Word Dictate - keeps typing 'what'

Anonymous
2020-01-23T08:42:55+00:00

Hi, I just started using the dictate function in Word and its great. However when I pause for too long it types 'What' and if i'm not careful i miss it and it stays in my text. I have tried several times and there is no background noise and I am not breathing heavy or saying anything? It will often type 'what' also before the dictate function times out and turns off. 

edit - it is now also typing 'hello' and 'heehee'. I think its possessed!! 

The function commands such as hyphen, open parenthesis etc do not work either. comma, full stop do. Also is there a way to lengthen the time out function as I find it too short?

Any suggestions or anyone else having this problem?

Thankyou

H

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2020-06-04T17:16:46+00:00

Thanks @Rohn007 for pointing this out - I have just e-mailed Emily Tran to let her know. She is the person from Microsoft working to fix this.

When we were last in contact she hadn't been able to see the 'hello' problem in action. This might be why.

I think most of us would like to continue using the dictate function - it just needs a bit of perseverance to get there, and collaboration with Microsoft to help them.

Onwards and upwards!

A fix has been deployed to 100% of Dictation users - please let us know if you still see the issue.

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-06-05T08:16:13+00:00

    Thanks for your reply and the possible work around.  

    The whole issue would now seem to be moot, as I noticed a post on this thread from Microsoft stating that the problem will be solved in the next week or so.

    If this is true, then we have all been successful in getting them to fix, what must have been a really embarassing bug.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-06-07T02:38:11+00:00

    Hi Folks, This evening (Saturday 6/6/2020) I was experimenting with my podcast equipment and decided to try Dictation, just to see what happened. From what I can tell, the inactivity timer may have been improved, because I'm able to dictate with virtually no dropouts. I was having a few transcription errors, so I adjusted my parametric equalizer to cut off anything below 80 Hz, plus I added a bandpass boost of about 3dB at 2,500 HZ, which is where most human language articulation takes place. Now, transcription is now almost perfect. I'm not sure what Microsoft Dictation does for equalization, but the Dictation developers may want to consider adding a user-adjustable bandpass boost at about 2,500 Hz (possibly, that feature could be named "articulation tune" or "voice refinement.") I'd let the user tune the center frequency of the boost from 2,000 Hz to 2,500 Hz and adjust the level of boost from 0 dB to 6 dB. Keeping in mind I'm autistic, so some portions of my voice are missing (I sound a bit like a robot), but for me, it's working better than Apple and Dragon. I'll do some testing against my Android phone. - Rob

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-06-07T10:28:31+00:00

    Thanks for the update. That is interesting information.

    .

    Just remember, normally this sort of information should be submitted as a "feedback" to MS so that their developers get to see it. This question is an exception since we caught the attention of Emily.

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-06-07T17:22:06+00:00

    I'd love to send the report, but I'm actually using Notepad for dictation, then doing a copy-and-paste into other applications. Notepad does have a feedback facility, but I doubt my suggestion would filter back to the dictation development group.

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