LesskeysDictate in Word without the cloud, on Mac or Windows
To dictate in Word without the cloud, click where the text should go, press the Lesskeys hotkey and talk. The speech is turned into text on your computer, so it works with the internet off, and in every other app too.
macOS 13+ on Apple Silicon · No subscriptionWindows 10 and 11 · No subscription
Last reviewed
Word's own Dictate
Word's own Dictate, side by side
Word has a Dictate button. Here is Microsoft's description next to Lesskeys.
| What | Word's Dictate | Lesskeys |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | “Only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers” | No Microsoft account or subscription needed |
| Internet | A “reliable internet connection” is needed | Not needed once the model is on the computer |
| Where your speech goes | “Sent to Microsoft”, which says it does not store the audio or the text | Nowhere: it is turned into text on your computer |
| Where it works | Microsoft's page describes Word | Anywhere you can paste text |
If you already pay for Microsoft 365, are online and only need Word, the button is built in. Voice to text for MacVoice to text for Windows compares the system's own dictation with Lesskeys.
Sources, read on 21 October 2026
- Microsoft Support: Use a screen reader to dictate a document in Word (the quotes in the table are Microsoft's; the page covers Word on Windows and on Mac)
Any app
Any app, your own words
The same three moves work in a browser, Outlook, a notes app or a code editor.
Pin up to four of the 99 languages you use, or let it detect. A name it keeps getting wrong? Add a text replacement in Settings. Per-app settings let Word use its own language. Speech models make mistakes, so read what you paste. A recorded conversation instead? Audio to text turns the file into a transcript you can paste into Word.
Limits
What it doesn't do in Word
It turns speech into text. It does not control Word.
- No live typing
- No formatting
- No “select this paragraph”
On a Mac
Dictate in Word on a Mac
- Click in the Word document where the text should go.
- Press and hold ⌥. and talk, then release it. Or tap it once to start and again to stop.
- Wait a moment: Lesskeys writes the text after you stop, not while you speak. Then paste it into the document.
- Read it, then repeat for the next paragraph.
A small starter model is inside the app, so this works from the first launch. The App Store version copies the finished text, so you paste it yourself and it needs no Accessibility permission. The direct-download version can paste for you once you allow Accessibility access.
On Windows
Dictate in Word on Windows
- Click in the Word document where the text should go.
- Press and hold Alt+Space and talk, then release it. Or tap it once to start and again to stop.
- Wait a moment: Lesskeys writes the text after you stop, not while you speak, then pastes it into the document with Ctrl+V and puts your clipboard back.
- Read it, then repeat for the next paragraph.
A small starter model is inside the app, so this works from the first launch, and the microphone is the only permission. If Word runs as Administrator, Windows may refuse the paste: the text then stays on your clipboard for you to paste. Microsoft's page starts Word's own Dictate with Alt+H, D.
Questions
Questions about dictating in Word
Can I dictate in Microsoft Word without an internet connection?
Yes, with on-device dictation. Lesskeys recognizes speech on your computer: you dictate with a hotkey and the text lands in Word, and nothing needs the internet once the model is on the computer.
How is this different from Word's built-in Dictate?
Microsoft says its Dictate is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers, needs a reliable internet connection and sends what you say to Microsoft. Lesskeys turns speech into text on your computer and works in every app, not just Word.
Does it type directly into Word as I speak?
No. Lesskeys writes the text after you stop talking, then either pastes it into the document for you or leaves it ready to paste. The section for your system says which.
Does it work in Google Docs, Outlook and other apps?
Yes. Any place you can paste text, you can dictate into: Google Docs in the browser, Outlook, notes apps and code editors.
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