Dictation on Mac: How to Turn It On and Use It
Turn it on in System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, click where the text should go, then press the Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. This guide covers the shortcut, languages, spoken punctuation, privacy and what to do when Mac dictation stops or does not work, all from Apple's own documentation.
- Microphone key or your own shortcut
- On-device in many languages
- Automatic commas, periods, question marks
- Over 60 languages and regions
What speech to text on a Mac does, and where your voice goes
Dictation is built into macOS. Apple puts it simply: you can speak to enter text anywhere you can type it, whether that is Mail, Pages, Notes or a field in your browser. It is made for writing, not for running the computer. If you want to operate your Mac entirely by voice, Apple points you to Voice Control instead, and while Voice Control is on, the standard Dictation is not available.
Where your speech is processed depends on the language and on your Mac. Apple's macOS feature availability page lists on-device dictation for many languages, English (UK and US), French and German among them, and notes that it requires a download of speech models. To see what applies to your own Mac, open System Settings > Keyboard and read the text below Dictation. It tells you whether voice input and transcripts for general text dictation, such as messages and notes, are processed on the device and not sent to Siri servers. Apple explicitly leaves dictation into a search box out of that statement.
The first time you turn Dictation on, macOS asks whether you want to help improve Siri and Dictation. Share Audio Recordings lets Apple store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions, and Apple may review a sample of it. Not Now declines. You can change your mind at any time in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Improve Siri & Dictation.
How to use dictation on a Mac
The paths follow Apple's Mac User Guide for current macOS. If your Mac runs an older version, the guide lets you pick it at the top of the page.
Turn on Dictation in System Settings
Choose Apple menu > System Settings and click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down). Go to Dictation, switch it on and click Enable. macOS then asks whether to share audio recordings to improve Siri and Dictation: choose Share Audio Recordings or Not Now.
Pick your dictation language
In the same Dictation section, click Edit next to Languages and select a language and region, for example English (United Kingdom). You can set up several. While you dictate, switch by clicking the language shown next to the cursor, or press the Globe key if your keyboard has one and choose the language.
Start dictating
Click where the text should go. Press the Microphone key in the row of function keys if your Mac has one, use your Dictation keyboard shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. Press and release the Microphone key: holding it down calls Siri instead. When the cursor is highlighted and pulsing, or you hear the ready tone, start speaking. On a Mac with Apple silicon you can keep typing while you talk without stopping dictation.
Set or change the dictation shortcut
In System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, open the Shortcut pop-up menu and choose one of the offered shortcuts, such as pressing the Fn key twice. For a combination that is not in the list, choose Customize and press the keys you want, for example Option-Z. Depending on your Mac model, picking a shortcut can automatically change the “Press fn key to” option in Keyboard settings.
Say punctuation, line breaks and emoji
In supported languages, Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks by itself as you speak; turn this off with Auto-punctuation in the Dictation settings. You can also say punctuation by name: “comma”, “full stop” or “period”, “question mark”, “exclamation mark”, “colon”, “hyphen”, “open parenthesis” and “close parenthesis”, “quote” and “end quote”. Say “new line” for one Return and “new paragraph” for two; both appear when you finish dictating. “all caps” writes the next word in capitals, “caps on” and “caps off” switch Title Case on and off. In some languages you can also say an emoji name, like “heart emoji”.
Stop and correct
There is no time limit on how long you dictate. Stop with the Escape key, the Microphone key or your shortcut. Dictation also stops on its own when it detects no speech for 30 seconds. Words it was unsure about are underlined in blue: click one to choose an alternative, or type or dictate the right word.
Choose the right microphone
Next to Microphone source in the Dictation settings you can see which device your Mac is listening to. Pick a specific microphone, or Automatic to let the Mac use the device you are most likely to dictate with.
If dictation on your Mac does not work
Apple's checklist: Dictation is on in Keyboard settings, the right language and region are selected, and you are using the correct shortcut. An external microphone must be connected, selected in Sound or Keyboard settings and loud enough (System Settings > Sound > Input). Keep the built-in microphone uncovered, speak clearly at a normal volume and avoid background noise or echo; a headset microphone can help. You may need an internet connection, and the text below Dictation in Keyboard settings tells you whether you do. If Voice Control is on, standard Dictation is not available.
When Mac dictation is not enough
Clean text instead of a word-for-word transcript
Mac dictation types what you say and adds commas, periods and question marks in supported languages. Mr.Speech also removes filler words, catches you correcting yourself and builds paragraphs and lists. Say “dinner at seven, actually never mind, let's do eight” and you get “Dinner at 8.” Nine cleanup styles, from Literal to Email, work in every language rather than English only.
