Voice Typing in Windows 11: How to Use Win+H
To use voice typing in Windows 11, click into any text box, press Windows key + H and start talking. This guide covers the whole built-in toolkit step by step: punctuation commands, languages, voice access for offline dictation and what to check when Win + H does not work.
- Start with Win + H
- 46 languages and variants listed
- Voice access works offline
- Punctuation by voice
Two ways to do speech to text on Windows
Windows 11 has two built-in ways to write with your voice. Voice typing, opened with Win + H, types into whichever text box holds your cursor: Word, Outlook, a browser field, a chat window. Microsoft says it uses online speech recognition powered by Azure Speech services, so it needs an internet connection.
Voice access is the second tool. It controls the whole PC by voice, opening apps, clicking and scrolling, and it can dictate as well. Microsoft describes it as a Windows 11 feature from version 22H2 that works without an internet connection once the language files have been downloaded. In September 2024 it replaced the classic Windows Speech Recognition on Windows 11 22H2 and later.
For a search query or a quick reply, Windows voice typing is all you need. If you dictate long documents, work with confidential material or also write on a Mac or Linux machine, you will hit its limits sooner. More on that below.
How to turn on and use Windows voice typing
There is nothing to switch on in Settings first. According to Microsoft you need an internet connection, a working microphone and your cursor in a text box.
Start voice typing with Win + H
Click into the text box you want to write in and press Windows key + H. On a touch device, tap the microphone on the touch keyboard. Voice typing starts listening straight away; wait for the "Listening..." alert before you speak.
Stop dictating
Say "Stop listening" or "Stop voice typing", or select the microphone in the voice typing menu. Windows key + Alt + H lets you move through that menu with the keyboard.
Turn on automatic punctuation
The gear icon in the voice typing menu opens the settings: automatic punctuation, the voice typing launcher for starting quickly when you are in a text box, the profanity filter, the default microphone and how long voice typing waits before acting on a command.
Dictate punctuation
Without automatic punctuation you say the marks out loud. Microsoft lists "comma", "full stop" or "period", "question mark", "exclamation mark", "colon", "semicolon", "open quotes" and "close quotes", plus "new line" and "new paragraph" for breaks.
Edit with voice commands
"Delete that" removes the last word or phrase you spoke and "Select that" highlights it. If something is already selected, "Delete that" removes the selection. Keys work by voice too: "Press Enter", "Press Backspace", "Press Tab". In English, "Undo that" reverts the previous change.
Switch the voice typing language
Voice typing follows your input language. Switch it with Windows key + Spacebar or the language switcher on the taskbar. To add a language, go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Add a language. Microsoft notes the optional speech features are not required for voice typing.
Set up voice access for offline dictation
Open Settings > Accessibility > Speech and turn on the Voice access switch, or search for "voice access" in Windows search. On first launch you pick a language and Windows downloads the files for on-device recognition; only this step needs the internet. The voice access bar then sits at the top of the screen and you dictate whenever a text box has focus. Automatic punctuation is off by default here and is switched on from the bar.
When Win + H is not working
Check in order. Is the cursor in a text box? Voice typing will not start without one. Are you online? Under Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, are microphone access, Let apps access your microphone and Let desktop apps access your microphone all on? Under Settings > System > Sound, is the right microphone chosen under Input, and does the microphone test show a level? If voice access is running, Win + H points you to it instead, because you dictate there. If nothing helps, Microsoft suggests the troubleshooter for input devices under Sound > Advanced and, as a last step, reinstalling the audio driver in Device Manager.
When Windows voice typing is not enough
Filler words and false starts disappear
Voice typing writes down what you say. Microsoft's fluid dictation, which corrects grammar, punctuation and filler words, is a Copilot+ PC feature available in English locales. Mr.Speech removes fillers in every language, understands self-corrections (say dinner at seven, actually never mind, let's do eight, and you get Dinner at 8) and builds paragraphs and lists. Nine cleanup styles run from Literal to Email to Technical.
Your own vocabulary
Microsoft's voice typing help describes no personal word list; voice access offers Add to vocabulary. In Mr.Speech, names, acronyms and jargon go into a personal dictionary. Corrections you make are detected and offered back as one-click suggestions, and nothing changes what you dictate next unless you say yes.
