Step 3: To change the language while you’re dictating, click the current language below the microphone icon and select a new one.

Step 2: Press the key combination or choose Edit > Start Dictation from the menu bar, and you’ll see a small microphone icon appear on the screen.īegin speaking, and you’ll see your text appear in the app and the icon fluctuate for volume as you speak. Step 1: Place your cursor in the app where you want to speak the text. Once you have dictation enabled, you can simply use the keyboard shortcut to begin using it. Should you choose to turn off keyboard dictation later, return to the Keyboard settings in System Preferences and select Off on the Dictation tab. When you finish, close the System Preferences window, and you’re set. Step 7: To use a specific microphone for the input, click the Drop-Down Arrow below the Microphone icon on the left. You can also set your own keyboard shortcut by selecting Customize and entering the combination you want to use. Step 6: To use a different keyboard shortcut to turn on dictation, click the Shortcut drop-down box and choose the one you want. Step 5: To use a different language, click the language drop-down box and either pick a language from the list or select Customize to add one. If you want to continue, click Enable Dictation.

Step 4: You’ll see a pop-up message letting you know that what you dictate will be sent to Apple to convert it to text. Step 2: Select the Dictation tab in the keyboard settings. Step 1: Open your System Preferences using the icon in your Dock or the Apple icon in the menu bar, and choose Keyboard. The keyboard dictation is a feature that you need to turn on in order to use. Let’s take a look at how to use dictation on a Mac, along with some common commands. You can also adjust settings for a keyboard shortcut to activate dictation and the language you speak. With the dictation feature included in your keyboard settings, you can speak your text in apps like Pages, Notes, and Mail. If you want to try dictation on your Mac, you can use a handy built-in tool, so you don’t need a third-party app or dictation software. It allows you to dictate documents, emails, and even text messages rather than typing them.

Using speech-to-text has become a popular way to use dictation on a Mac.

How to command dictation on mac