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    Type by Speaking on Windows 11 With Voice Typing

    Windows 11 can type what you say, in any text box, with one keyboard shortcut. Useful for sore hands, and for anyone who talks faster than they type.

    4 min read6 stepsChecked Aug 2026

    Windows 11 includes a feature called voice typing. You press two keys, speak, and your words appear wherever the cursor is. It works in email, in a Word document, in a search box, and in most places you can type.

    1. Step 1: Click where you want the words to go

      Open the email, document, or box you want to fill in, and click inside it so the blinking cursor is there. Voice typing puts words at the cursor. With no cursor, it has nowhere to type.

    2. Step 2: Press the Windows key and H together

      Hold down the Windows key, tap the letter H, then let go. A small panel with a microphone appears near the bottom of the screen. If Windows asks permission to use the microphone, choose Yes.

      Quick Tip

      The first time, Windows may take a few seconds to get ready. Wait for the microphone icon to turn blue before you speak.

    3. Step 3: Speak at a normal pace

      Talk the way you would to a person across a table. Full sentences work better than single words, because the software uses surrounding words to pick the right spelling. Do not lean toward the screen or raise your voice.

    4. Step 4: Say your punctuation out loud

      Say "period" to end a sentence, "comma" for a pause, "question mark" for a question, and "new line" to move down a line. For example: "Dear Susan comma new line thank you for the photographs period"

    5. Step 5: Stop when you are finished

      Press the Windows key and H again to close the panel, or click the microphone button. Then read your text once and fix any wrong words by hand. Names are the most common thing to correct.

      Warning

      Voice typing listens while the panel is open. Close it before a private phone call happens in the same room.

    6. Step 6: Turn on automatic punctuation if you prefer

      Open the settings gear on the voice typing panel and turn on automatic punctuation. Windows then adds periods and commas by guessing from your pauses. Some people find this easier. Others find it guesses wrong. Try both for a day.

      Quick Tip

      If nothing appears when you speak, check that the correct microphone is selected in Settings, then System, then Sound, under Input.

    More about this

    This helps two groups in particular. If your hands hurt or your fingers are stiff, speaking removes the part that hurts. If you type slowly with two fingers, speaking is several times faster, and a long email stops feeling like a chore.

    The shortcut is the Windows key and the letter H pressed together. The Windows key is the one with the four-pane window picture, usually near the bottom left of the keyboard. A small microphone panel appears on screen. Speak normally, in a regular voice, at a regular pace. Shouting makes it worse, not better.

    Punctuation is spoken out loud. Say "period" for a full stop, "comma" for a comma, and "question mark" for a question mark. Say "new line" to start a new line. Those four cover almost everything most people write.

    Voice typing needs an internet connection and a microphone. Nearly every laptop has a built-in microphone already. If you use a desktop computer with no microphone, a basic USB headset works and usually gives cleaner results than a built-in one, because it sits closer to your mouth.

    Expect to correct a few words at first. Names and unusual spellings are the common misses. Accuracy improves as you learn to pause slightly between sentences rather than trailing off.

    (Source: Microsoft Support — support.microsoft.com/windows)

    Official sources

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