Fully local, no internet
Windows voice typing needs a connection, according to Microsoft. Mr.Speech's local mode runs speech recognition for 40 languages with real punctuation on a normal processor, with no internet and no audio leaving the machine. It can be slower than the cloud mode, which is processed in Europe and detects around 100 languages automatically.
The same app on Mac and Linux
Voice typing exists only on Windows. Mr.Speech runs natively on Windows 11 and 10, macOS and Linux and types into any application, terminals included. Win + H is untouched, so you can use both side by side.
Meetings without a bot
Voice typing is dictation only. Mr.Speech records meetings on your own computer with no bot joining the call: your microphone and your computer's audio as separate tracks, with any conferencing tool. One click then gives you a structured protocol, a summary and action items, and the on-device meeting mode keeps recording and transcription on your machine.
Win + H vs voice access vs Mr.Speech
The Windows columns come from Microsoft's own help pages. Anything those pages do not describe is marked that way.
| Mr.Speech | Voice typing (Win + H) | Voice access | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it starts | Your own hotkey, hold or tap | Win + H in a text box | Settings > Accessibility > Speech |
| Works without internet | Local mode, 40 languages | Per Microsoft, needs a connection | After a one-time language download |
| Languages | Around 100, detected automatically | 46 languages and variants listed | 15 languages and variants listed |
| Removes filler words | In every language, plus self-corrections | Fluid dictation: Copilot+ PCs, English only | Fluid dictation: Copilot+ PCs, English only |
| Personal vocabulary | Dictionary plus correction suggestions | No word list described | Add to vocabulary |
| Windows, Mac and Linux | All three, natively | Windows 11 and 10 | Windows 11 only |
| Records meetings | No bot, on-device or processed in Europe | Dictation only | PC control and dictation |
Windows details checked on 29 September 2026 on Microsoft's own support pages. Windows changes with updates, so verify anything decisive yourself.
Questions
How do I turn on voice typing in Windows 11?
Click into a text box and press Windows key + H. There is no separate switch in Settings. Microsoft lists an internet connection and a working microphone as requirements. The gear icon in the voice typing menu lets you turn on automatic punctuation.
Why is Win + H not working?
Usually one of Microsoft's three requirements is missing: a cursor in a text box, an internet connection, a working microphone. Also check Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone to make sure apps and desktop apps may use the microphone, and Settings > System > Sound to confirm the right input device. If voice access is running, Win + H sends you there instead.
Does Windows voice typing work offline?
No. Microsoft says voice typing uses online speech recognition and needs an internet connection. To dictate offline on Windows 11, use voice access once its language files are downloaded, or Mr.Speech's local mode, which runs with no internet and sends nothing anywhere.
Which languages does Windows voice typing support?
Microsoft lists 46 languages and variants for voice typing in Windows 11, including English (UK, US, Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand), French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish and Turkish. Voice access is available in 15 languages and variants, among them English, German and French.
How do I add punctuation with voice typing?
Say the mark: "comma", "full stop", "question mark", "exclamation mark", "colon". For breaks say "new line" or "new paragraph". Or turn on automatic punctuation in the voice typing settings and Windows adds it based on what you say.
What is the difference between voice typing and voice access?
Voice typing (Win + H) is dictation into text boxes and exists on Windows 11 and 10. Voice access controls the whole PC by voice, dictates as well, and is available only on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later. It can start at any time, whereas voice typing starts only when the cursor is in a text box.
Is Windows Speech Recognition still available?
On Windows 11 22H2 and later, voice access replaced Windows Speech Recognition (WSR) in September 2024. Microsoft says WSR remains available in older versions of Windows.
Does Windows 10 have voice typing?
Yes, also with Windows key + H. Microsoft again lists an internet connection as a requirement, supports fewer languages on Windows 10 and offers dictation commands in US English only. Support for Windows 10 ended on 14 October 2025.
Does Windows voice typing remove filler words like um?
Not by default. Fluid dictation corrects grammar, punctuation and filler words, but Microsoft describes it as a Copilot+ PC feature for English locales. Mr.Speech cleans up fillers and self-corrections in every language, on Windows, macOS and Linux.
What is a good alternative to Windows voice typing?
For short input, Win + H is the quickest choice and is included in Windows. For long documents, your own terminology or confidential dictation without internet, dictation software such as Mr.Speech fills the gap. It is free for local use on the desktop, with no trial period and no credit card, and runs alongside Win + H.