It types into any app, on its own hotkey
Like macOS Dictation, Mr.Speech writes wherever your cursor is: Mail, Pages, Safari, the Terminal. Hold to talk, or tap to talk with auto stop, and your clipboard is saved and restored around every paste. On a Mac you allow access to the microphone and to Accessibility once, on your first dictation.
It learns your vocabulary without overreaching
Names, acronyms and jargon go in a personal dictionary. Corrections you make are detected and offered back as one click suggestions. Nothing changes what you dictate next unless you say yes.
A local mode with no internet at all
In local mode, speech recognition runs on your own computer in 40 languages with real punctuation, with no internet and no audio leaving the machine. It can be slower than the cloud mode, which is processed in Europe. You choose per task.
The same app on Windows and Linux
macOS Dictation stays on the Mac. Mr.Speech runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs, Windows 11 and 10 and Linux, with the same features on each, so a mixed setup at work or at home does not mean learning three different tools.
Meetings without a bot
Dictation writes what you say. Mr.Speech also records calls on your computer, your microphone and the call audio as separate tracks, with no bot joining, and turns them into a summary, action items and a task board. An on-device meeting mode keeps both recording and transcription on your machine.
macOS Dictation and Mr.Speech compared
The built-in dictation is a good answer for short text. The differences show up in longer writing, in your own vocabulary and across devices.
| Mr.Speech | macOS Dictation | |
|---|---|---|
| Types where your cursor is | Any desktop app | Anywhere you can type |
| Automatic punctuation | Punctuation, paragraphs and lists | Commas, periods, question marks in supported languages |
| Filler words removed | Fillers and self-corrections cleaned up | Not described on Apple's pages |
| Personal vocabulary | Personal dictionary with suggestions | Not described on Apple's Dictation pages |
| Works without internet | Local mode, 40 languages | On-device in many languages, after a speech model download |
| Windows and Linux | Windows 11 and 10, Linux | Part of macOS |
| Meeting recording | Both sides of a call, no bot | Dictation only |
Checked on 29 September 2026 on Apple's own support pages.
Questions
How do I turn on dictation on a Mac?
Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar, go to Dictation, switch it on and click Enable. Then click into any text field and press the Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation.
What is the keyboard shortcut for dictation on a Mac?
You choose it. In System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation, the Shortcut pop-up menu offers several options, such as pressing the Fn key twice, and Customize lets you record your own combination, for example Option-Z. If your keyboard has a Microphone key in the function row, pressing it also starts Dictation.
Does Mac dictation work offline?
In many languages, yes. Apple lists on-device dictation for English, French, German and many other languages, after a download of speech models. Apple also says you may need an internet connection, and the text below Dictation in System Settings > Keyboard tells you whether your Mac needs one and whether general text dictation is processed on the device.
Why does dictation keep stopping on my Mac?
Dictation stops on its own when it detects no speech for 30 seconds. There is no limit on how long you dictate, so pausing is what ends it. Pressing Escape, the Microphone key or your shortcut also stops it.
Why is dictation not working on my Mac?
Check that Dictation is on in Keyboard settings, that the right language and region are selected and that you are using the right shortcut. Make sure the microphone is connected, selected and loud enough, and not covered. You may need an internet connection. If Voice Control is on, standard Dictation is not available.
How do I add punctuation when dictating on a Mac?
In supported languages, commas, periods and question marks are added automatically. For anything else, say its name: “exclamation mark”, “colon”, “open parenthesis”, “quote”. Say “new line” or “new paragraph” for line breaks.
Which languages does Mac dictation support?
Apple's macOS feature availability page lists more than 60 languages and regional variants for Dictation. Automatic punctuation covers fewer: English (United Kingdom) and English (United States) are included, English (Ireland) is not. Add languages under Keyboard > Dictation > Languages > Edit.
How do I change the microphone for dictation on a Mac?
Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation and open the pop-up menu next to Microphone source. Choose a microphone, or Automatic to let your Mac pick the device you are most likely to dictate with.
Does Apple keep recordings of my dictation?
Only if you allow it. When you turn Dictation on, Share Audio Recordings lets Apple store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions and review a sample; Not Now declines. You can change this under Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Improve Siri & Dictation.
Is there speech to text for Mac beyond the built-in dictation?
Yes. Dedicated dictation apps can add what the built-in tool does not describe: filler word removal, a personal vocabulary and formatting for the app you write in. Mr.Speech does that on Apple Silicon Macs, runs fully offline in local mode, and the same app exists for Windows and Linux.
