Dictate / Windows / Voice access vs voice typing
Voice access vs voice typing: which Windows tool should type for you?
Windows 11 has two ways to speak instead of type. Voice typing, the Win + H panel, is a quick dictation box that runs in Microsoft's cloud. Voice access is a hands-free control system that runs on your PC. They solve different problems, and the right one depends on whether you still use a keyboard.
Side by side
From Microsoft's support pages, read November 2026.
| Voice typing (Win+H) | Voice access | Dictate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Typing text by voice | Running the whole PC by voice: apps, clicks, text | Typing text by voice, nothing else |
| How you start it | Win + H, or the launcher in a text box | Turn it on in Settings; then “Voice access wake up” | Hold Right Ctrl (or any key) while you speak |
| Works without internet | No | Yes, after a one-time language download | Yes, from the first launch |
| Where speech is processed | Online, by Azure Speech services | On your PC | On your PC (NVIDIA Parakeet) |
| Punctuation | Automatic, if you turn it on | Spoken: say “comma”, “period” | From the speech model; fillers and stutters removed |
| Languages | 46 languages on Windows 11 | 15 language variants | 21 European languages, detected as you speak |
| Windows versions | 10 and 11 | Windows 11, version 22H2 and later | Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 (x64) |
| Price | Free | Free | $49 once, lifetime license, no subscription |
Microsoft: “Use voice typing to talk instead of type on your PC”, “Use voice access to control your PC & author text with your voice”, “Voice access command list”. We make Dictate.
When voice typing is the right choice
You type most of the time and want to talk through an email or a paragraph now and then. Press Win + H in any text field, speak, and it writes as you go. Turn on automatic punctuation in its settings and you rarely need to say “comma”. The catch is that every word goes to Microsoft's Azure speech service, so it stops when the connection does, and it is subject to Microsoft's privacy statement. Copilot+ PCs add fluid dictation in English, which tidies grammar and fillers on the device.
When voice access is the right choice
You want to use the computer without your hands: open apps, click buttons by number, scroll, select a sentence and fix it, all by voice. Voice access does that on Windows 11 and recognises speech on the PC, so it works offline once its language file is downloaded. Dictating with it is one mode among several: you say punctuation, and it listens for commands as well as text unless you switch to “Dictation mode”. That makes it powerful for accessibility, and more to learn if you only want to write.
When neither fits
The gap between the two is offline, keyboard-first dictation: you still use the keyboard and mouse, you just want to speak a paragraph without it leaving your PC. That is also the case on Windows 10, which has no voice access, and in languages Windows only recognises online. A dictation app with a local speech model covers it.
Dictate is one. Hold Right Ctrl, speak, let go, and the text is pasted at your cursor in Word, Outlook, a browser or a terminal. It has no commands to learn, because it only types. Nothing you say leaves the PC, and it understands 21 European languages, switching between them as you do.
“Offline Dictation” in the Microsoft Store · 7 days free, then $49 once · Windows 10 (22H2) or 11 · 64-bit PC
More: does Windows voice typing work offline? · offline dictation for Windows · how to dictate in Word.
Questions
What is the difference between voice access and voice typing?
Voice typing turns speech into text in a text box; voice access lets you run the whole PC by voice, typing included. Voice typing (Windows logo key + H) sends your speech to Microsoft's Azure speech service; voice access recognises speech on your PC and, Microsoft says, “works even without the internet”.
Which is better for dictating long text?
For most people, voice typing: you press Windows logo key + H, talk, and it can punctuate for you. Voice access is better when you can't use a keyboard at all, since it can also select, correct and format text and click buttons by voice, but you say punctuation out loud and switch between dictation and command modes.
Does voice access work on Windows 10?
No. Voice access needs Windows 11, version 22H2 and later. On Windows 10, voice typing (Windows logo key + H) is the built-in option, and it needs an internet connection.
Which languages do they support?
Voice typing lists 46 languages on Windows 11. Voice access is available in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Chinese and Japanese (15 language variants). A Danish, Dutch, Polish or Swedish speaker who wants on-device recognition gets none from Windows itself.
Is there an alternative to Win+H that works offline?
Yes. On Windows 11, voice access works offline, though it is built for controlling the PC. A dictation app with its own speech model, such as Dictate, types into any app with no connection on Windows 10 and 11; it is hold-to-talk and does nothing but type.