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How to turn on dictation on a Mac

Open System Settings > Keyboard and turn Dictation on. The shortcut is printed next to the switch. Press it in any text field and talk.

How to do it

  1. Open System Settings > Keyboard.

  2. Turn Dictation on.

  3. Read the shortcut printed beside the switch and press it in a text field.

  4. Speak. Say comma, period, or new line when you want that punctuation.

Press the shortcut again to stop. Dictation is not the same as Voice Control, which is the full hands-free mode under Accessibility.

Questions people ask

What's the dictation shortcut on a Mac?

Usually the Microphone key, or pressing Control twice on Macs without that key. The one your Mac uses is shown next to the Dictation switch.

Is Dictation the same as Voice Control?

No. Dictation types what you say. Voice Control, under Accessibility, runs the whole Mac by voice.

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