While using the Dictate feature in Microsoft Word, if you are getting Oops, there was a problem with Dictation error, here is how you can resolve the issue. You need to check your microphone physically and the Microphone permission in Windows Settings to get rid of this problem on Windows 11/10.
The entire error message says something like this:
Oops, there was a problem with Dictation, There is a problem with your microphone. Office cannot start capturing audio from the microphone.
If you need to type a lot of words, the Dictate functionality can be a helpful companion. You can use this feature to type by voice command. In other words, it converts your speech to text and shows it in Word so that more words get typed in a short time. However, this Dictate feature works when you have attached a microphone to your computer and all the permission-related settings are set up correctly. If either of them has some issues, you might get the error message after clicking the Dictate button.
Oops, there was a problem with Dictation error in Word
To fix Oops, there was a problem with Dictation error in Word; follow these steps:
- Check or connect microphone physically
- Check Microphone permission
- Install microphone driver
- Run Recording Audio Troubleshooter
- Repair Microsoft Office
To learn more about these steps, continue reading.
1] Check or connect microphone physically
If you are using a Windows 11/10 laptop, you might have to follow this step. However, you can verify if your microphone is working with other apps or not.
On the other hand, if you are using a desktop computer, you need to connect a microphone physically. Otherwise, it won’t detect your voice to type in Word. If a microphone is already connected, you can check if it is working with other apps such as Voice Recorder. If not, you need to replace your microphone.
2] Check Microphone permission
It is the second thing you need to check if you get the aforementioned error while typing in Word via speech. If there are some issues with the permission, Word cannot detect the microphone. As a result, you cannot type using the Dictate feature. Therefore, do the following to verify the Microphone permission in Windows 11/10:
- Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
- Go to Privacy & security > Microphone.
- Toggle the Microphone access button to turn it on.
- Toggle the Let desktop apps access your microphone button to turn it on.
Also, make sure that Microsoft Word is showing under the Let desktop apps access your microphone heading.
3] Install microphone driver
If you are using a third-party microphone instead of the internal one, you may have to install a driver. Some professional audio recorders come with a driver to make them fully compatible with the operating system you are using on. Therefore, if you have a microphone driver with you, it is time to install it.
4] Run Recording Audio Troubleshooter
Earlier, there was a Speech Troubleshooter available in Windows 10. As Microsoft has deprecated that, you can try using the Recording Audio Troubleshooter on Windows 11/10. For that, do the following:
- Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
- Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Find the Recording Audio Troubleshooter.
- Click the Run button.
- Follow the screen instructions.
After that, you may need to restart your computer.
5] Repair Microsoft Office
If none of the aforementioned solutions worked for you, you could try repairing the Microsoft Office installation. For that, follow these steps:
- Open Windows Settings on Windows 11.
- Go to Apps > Apps & features.
- Find the Microsoft 365.
- Click the three-dotted icon > Modify.
- Click the Yes button.
- Select Quick Repair.
- Click the Repair button.
- Restart your computer.
However, if that doesn’t help, you need to connect your computer to an internet connection and select the Online Repair option.
Why is my dictation not working in Word?
There could be several reasons why dictation is not working in Word. From faulty hardware/microphone to app permission – anything can cause such a problem in Word. However, you can fix the issue by following the aforementioned solutions.
How do I enable Dictate in Word?
To enable Dictate in Word, you need to open Microsoft Word, ensure that you are in the Home tab, and click the Dictate button. Before that, you must connect a microphone to your computer. Then, you might want to check the Microphone permissions in Windows Settings.
That’s all! Hope this guide helped you fix the dictation problem in Word.
