Aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression has been linked to cancer development. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the anti‑cancer effect of miRNA‑299‑3p on laryngeal cancer Hep‑2 cells is mediated through targeting human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). The expression of miR‑299‑3p in laryngeal cancer Hep‑2 cells and human osteosarcoma U2OS cells was quantified by stem‑loop‑mediated reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. miR‑299‑3p mimic was transfected into Hep‑2 cells to induce overexpression of miR‑299‑3p. A CCK‑8 assay was performed to identify the effects of miR‑299‑3p overexpression on the proliferation of Hep‑2 cells. Western blot analysis was carried out to determine the expression of hTERT protein. A significant decrease was noted in the expression of miR‑299‑3p in Hep‑2 cells compared with that of U2OS cells (P<0.05). Overexpression of miR‑299‑3p resulted in a notable inhibition of cellular proliferation (P<0.05), as well as downregulation of hTERT mRNA and protein in Hep‑2 cells (P>0.05). The expression of miR‑299‑3p is downregulated in human laryngeal cancer Hep‑2 cells. Overexpression of miR‑299‑3p inhibits Hep‑2 cell growth by targeting the 3'‑untranslated region of hTERT mRNA.