The phrase "word of God" does not have one single meaning in every context. In the Quran, Jesus is honored as "a word from Him" because he was created by Allah's command without a father, not because he is Allah's eternal Speech or a divine person.
Why the argument seems forceful
The argument is usually put like this: Muslims say the Quran is the "Word of God" and that God's Speech is not created. The Quran also calls Jesus "His Word" and "a word from Him." So, it is argued, Muslims should either accept that Jesus is uncreated and divine, or give up their belief that God's Word is uncreated.
This is a serious argument only if "word" must mean the same thing in all cases. But language does not work that way, and the Quran itself gives the explanation.
What the Quran actually says about Jesus
"O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary."
Quran 3:45
"The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and do not say, 'Three.'"
Quran 4:171
The second verse is especially clear. It calls Jesus Allah's word, but in the same breath says he is "only a messenger of Allah" and forbids turning this into Trinity. So the Quran itself blocks the conclusion that "His Word" means Jesus is God, part of God, or a divine person.
Classical Muslim scholars explained that Jesus is called Allah's "word" because he came into being through the command "Be," without the normal means of a human father. The Quran makes that exact comparison:
"Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, 'Be,' and he was."
Quran 3:59
"His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, 'Be,' and it is."
Quran 36:82
God's Speech and what His Speech creates
The key distinction is between Allah's attribute of Speech and the created thing brought about by His speech. Allah's command is from Him, but the thing commanded into existence is not Allah. When Allah says "Be" and a creature exists, the creature is not eternal simply because the divine command is from the eternal Lord.
The Quran is called the Speech of Allah in the sense that it is His revealed speech, not the speech of an angel or prophet. Jesus, by contrast, is not a recited revelation. He is a human messenger brought into existence by a special divine command. The shared English phrase "word of God" can hide that difference.
Arabic also uses expressions like "from Him" to show origin, honor, or creation by God's command, not that something is a piece of God. The Quran speaks of the "she-camel of Allah" and the "House of Allah"; no one thinks the camel or the Ka'bah is divine. These are honored created things attributed to Allah.
What the argument does and does not prove
The argument does prove that Jesus has a unique and honored status in Islam. He was born miraculously, was strengthened by Allah, and is one of the greatest messengers.
It does not prove that Jesus is uncreated, divine, or an incarnation of God's Speech. That reading contradicts the very verses being cited, which call him "son of Mary," "messenger of Allah," and warn against saying "Three."
So the strongest answer is simple: "word of God" must be read according to context. For the Quran, it refers to Allah's revealed speech. For Jesus, it refers to his miraculous creation by Allah's command. The title honors him deeply, but it does not make him God.