I don't use Microsoft Word, but I think it's time to give it a try. That's because a new speech transcription feature is now available in Microsoft 365.

This new Transcribe feature, which debuted today in Word on the Web (as part of Microsoft 365), lets you upload audio into Word and get a transcribe that can drop chunks of dialogue at a time right into your document.

There is also a Dictate button for live audio if you want to write or edit live. However, for those like me who capture audio with the iOS Voice Memos app (or other programs), there are some limitations to note: Transcribe supports MP3, MP4, WAV, and M4A formats, and uploads are limited to 200MB.

Microsoft first promised in a blog post that this feature will be available in Word on October 2, 2019. Here's a GIF of how it actually works:

Here's how to use Transcribe when available in your version of Word:

Word Transcribe also has an automatic formatting option so you can insert citations as pull quotes Want to check Transcribe's accuracy? Click on the timestamp next to the text to jump to that part of the audio file.

The Verge's Tom Warren noted that while transcription takes different amounts of time during audio upload, text translation can be done in seconds if done live.

Transcribe is only available in English at this time, and will be included in the Android and iOS Word apps later this year; Transcribe was originally scheduled for "early 2020," and mobile app support is "spring," so support for other devices may be another season away.

Personally, if this works, I may end up using Microsoft Word over Google Docs.

Microsoft 365 starts at $6.99/month, but if you want a free option, Otter.ai has free live transcription and a $9.99/month version with added uploads. I would expect this to be added to Google Docs, which seems like a no-brainer given Google Assistant's ability to hear what you have to say.