What part of speech is dictate?

"Dictate" can be two parts of speech, depending on how it's used:

* Verb: When it describes the act of speaking or writing something for someone else to record, e.g. "The boss dictated a letter to his assistant."

* Noun: When it refers to the thing being spoken or written, e.g. "The teacher's dictate was to finish the assignment by Friday."

So, to figure out the part of speech, consider the context of the sentence!