Write by voice in any app, not only in Word
Arabic in Word Dictate sits under the Preview list, and Microsoft itself says Preview languages may be less accurate. DanDin is built for Arabic, not previewing it.
In short
Microsoft Word Dictate is useful if all your writing is inside Word, but there are two things you should know that Microsoft says itself. First: "The dictation feature is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers", so it is not free. Second: Arabic is not in the supported languages list, it is in the "Preview languages" list and only for three countries, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with this note under it: "Preview Languages may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support." DanDin is built for Arabic and English, writes in any app you type in, and you start free with 2,000 words a week.
The comparison, side by side
| DanDin | Microsoft Word Dictate | |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | Built for Arabic and English, Arabic by default | In the Preview list, for three countries: Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia [3] |
| What Preview means | There is no preview, this is the product | "may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support", Microsoft own words [4] |
| What you need | A free DanDin account | A Microsoft 365 subscription, its own page words [1] |
| The internet | Needs the internet too | Needs a "reliable internet connection", its own page words [2] |
| Where it works | Any app you type in | Inside Microsoft 365 [2] |
Where these Microsoft Word Dictate facts come from
Every fact in the Microsoft Word Dictate column is taken from its own pages. Here is the text as we read it, the link, and the day we read it.
[1] The Microsoft help page for dictating in Word
The dictation feature is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/dictate-your-documents-in-word (read 2026-09-17)
[2] The same page, its opening line
Dictation lets you use speech-to-text to author content in Microsoft 365 with a microphone and reliable internet connection.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/dictate-your-documents-in-word (read 2026-09-17)
[3] The same page, its Preview languages list: Arabic is the first three entries
Preview languages * ... Arabic (Bahrain) Arabic (Egypt) Arabic (Saudi Arabia)
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/dictate-your-documents-in-word (read 2026-09-17)
[4] The same page, the footnote under that list
* Preview Languages may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/dictate-your-documents-in-word (read 2026-09-17)
Pick DanDin if
- You type in many apps, not just Office
- You do not have a Microsoft 365 subscription
- You want Arabic as a first language, not a preview
Microsoft Word Dictate may fit you if
- All your work is inside Word and you have Microsoft 365
- You want dictation inside the document window itself
The word Preview at Microsoft has a plain meaning, and they wrote it down: lower accuracy or limited punctuation. At DanDin, Arabic is not a preview. It is the starting point.
Common questions
Does Word Dictate support Arabic?
Yes, but under Preview: Arabic appears for three countries, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and Microsoft writes under the list that Preview languages may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support. We read that on their page on 2026-09-17.
Do I need Microsoft 365 for DanDin?
No. DanDin is fully independent of Microsoft, you start free, and it writes in any app: Word, your email, the browser, anywhere with a text box.