Microsoft Word

Word and Outlook: Dictate with Auto Punctuation and Voice Commands

The Dictate feature in Word and Outlook has been greatly improved. Dictate will now allow Auto Punctuation, Voice Commands, and a Profanity Filter.

The Dictate feature in Word and Outlook has been greatly improved. Dictate will now allow Auto Punctuation, Voice Commands, and a Profanity Filter. The Dictate command works in the Desktop apps - Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Interestingly, the new improvements only work in Word and Outlook.

YouTube Video on Dicate in Word / Outlook Desktop

Word and Outlook - Dictate with Auto Punctuation and Voice Commands - YouTube

Turn on Dictate in Outlook (Microsoft 365 account)

1. Start a New Email
2. On the Message tab, click Dictate
3. Click the Microphone to start or stop dictation.
4. Setting are in the Ger icon for Dictation Settings

- [**8000 royalty-free images are available in Office 365 - April 2020 update**](https://chrismenardtraining.com/post/8000-royalty-free-images-office-365) Microsoft brings 8000 royalty-free images and icons to Office 365. These images work in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Right now, these are only available to Office 365 Fast Insiders.

- [**Word - make headings 1 always show on a new page using Page break before setting**](https://chrismenardtraining.com/post/word-make-headings-1-always-show-on-a-new-page-using-page-break-before-setting) In a long Word document, it is often desirable to have Heading 1 styles show at the top of a new page and never have two headings 1 on the same page.

- [**Word and Outlook - Dictate with Auto Punctuation and Voice Commands**](https://chrismenardtraining.com/post/word--outlook-dictate-auto-punctuation-voice-commands) The Dictate feature in Word and Outlook has been greatly improved. Dictate will now allow Auto Punctuation, Voice Commands, and a Profanity Filter. The Dictate command works in the Desktop apps - Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Interestingly, the new improvements only work in Word and Outlook.

Turn on Dictate in Word (Microsoft 365 account)

1. On the Home tab, click Dictate
2. Click the Microphone to start or stop dictation.
3. Setting are in the Ger icon for Dictation Settings

See the screenshot above for Outlook

Delete Blank Columns in Excel: 3 Easy Ways

Blank columns break sorting, filtering, and PivotTables. Remove them with Go To Special, a COUNTA helper row, or Power Query's Column quality view.

Copilot in PowerPoint: Explain vs. Review This Presentation

Copilot in PowerPoint now has two skills with nearly identical names that do very different jobs: Explain this presentation and Review this presentation. One helps you understand a deck someone else made. The other helps you improve a deck you made yourself. If you train people on Copilot, expect questions

Redesign Slides with Copilot's Visualize This Slide Skill in PowerPoint

Use the Visualize this slide skill in Copilot for PowerPoint to turn text-heavy slides into visual layouts. Three examples: bullets, a six-step process, and a timeline.

Copilot Skills in PowerPoint - Live Stream on October 20, 2026

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀. 𝗙𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟴 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁-𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸. Join me live on October 20, 2026, at Noon Eastern as I demonstrate each Copilot Skill and show practical ways to use them in your presentations. PDF of the 8 Copilot Skills in Pow