Dragon Professional

What it does

Dragon Professional v16 turns spoken words into text on Windows. It takes live microphone speech for dictation and can also transcribe pre-recorded audio files, including batch processing of audio recordings with the Auto Transcribe Folder Agent. The output is editable text documents, and users can run voice commands to control the PC and applications.

People use Dragon to draft documents faster than typing, insert boilerplate or signatures with custom voice commands, and build macros for multi-step workflows. Its documentation highlights a deep-learning speech engine meant to hold accuracy for users with accents or in noisy open-office settings, plus centralized administration through the Nuance Management Center for distributing shared templates and disclosures across a group.

Dragon Professional suits solo professionals and organizations in document-heavy fields such as financial services, education, and health and human services. Installation requires a Windows PC, with v16 optimized for Windows 11 and backwards-compatible with Windows 10, and a microphone; volume licensing and group deployments involve administrator setup. Accuracy depends on microphone quality and environment, and a companion mobile app, Dragon Anywhere Mobile, is a separate product.

What it can do

• Live speech-to-text dictation of documents
• Transcription of pre-existing audio files, including batch processing with the Auto Transcribe Folder Agent
• Custom voice commands to insert standard boilerplate text or signatures
• Macros that automate multi-step workflows by voice
• Voice control of the PC and individual applications
• Centralized deployment, custom words, commands and auto-texts through the Nuance Management Center

Works with

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel

Example workflows

Dictating a client document

Input: spoken narrative via microphone. Steps: start dictation in Word, use voice commands to insert a standard signature block, correct words with voice editing. Output: an editable Word document with the signature inserted.

Batch transcribing recorded interviews

Input: a folder of audio recordings. Steps: place files in the folder watched by the Auto Transcribe Folder Agent and let it process them. Output: text transcripts for review and editing.

Before you choose

• Dictation accuracy depends on microphone quality and the speaker's environment; test the setup before relying on it for documents.
• Mobile dictation is provided through Dragon Anywhere Mobile, a separate product page referenced by this listing.
• Group deployments require administration via the Nuance Management Center, which adds a server or cloud setup step.

Listed under

• Productivity
• Writing and docs
• Accessibility
• Dictation
• Documentation
• Enterprise
• Professional
• Speech recognition

Get started

Use the official contact route for edition and licensing guidance.

1. Install Dragon Professional on a supported Windows PC, following the installation guide for individual or volume licensing.
2. Connect and test a microphone; for Bluetooth headsets, plug in the dongle before opening Dragon.
3. Complete voice profile and microphone setup in the software, then create any custom commands or auto-texts you need.

Licensing depends on the Dragon Professional edition and deployment. Check Microsoft’s current purchasing route for individual or organizational terms.

We couldn’t find published prices for Dragon Professional. See their pricing page ↗

Sources for this overview

Product pages, documentation, and pricing checked 28 Oct 2026. Each source supports part of the overview; availability and prices can change.

• Buy Dragon Professional - Speech Recognition | Nuance ↗dragon.nuance.com
• User Documentation Dragon Speech Recognition Software and Solutions | Nuance ↗dragon.nuance.com

Company website

dragon.nuance.com: product, pricing and policy pages

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knowledge_base

Last checked 28 Oct 2026. Every field keeps its source and date; unknown means we couldn’t confirm it.