4 Fixes for Microsoft Word Dictation Tool Not Working on Windows 11 and 10

Key Takeaways

• Ensure your Office subscription is active, as only subscribers can use the Dictation tool.
• In most cases, enabling microphone access and running the Windows audio troubleshooter should get Word’s dictation tool working.
• Running Microsoft’s Office repair tool can also help fix such issues with the Word app.

Fix 1: Check Microphone Permission

Windows lets you enable or disable microphone permissions for each app and program individually. If you’ve disabled microphone access for desktop apps on Windows, you may get the “Oops, there was a problem with Dictation” error in Microsoft Word.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.

Step 2: Switch to the Privacy & security tab. Then, scroll down to App permissions and select Microphone.

Step 3: Turn on the toggles for Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone.

Step 4: Scroll down and enable the toggle for Let desktop apps access your microphone.

If you’re having trouble using the dictation tool in Word Online, it’s possible that the browser doesn’t have permission to access your computer’s microphone.

Open Microsoft Word for the web > click the tiny padlock icon on the left of the URL > select Site settings. Under Permissions, use the drop-down menu next to Microphone and select Allow.

Fix 2: Rule Out Issues With Your Microphone

Problems with your microphone can also lead you to believe that Word’s dictation tool is broken. If you use an external microphone on your PC, check its physical connection to see if it’s properly connected.

You must ensure that your preferred microphone is set as the default audio input device. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Right-click on the speaker icon on the taskbar and select Sound settings from the resulting menu.

Step 2: Choose your preferred microphone under Input and check its volume level.

Step 3: Click your audio input device and use the Start test button to see if the microphone works.

After you’ve selected the right input device, use the dictation tool again.

Fix 3: Run the Recording Audio Troubleshooter

Windows has various troubleshooters to fix most system-level issues. So, if the dictation tool still doesn’t work properly, run the Recording Audio troubleshooter on Windows. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Click on the search icon on the taskbar, type troubleshoot settings in the box, and press Enter.

Step 2: Go to Other troubleshooters.

Step 3: Click on the Run button next to the Recording Audio troubleshooter and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process.

Fix 4: Repair Microsoft Office

If the microphone works fine in other apps, there could be a problem with the Microsoft Word app on your PC. As Microsoft Word is part of the Office suite, run Microsoft’s Office repair tool on Windows to fix any issues and get the dictation tool working again.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Installed apps from the list.

Step 2: Scroll down to locate the Microsoft Office product on the list. Click the three-dot menu icon next to it and select Modify.

Step 3: Select Online Repair and hit Repair.