How to use dictation on Mac

Turn on Dictation

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down).
2. Go to Dictation, turn it on, then click Enable.
3. If asked whether you want to improve Siri and Dictation: Share Audio Recordings lets Apple store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions (Apple may review a sample); Not Now declines. You can change this later under Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements > Improve Siri & Dictation.

Start and stop dictating

1. In any app, place the insertion point where you want the text.
2. Press the Microphone key in the function row (if available), use the Dictation keyboard shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. Press and release the Microphone key for Dictation; pressing and holding it activates Siri.
3. When the cursor is highlighted and pulsing, or you hear the tone, start speaking. There is no time limit.
4. When you’re done, press Esc, the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut. Dictation stops automatically after 30 seconds without speech.

Set the Dictation keyboard shortcut

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and go to Dictation.
2. Click the Shortcut pop-up menu and choose a shortcut, such as Press Fn (Function) Key Twice.
3. For a combination not in the list, choose Customize and press the keys you want, for example Option-Z.

Punctuation, new lines and emoji

• In supported languages, Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks automatically; turn off Auto-punctuation under Keyboard > Dictation if you don’t want it.
• Say the name of a punctuation mark, such as “exclamation mark”.
• Say “new line” (one Return) or “new paragraph” (two Returns); they appear when you finish dictating.
• Say the name of an emoji, like “heart emoji”.

Dictate in more than one language

1. Under Keyboard > Dictation, click Edit next to Languages and select the languages and regions you need, for example English and Mandarin (China mainland).
2. While dictating, click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key (if available) and choose a language.

Dictation isn’t available in every language or region, and features vary. According to Apple’s macOS feature availability page: Mandarin (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese and Shanghainese; in macOS 27, Apple Intelligence improves spelling and punctuation for English dictation only.

Mac dictation not working? Check these in order

Based on Apple’s troubleshooting page:

1. Make sure Dictation is turned on in Keyboard settings.
2. Make sure you’re using the correct Dictation shortcut. Holding the Microphone key activates Siri, not Dictation.
3. Choose the correct language and region.
4. Check the microphone: a Mac without a built-in mic needs an external one connected and selected in Sound or Keyboard settings (Microphone source under Dictation); for an external mic, raise its input volume in Apple menu > System Settings > Sound > Input.
5. Keep clothing or your body from blocking the microphone, speak clearly at a normal volume, and try a headset mic in noisy or echoey rooms.
6. You may need an internet connection. The text below Dictation in Keyboard settings tells you whether you need one and whether dictation is processed on your device and not sent to Siri servers.
7. If Voice Control is on, it handles dictation and standard macOS Dictation isn’t available.

After the words come out wrong

For the quickest ways to fix English words, numbers and names, see How to fix dictation mistakes on Mac. For how built-in Dictation differs from Qugora, see Qugora vs macOS Dictation.