1. Add or change a Mac Dictation language
Open System Settings, choose Keyboard, scroll to Dictation, then choose Edit next to Languages. Select the language and region you want to add; deselect one to remove it.
Choose the regional variant that matches how you speak when one is available. The selected Dictation language is a speech-recognition setting, so changing only the keyboard input source does not necessarily change what Dictation expects to hear.
- Open System Settings → Keyboard.
- Scroll to Dictation and choose Edit next to Languages.
- Select the language and regional variant.
- Let any required speech model finish downloading before testing.
2. Set up and switch between multiple languages
Apple says you can configure more than one Dictation language. While Dictation is active, click the language shown beside the cursor; macOS displays it as an abbreviation or representative characters.
On a Mac with a Globe key, Apple also documents pressing Globe and choosing the Dictation language. If Globe opens a different keyboard or system action, use the visible language control beside the Dictation cursor and verify the current Globe setting under Keyboard.
3. Treat each Dictation capability as a separate language list
Apple’s macOS Feature Availability page separates basic Dictation from On-Device and Modeless Dictation, Auto-Punctuation, and Dictate Emoji. A language appearing in one table does not prove that every additional feature is available in that language or region.
Use Apple’s live table instead of an undated copied list. It changes with macOS releases, speech-model downloads, languages, and regions. This page links to the current macOS Tahoe table in Sources.
- Check basic Dictation availability.
- Check On-Device and Modeless Dictation separately.
- Check Auto-Punctuation separately.
- Check Dictate Emoji separately.
4. Recheck the processing disclosure after changing language
Apple tells users to read the note beneath Keyboard → Dictation to see whether general voice inputs and transcripts are processed on the device for the active configuration. Language and downloaded model availability can affect that boundary.
Do not carry a privacy conclusion from one language or Mac to another. After switching languages, inspect the current note and Apple’s Ask Siri, Dictation & Privacy disclosure before sensitive use.
5. Fix the wrong language or a missing feature
Test in a new TextEdit document. Confirm the selected Dictation language and region, then start a fresh Dictation session and use the visible language control. If speech is recognized as the wrong language, remove an unused language temporarily and test again.
If ordinary words work but automatic punctuation or dictated emoji do not, check that feature’s separate availability table. If the language is supported but Dictation is silent, verify the microphone source, input level, active shortcut, Voice Control state, and any required model download.
6. Know the current IraVoice language boundary
Apple Dictation is the broader first choice when you need a supported non-English language. The current IraVoice release exposes nine English regional speech choices: United States, India, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa.
Choose IraVoice 0.7.1 on macOS 26+ Apple-silicon only when one of those English locales fits and you specifically need its held-key local workflow or Voice-to-Spec. IraVoice is not currently the right recommendation for broad multilingual dictation.