You can click buttons on the Language bar to select speech recognition or handwriting recognition to enter text in Microsoft Office programs, or to select an Input Method Editor (IME) to enter East Asian text.

The Language bar appears in the upper-right corner of the screen in Office programs, or in the lower-right corner of the screen in East Asian language versions of Office programs. You can drag the Language bar to another area on the screen, or move it out of the way by temporarily hiding it.

Note  For more information about the Language bar, see the Help in your Office program.

Using speech recognition

Speech recognition is available in the Simplified Chinese, English (U.S.), and Japanese language versions of Office.

Clicking Speech on the Tools menu in Microsoft Word installs speech recognition in all Office programs, or you can do a custom installation. Before using speech recognition, you can increase speech recognition accuracy by reading aloud prepared text to train your computer to recognize how you speak. After speech recognition is installed and trained, click Microphone on the Language bar to turn speech recognition on.

Language bar with the microphone and speech recognition turned off

You can switch between dictating text and giving voice commands by clicking Dictation or Voice Command on the Language bar in Office programs.

Language bar with speech recognition turned on

You can also click Speech Tools on the Language bar to change user profiles if you are sharing a computer with other people, or to select other speech recognition options.

For more information about speech recognition, see the Help in your Office program.

Using handwriting recognition

Handwriting recognition is available in the Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean language versions of Office. You'll need to install handwriting recognition.

1. In the Microsoft Office Setup Wizard, click the plus sign (+) next to Office Shared Features, and then click the plus sign (+) next to Alternative User Input.

   Note  For more information about installing or removing individual components, see the Help in your Office program.

2. Click the arrow next to Handwriting, and then select the type of installation you want.
3. Click Update.

Once handwriting recognition is installed, you can open an Office program and click a button on the Language bar to enter text by writing instead of typing. For example, click Write Anywhere to write anywhere on the screen, or click Handwriting to select another type of writing area.

Language bar with handwriting recognition turned on

For more information about handwriting recognition, see the Help in your Office program.

Using an Input Method Editor (IME)

You can install IMEs for Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. IMEs are available for download on the Microsoft Office Online site; they are also included in the Microsoft Office Proofing Tools and the Microsoft Office Multilingual User Interface Pack.

Once you have installed an IME and opened the Office program you want to type in, you can use the Language bar to select IME options and to switch between input languages, as shown in the following picture.

You can also select your own keyboard shortcuts for switching between input languages.

1. Click the Options arrow shown in the following picture.

2. Click Settings.

3. Under Preferences, click Key Settings.

4. Under Action, click Switch between input languages, and then click Change Key Sequence.

5. Select the options you want.

Click the keyboard layout indicator to change the input language.

Set options specific to the IME you've selected.

Click Options to set the key sequence for switching between input languages.

For more information about installing, setting up, and using IMEs, see the Help in your Office program or the Help that is provided with each IME.

Showing or hiding text labels on the Language bar

The Language bar can show text labels beside each button on the bar.

Language bar with text labels

You can show or hide the text labels by right-clicking the Language bar, and then clicking Text Labels.

Language bar without text labels

Notes

• Speech recognition, handwriting recognition, and IMEs are not included in the Japanese language stand-alone version of Access, Excel, FrontPage, Outlook, PowerPoint, or Publisher. However, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, and IMEs are available in these Office programs provided that you are also running the Japanese language stand-alone version of Word.
• IMEs are also available for download on the Microsoft Office Online Web site; and they are included in the Microsoft Office Proofing Tools and the Microsoft Office Multilingual User Interface Pack.