How to change the Dictation language on a Mac

Published 6 November 2026

Open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation and click Edit next to Languages. Tick the language you want. You can add more than one and switch between them while you dictate.

Change or add a language

1. Choose Apple menu → System Settings and click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
2. Go to Dictation and make sure it's on.
3. Click Edit next to Languages.
4. Select a language and region. Deselect any you want to remove.

Pick the right region as well as the language. English, for example, appears many times for different countries.

Switch while you talk

Once you have two or more languages, you get two ways to switch during dictation. Click the language next to the cursor, which appears as an abbreviation or a character. Or press the 🌐 key if your keyboard has it and choose from the list.

If something doesn't work

• The language isn't offered. Check Dictation on Apple's macOS Feature Availability page. Apple says availability varies by language and region.
• Dictation needs a connection. The same page has a separate list for on-device dictation. It includes Arabic, Danish, Dutch and many varieties of English, among others, but not every language. Below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings, your Mac says whether your dictation is processed on the device.
• There's no automatic punctuation. Auto-punctuation has its own list of supported languages, so it can be missing in one language and work in another.
• You're getting words in the wrong language. Check which language is selected next to the cursor, and switch if needed.

If you mix two languages

Apple's approach works when you stay in one language at a time. It's harder when a sentence moves between them or when your work terms are in English and the rest isn't. Dictating in two languages on a Mac goes into this in depth.

Saypad, which we make, uses Whisper, which works out the language from your speech, so there's nothing to switch. English is the language we've tested most. Most of our own test recordings were Russian with English terms mixed in, and we haven't verified every language.

Steps from Apple's Mac User Guide and macOS Feature Availability page, checked 6 November 2026.

Questions

How do I switch language while dictating?

With more than one language set up, click the language shown next to the cursor while Dictation is on, or press the 🌐 key if you have one, then choose the language.

Why isn't my language in the list?

Dictation isn't available in every language or region. Apple's macOS Feature Availability page lists which languages it covers.

Why does my language need the internet?

Not every language runs on the device. Apple keeps a separate list of languages with on-device dictation, and Keyboard settings show whether what you dictate stays on your Mac.

Can a Mac detect the language automatically?

Apple's guide describes switching languages yourself. Whisper-based apps such as Saypad detect the language from your speech.