You’ll see those languages you added and can select the one you want to use at any given time. If you enabled another language in the dictation settings described above, you can switch to it while dictating.Ĭlick the language indicator in the feedback window below the microphone. Note: If you use the “new line” or “new paragraph” commands, you’ll see these formats appear when you finish dictating. Resume the default cases for the above phrase: All caps off.Format a phrase in all caps: All caps on.Resume the default case for the above phrase: Caps off.Set up the phrase in the title case: Caps on.Format the text as a Roman numeral: Roman numeral.And for a complete list, visit the Apple Support page for dictation commands. To help you with some of the common commands you’ll need, here’s a short list. Most times, you’ll simply speak the item, for instance, you can add a question mark by saying “question mark” or a comma with “comma”. There are a variety of commands you can use while dictating for formatting, punctuation, capitalization, special characters, and more. A microphone icon will appear as your feedback window and fluctuate as you speak, indicating volume.Īpple suggests that you dictate no more than 40 seconds at a time for optimal results. Use the keyboard shortcut ( explained above double press the Fn key or Control key) to start dictation.

Open an app that you want to use for dictation like Notes, Mail, or Pages. Once you have dictation enabled with the settings you want, using it is easy. If you have others, you can change this easily.ġ) Go back to the dictation settings by opening System Preferences and selecting Keyboard.Ĥ) Click the drop-down arrow below the microphone icon and select the device to use. You may want to use a tool other than your Mac’s microphone for dictation. To create your own, select Customize and press the keys you want to use. To choose a different shortcut, pick one from the drop-down list. Shortcut: The default shortcut to start dictation after it’s enabled is to click the Fn key on your keyboard twice (On newer macOS versions, it can be Press Control Key Twice). To use another already installed, select it in the drop-down list or to install and use another, click Add Language and pick one from the list. Language: The default language set on your Mac will display here.

Optional dictation settingsĪfter you enable dictation, you can optionally adjust the Language and Shortcut. Turning on dictation on Mac takes only a couple of clicks:ġ) Open System Preferences using the icon in your Dock or Apple icon > System Preferences from the menu bar.Ĥ) Mark the radio button for On and confirm you want to turn on dictation by clicking Enable Dictation. 4) Disable dictation on Mac Enable dictation on Mac

Speech to text mac