Dictation on Mac: How to Enable & Use It on MacBook Air/Pro?

Voice typing function on Mac computers is very practical. If you have difficulty mobility, have difficulty typing, or just want to enter text at the speed of your conversation, you can use Apple's dictation feature to typify on your Mac. When you speak, the Mac will automatically type out what you said.

This article will explain what dictation is on your Mac, how to enable voice typing on your Mac, and how to best use the voice to text feature on your MacBook.

What is the dictation feature on Mac

The dictation feature allows you to use voice typing on your Mac. After the settings are complete, you can enter text via voice. You can use the voice typing feature on your Mac anywhere you normally need to type.

The dictation or voice-to-text function on Mac is different from voice control. Voice control is another feature of Apple that allows you to control your MacBook using voice—for example, opening an app, scrolling a page up or down, and pressing a button.

If you don't want your computer to transcribe your voice, but just keep the audio from the voice file, learn how to record audio on your Mac.

Language and Regional Settings Supported by macOS Dictation Function

Not all languages ​​are available for voice typing on Mac. Depending on the language you are using, you may need to download other language files during the setup process.

You can use the voice to text feature on your Mac in the following languages, including some regional variations:

• Arabic
• Cantonese
• Catalan
• Croatian
• Czech
• Danish
• Dutch
• English
• Finnish
• French
• German
• Greek
• Hebrew
• Hindi
• Hungarian
• Indonesian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Malay
• mandarin
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Romanian
• Russian
• Shanghai dialect
• Slovakian
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Thai
• Turkish
• Ukrainian
• Vietnamese

However, some enhancements, such as automatic punctuation or the ability to dictate emojis, are only available in some of these languages.

How to enable dictation on your Mac

Enabling voice typing on your Mac is very simple. Simply enter Apple's system settings on your MacBook, scroll down to the keyboard in the sidebar, and turn on the dictation feature. You can also choose language, microphone source, and whether you want to use automatic punctuation.

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1. Turn on the dictation function on your Mac

So, how to type in voice on Mac? To enable dictation or voice typing on your Mac:

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings .
2. In the sidebar, tap on the keyboard (you may have to scroll down to find this section).
3. Click the slider to turn on the dictation feature.

2. Set dictation keyboard shortcuts

By default, the keyboard shortcut for voice typing on a Mac is the microphone button—on MacBook or other Apple keyboards, this is the F5 key. However, you may want to change it.

To set keyboard shortcuts for dictation or voice to text on your Mac:

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings .
2. In the sidebar, select Keyboard .
3. Scroll down to dictation . Under Shortcuts , click the drop-down menu to select the option you like. If you don't want to use any of the default shortcut settings, click Custom to set your own shortcuts.

3. Use advanced voice commands

In addition to simply entering text with voice, you can also dictate emojis, punctuation marks, and some formatting.

How to use advanced voice commands in voice to text on MacBook:

• To enter punctuation, say the name of the punctuation, such as an apostrophe —you can find a complete list of punctuation commands on Apple’s website.
• To enter a newline, say newline .
• To enter a paragraph separator, say the new paragraph .
• To enter the next word into capitalization, say all capitalizations .
• To enter an emoji, say the name of the emoji, such as a heart emoji .

4. Use third-party dictation tools on your Mac

While Apple's built-in dictation software is great, you may also like to try voice typing on your Mac using third-party software. This is especially useful if you use Windows or Android and want to use the same application on all platforms.

There are many third-party dictation apps, although many require a one-time or regular payment.

There are some tips you should keep in mind when downloading new software to avoid accidentally installing spyware on your Mac:

• Download and install apps only from reputable sources such as App Store or websites of genuine developers
• Read comments before installing the app
• Delete suspicious apps
• Run antivirus scans on your Mac regularly and remove any threats immediately

How to use dictation on your Mac

Now that you know how to use the voice to text feature on your MacBook, let's consider why you might want to use it.

You can use the dictation feature on macOS anywhere you normally type text. Voice to text on Mac can make text faster and easier for users with mobility difficulties or anyone who finds typing. It is also very useful for anyone who wants to work on multiple tasks at the same time or typing slower – it’s a huge productivity booster!

How to improve dictation on Mac

If you've used dictation on your Mac, you may have discovered that it doesn't always generate your text accurately. While it's easy to use the voice to text feature on your Mac, there are some ways to improve its performance.

By ensuring you are in a quiet environment without background noise, you can make dictation on your Mac more accurate. Make sure you are using the correct language settings and check that your microphone is working properly. If your laptop's built-in microphone doesn't pick up your sound, you may need to use an external microphone.

To improve voice to text Mac:

• Ensure minimum background noise
• Check if you are using the correct language settings
• Check that your microphone is working properly or use an external microphone if necessary
• Update macOS – Apple may include improvements in its latest version

Are you having problems using the voice to text feature on your MacBook? Please check out our article to learn what to do if you find that the dictation feature on your MacBook doesn't work.

in conclusion

Dictation or voice typing on Mac is a very useful Apple feature. It allows you to enter text using voice, rather than typing on the keyboard. It is especially useful for people with mobility difficulties, those with slower typing, or anyone who wants to type in words while doing other things.

If you have trouble setting up voice to text on your MacBook, the MacKeeper Advanced Services team can help. Whether day or night, you can contact your Mac experts with a few clicks.

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