How to Transcribe Audio to Text in Word

Turning spoken words into written text doesn’t have to mean hours of manual typing. Microsoft Word includes built-in transcription features that can convert recorded or live audio into editable text, making it easier to capture interviews, meetings, lectures, and voice notes. In this guide, we’ll show you how to transcribe audio to text in Word quickly and accurately using Word Transcribe.

What is Word Transcribe?

Word Transcribe is one of the best speech-to-text tools from Microsoft Word. It allows you to turn spoken audio into written text and can identify different speakers in a conversation.

It is useful when you need a written version of recorded speech. Once Word creates the transcript, you can fix errors, rename speakers, and use the full transcript or selected parts of your document.

Microsoft Transcribe is different from Microsoft Dictate, which is a dictation tool, meaning that Dictate turns your speech into text while you speak into your microphone, and the Transcribe feature transcribes audio into text, either from audio recorded in Word or from a file you upload.

If you need another tool for audio-to-text transcription, try the free tool by Summary AI, a platform for people who attend a lot of meetings and need an easy way to transcribe conversations and take notes. AI transcription creates the perfect written version of your conversation with speaker labels, from which you can then generate the perfect summary, complete with key points and action items.

How to transcribe audio to text in Word

You can transcribe audio in Word by recording it directly or uploading an audio file you already have.

Record audio directly in Word

Use this option when you want Word to record and transcribe a conversation as it happens.

1. Open a new or existing document in Word.
2. Go to the Home tab.
3. Open the Dictate drop-down menu.
4. Select Transcribe.
5. In the Transcribe pane, select Start recording.
6. Allow microphone access if Word asks.
7. Start speaking.
8. Keep the Transcribe pane open while Word records.
9. Use the microphone button if you need to pause.
10. When you are done, select Save and transcribe now.

Word saves the recording to OneDrive and starts turning it into text. How long this takes depends on the length of your recording, as well as your internet connection.

Upload an audio file to Word

Use this option if you already have an audio recording saved on your device that you want to learn how to transcribe in Word.

1. Open a new or existing Word document.
2. Go to Home.
3. Open the Dictate drop-down menu.
4. Select Transcribe.
5. Choose Upload audio.
6. Find and select the audio file.
7. Wait for Word to process the recording.

Word supports WAV, MP4, M4A, and MP3 files.

Keep the Transcribe pane open while Word creates the transcript. Longer recordings may take about as long to transcribe as the recording itself.

How to edit a Word transcript

Even though transcription technology is getting more and more accurate, Word may not transcribe every word correctly. A lot of different factors influence the quality of your transcript, like audio quality and background noise, for example.

Review the Word transcript before using or sharing it. You can select a timestamp to listen to that part of the recording, then correct the text if needed. You can also change speaker labels to make the transcript easier to follow.

Pay extra attention to important details like names, numbers, dates, technical terms, speaker labels, and any important statements.

A quick review may be enough for a simple recording. If the transcript will be used for important work, check it more carefully against the original audio.

How to add the transcript to your Word document

Once the transcript is ready, you can add all of it to your document or insert only the sections you need.

In the Transcribe pane in Word, choose the option to add the full transcript.

Depending on your preference, you can include speaker labels and timestamps or add the text without them.

You can also add individual sections instead of the full transcript. This is useful when only part of the recording is relevant to your document.

For example, if you are using a long interview to write a report, you can add only the useful sections and then edit them into a shorter summary. Our guide on how to summarize an article may be useful here.

How to transcribe audio to text manually in Word

Of course, you can also choose to transcribe your audio to text in Word manually. Manual transcription takes a lot more time, but it can give you more control over the final text. It can be useful when the audio is hard to hear or when accuracy is especially important.

To transcribe audio manually in Word:

1. Open a blank Word document.
2. Play the audio on your computer.
3. Type what you hear.
4. Pause the audio when you need more time.
5. Add timestamps where needed.
6. Label each speaker if more than one person is talking.

To save yourself headaches, replay any unclear parts and correct the text. Keyboard shortcuts can make the process faster.

To work faster, use headphones and work in a quiet place. It also helps to transcribe the recording in short sections instead of trying to go through a long recording all at once.

Transcribe audio with Summary AI

Word makes it easy to turn audio into text, whether you use its built-in Transcribe tool or type the recording out manually.

If you want a faster option, Summary AI can transcribe uploaded audio into editable text using AI transcription. It can recognize different speakers and supports more than 120 languages. Once the transcript is ready, you can copy it into Word and edit or format it as needed.

Another option is to use a free online audio-to-text transcriber. This can save time when you have longer recordings and want to get the written text without transcribing everything by hand.