Word Dictate keeps turning off [Fixed]

If Word Dictate keeps turning off on a Windows 11/10 PC, here are some suggestions to help you fix the issue. A few Windows users have reported that they are facing an issue where the dictate feature stops working or keeps turning off in Microsoft Word. Dictate is a Microsoft tool designed to make it easier for users to create content using a microphone. It uses speech-to-text conversion technology to quickly put a user’s thoughts into words without the need to type them out. However, sometimes, the tool doesn’t work as expected.

It can be frustrating when Word Dictate stops working when you’re in the middle of something important. In this post, we will show you how to fix Word Dictate keeps turning off in Windows 11/10.

Word Dictate keeps turning off

Dictatate gets functional only for a couple of seconds and turns off automatically if there’s a gap or silence in your speech. Dictate is designed that way and this is not a bug. You can’t fix this and keep Dictate functional until you command it to stop. However, if Dictate turns off in the middle of a sentence without any warning, there must be some internal issue that needs to be resolved.

If Word Dictate keeps turning off on a Windows 11/10 PC, start by unplugging and then re-plugging your microphone. You may try connecting the microphone to a different USB Port. Also if you have an extra microphone, try using it. If the issue persists, we recommend the following solutions to fix Word Dictate keeps turning off in Windows 11/10:

1. Adjust the microphone volume.
2. Move to a quieter location.
3. Run Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant.
4. Install Updates or Repair the Office Suite.
5. Clear browser cache.
6. Use Windows’s default dictation feature.

Let us have a detailed look at the above solutions.

1] Adjust the microphone volume

If your microphone volume is set to low, it may not be able to hear your voice properly. In such a case, Word Dictate may turn off if it senses a gap in between.

1. Click on the Start menu icon in the Windows taskbar.
2. Click on the Settings option.
3. Click on the Sounds option under System settings.
4. Scroll down to the Input section and click on the device name you’ve paired for speaking or recording on your Windows PC.
5. Under the Input Settings section, move the Input Volume slider to the right to increase the volume of your microphone.

2] Move to a quieter location

If you’re using a laptop with a built-in microphone, try changing your place and switching to a quieter location where there’s no external noise. Then speak loudly and clearly while taking minimum pauses to prevent the interruption in dictation.

3] Run Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant

Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant can help you fix issues with Microsoft’s in-house products, such as Office 365, Outlook, OneDrive for Business, etc. Run the Support and Recovery Assistant to see if it is able to diagnose and resolve the issue you’re facing with Word Dictate.

4] Install Updates or Repair the Office Suite

If the above solution doesn’t work, try installing Office updates through Windows Updates or by manually downloading the installers from Microsoft’s Download Center. Updating the Office apps may help fix potential problems you may be facing with your current installation. If the problem persists, repair the Office Suite and see if it helps.

5] Clear browser cache

If you’re using free Word for the Web, you should try clearing your browser cache. The cookies and cache data may sometimes interfere with the features offered by the web applications. Although the browser deletes the cache files periodically, manually clearing the cache can be helpful to fix things up and speed up your browsing experience.

Also Read: How to disable Speech Recognition feature in Windows

6] Use Windows’s default dictation feature

If none of the above solutions help, we recommend activating speech recognition in Windows and using voice dictation in Word. Voice dictation is a Windows feature that can be turned on or off through user commands. So unlike the Word dictate tool, it won’t turn off automatically.

1. Open your Word document.
2. Press Win+H key combination.
3. The voice dictation tool will get activated.
4. Start speaking into your microphone.
5. Click on the microphone icon or press Win+H to pause voice dictation.
6. Click on the close icon to exit voice dictation.

This is how you can fix the dictate feature in MS Word.

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