diff --git a/esphome/components/voice_assistant/__init__.py b/esphome/components/voice_assistant/__init__.py
index d30eaf4768..d66ef43fdc 100644
--- a/esphome/components/voice_assistant/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/voice_assistant/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 from esphome import automation
-from esphome.automation import register_action, register_condition
+from esphome.automation import register_condition
 import esphome.codegen as cg
 from esphome.components import media_player, micro_wake_word, microphone, speaker
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
@@ -62,15 +62,6 @@ MAX_MICROPHONE_SOURCES = 2
 voice_assistant_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("voice_assistant")
 VoiceAssistant = voice_assistant_ns.class_("VoiceAssistant", cg.Component)
 
-StartAction = voice_assistant_ns.class_(
-    "StartAction", automation.Action, cg.Parented.template(VoiceAssistant)
-)
-StartContinuousAction = voice_assistant_ns.class_(
-    "StartContinuousAction", automation.Action, cg.Parented.template(VoiceAssistant)
-)
-StopAction = voice_assistant_ns.class_(
-    "StopAction", automation.Action, cg.Parented.template(VoiceAssistant)
-)
 IsRunningCondition = voice_assistant_ns.class_(
     "IsRunningCondition", automation.Condition, cg.Parented.template(VoiceAssistant)
 )
@@ -406,51 +397,31 @@ async def to_code(config: ConfigType) -> None:
 VOICE_ASSISTANT_ACTION_SCHEMA = cv.Schema({cv.GenerateID(): cv.use_id(VoiceAssistant)})
 
 
-@register_action(
+automation.register_apply_action(
     "voice_assistant.start_continuous",
-    StartContinuousAction,
     VOICE_ASSISTANT_ACTION_SCHEMA,
-    synchronous=True,
+    automation.ApplyCall("request_start(true, true)"),
 )
-@register_action(
+# wake_word defaults to "" so a start without one clears the previous wake word,
+# as the old action did.
+automation.register_apply_action(
     "voice_assistant.start",
-    StartAction,
     VOICE_ASSISTANT_ACTION_SCHEMA.extend(
         {
             cv.Optional(CONF_SILENCE_DETECTION, default=True): cv.boolean,
-            cv.Optional(CONF_WAKE_WORD): cv.templatable(cv.string),
+            cv.Optional(CONF_WAKE_WORD, default=""): cv.templatable(cv.string),
         }
     ),
-    synchronous=True,
+    automation.ApplyField(CONF_WAKE_WORD, "set_wake_word", cg.std_string),
+    automation.ApplyCall(
+        "request_start(false, {})", ((CONF_SILENCE_DETECTION, cg.bool_),)
+    ),
 )
-async def voice_assistant_listen_to_code(
-    config: ConfigType,
-    action_id: ID,
-    template_arg: cg.TemplateArguments,
-    args: TemplateArgsType,
-) -> MockObj:
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg)
-    await cg.register_parented(var, config[CONF_ID])
-    if CONF_SILENCE_DETECTION in config:
-        cg.add(var.set_silence_detection(config[CONF_SILENCE_DETECTION]))
-    if wake_word := config.get(CONF_WAKE_WORD):
-        templ = await cg.templatable(wake_word, args, cg.std_string)
-        cg.add(var.set_wake_word(templ))
-    return var
-
-
-@register_action(
-    "voice_assistant.stop", StopAction, VOICE_ASSISTANT_ACTION_SCHEMA, synchronous=True
+automation.register_apply_action(
+    "voice_assistant.stop",
+    VOICE_ASSISTANT_ACTION_SCHEMA,
+    automation.ApplyCall("request_stop()"),
 )
-async def voice_assistant_stop_to_code(
-    config: ConfigType,
-    action_id: ID,
-    template_arg: cg.TemplateArguments,
-    args: TemplateArgsType,
-) -> MockObj:
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg)
-    await cg.register_parented(var, config[CONF_ID])
-    return var
 
 
 @register_condition(
diff --git a/esphome/components/voice_assistant/voice_assistant.h b/esphome/components/voice_assistant/voice_assistant.h
index d46b089c2e..88ddb2066a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/voice_assistant/voice_assistant.h
+++ b/esphome/components/voice_assistant/voice_assistant.h
@@ -347,31 +347,6 @@ class VoiceAssistant final : public Component {
 #endif
 };
 
-template<typename... Ts> class StartAction final : public Action<Ts...>, public Parented<VoiceAssistant> {
-  TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(std::string, wake_word);
-
- public:
-  void play(const Ts &...x) override {
-    this->parent_->set_wake_word(this->wake_word_.value(x...));
-    this->parent_->request_start(false, this->silence_detection_);
-  }
-
-  void set_silence_detection(bool silence_detection) { this->silence_detection_ = silence_detection; }
-
- protected:
-  bool silence_detection_;
-};
-
-template<typename... Ts> class StartContinuousAction final : public Action<Ts...>, public Parented<VoiceAssistant> {
- public:
-  void play(const Ts &...x) override { this->parent_->request_start(true, true); }
-};
-
-template<typename... Ts> class StopAction final : public Action<Ts...>, public Parented<VoiceAssistant> {
- public:
-  void play(const Ts &...x) override { this->parent_->request_stop(); }
-};
-
 template<typename... Ts> class IsRunningCondition final : public Condition<Ts...>, public Parented<VoiceAssistant> {
  public:
   bool check(const Ts &...x) override { return this->parent_->is_running() || this->parent_->is_continuous(); }
diff --git a/tests/components/voice_assistant/common-idf.yaml b/tests/components/voice_assistant/common-idf.yaml
index 812e7a2314..998ba90dd9 100644
--- a/tests/components/voice_assistant/common-idf.yaml
+++ b/tests/components/voice_assistant/common-idf.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ esphome:
   on_boot:
     then:
       - voice_assistant.start
+      - voice_assistant.start:
+          wake_word: okay_nabu
+          silence_detection: false
       - voice_assistant.start_continuous
       - voice_assistant.stop
 
diff --git a/tests/components/voice_assistant/common.yaml b/tests/components/voice_assistant/common.yaml
index 8604bea795..5a5791899e 100644
--- a/tests/components/voice_assistant/common.yaml
+++ b/tests/components/voice_assistant/common.yaml
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ esphome:
   on_boot:
     then:
       - voice_assistant.start
+      - voice_assistant.start:
+          wake_word: okay_nabu
+          silence_detection: false
       - voice_assistant.start_continuous
       - voice_assistant.stop