
If none of these work, you may need to change how you installed Microsoft Office. This is how:
- Immediately close all Office apps.
- Press Win+X, and then click “Apps and Features.”
- Scroll down and pick either “Microsoft 365” or “Microsoft Office.”
- Click “Change” or “Modify” and then “Quick Repair.”
- Follow the steps on the screen to finish the fix.
Method 9:Use a Different Dictation Software
If you’ve tried all of the fixes and still can’t get Word’s dictation to work, you might want to look into other dictation apps. There are a lot of third-party apps that are like this one.
Conclusion
When word input doesn’t work, it can be frustrating, but if you follow the steps in this piece, you should be able to fix the problem. Check your microphone and audio settings, update your audio drivers, turn on speech in Word, and make any other Windows changes you need. If nothing else works, you can try different dictation apps. Word now makes it easy to write text. To read more content like this, visit https://www.trendblog.net.
FAQs
Why doesn’t Word Speech understand what I say?
This problem could be caused by a number of things, such as wrong microphone settings, old audio drivers, or turning off input in Word. Find out what’s wrong and how to fix it by following the steps in this guide.
Can I use Word Speech when I’m not connected to the Internet?
Yes, you can use Word input when you are not online as long as the right language packs are loaded. But some powerful tools, like real-time translation, might need to be connected to the internet.
Does Microsoft Word come with a speech in all versions?
After Microsoft Word 2013, you can use speech. If you are using an older version, you might want to switch to a newer one.
Can words from a language other than English be used?
Yes, you can use Word’s writing tool to type in more than one language. You can look at the language choices in Word’s dictation settings and add language packs if you need to.
Why does Word speech keep making mistakes?
People use speech recognition technology to type in words, and sometimes it makes mistakes. It can be hard to get a good copy if there is noise in the background, someone has an accent or speaks quickly. It’s best to check the written text for mistakes and make changes.
