speech to text shortcut mac

macOS User Guide

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Dictate messages and documents on Mac

With Dictation, you can enter text just by speaking, anywhere that you can type it.

On a Mac with Apple silicon , Dictation requests are processed on your device for supported languages—no internet connection is required. When you dictate in a search box, dictated text may be sent to the search provider in order to process the search. Additionally, you can dictate text of any length without a timeout. You can turn off Dictation manually, or it stops automatically when no speech is detected for 30 seconds.

When you dictate on an Intel-based Mac or in a language that doesn’t support on-device dictation, your dictated utterances are sent to Apple to process your requests.

Note: Dictation may not be available in all languages or in all countries or regions, and features may vary. See the macOS Feature Availability webpage to see Dictation languages and on-device processing support. To learn more about how Apple protects your information and lets you choose what you share, click About Ask Siri, Dictation & Privacy at the bottom of Keyboard settings, or see the Apple Privacy website .

If you need to dictate text and control your Mac using your voice instead of a keyboard and trackpad, use Voice Control. See Use Voice Control commands . When Voice Control is on, you can’t use Dictation.

The dictation tools shown with dictated text in a note.

Turn on Dictation

Open Keyboard settings for me

Go to Dictation on the right, then turn it on. If a prompt appears, click Enable.

If you’re asked if you want to improve Siri and Dictation, do one of the following:

Share audio recordings: Click Share Audio Recordings to allow Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions from your Mac. Apple may review a sample of stored audio.

Don’t share audio recordings: Click Not Now.

Note: You can delete the audio interactions (which are associated with a random identifier and less than six months old) whenever you like—see Delete Siri and Dictation history .

To dictate using another language, click the Edit button next to Languages, then select a language and dialect. (To remove a language, deselect it.)

To learn more about how Apple protects your information and lets you choose what you share, click About Ask Siri, Dictation & Privacy at the bottom of Keyboard settings, or see the Apple Privacy website .

Dictate text

In an app on your Mac, place the insertion point where you want the dictated text to appear.

On a Mac with Apple silicon , you can type text even while dictating; there’s no need to stop dictation. The microphone icon disappears while you type, and then reappears after you stop typing, so you can continue dictating.

To insert an emoji or a punctuation mark, or perform simple formatting tasks, do any of the following:

Say the name of an emoji, like “heart emoji” or “car emoji.”

Say the name of the punctuation mark, such as “exclamation mark.”

Say “new line” (equivalent to pressing the Return key once) or “new paragraph” (equivalent to pressing the Return key twice). The new line or new paragraph appear when you’re done dictating.

For a list of the commands you can use while dictating, see Commands for dictating text .

For information about setting up Dictation for multiple languages, see Turn on Dictation .

When you’re done, press the Dictation keyboard shortcut or the Escape key. Dictation stops automatically when no speech is detected for 30 seconds.

Ambiguous text is underlined in blue. For example, you may get the result “flour” when you intended the word “flower.” If this is the case, click the underlined word and select an alternative. You can also type or dictate the correct text.

Set the Dictation keyboard shortcut

You can choose a specific Dictation keyboard shortcut or create one of your own.

Go to Dictation on the right, click the pop-up menu next to Shortcut, then choose a shortcut to start Dictation.

To create a shortcut that’s not in the list, choose Customize, then press the keys you want to use. For example, you could press Option-Z.

Change the microphone used for Dictation

The microphone source in Keyboard settings shows which device your Mac is currently using to listen for Dictation.

Go to Dictation on the right, click the pop-up menu next to “Microphone source,” then choose the microphone you want to use for Dictation.

If you choose Automatic, your Mac listens to the device you’re most likely to use for Dictation.

Turn off Dictation

Go to Dictation on the right, then turn it off.

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How To Enable The Speech To Text Mac Shortcut In macOS

Here’s how to enable a speech to text Mac shortcut in MacOS.

Want to talk to your computer and have it type for you? Setting up a speech to text Mac shortcut is easy to do and doesn’t require any additional Mac dictation software. The macOS already has voice to text natively built into the operating system. Here’s an easy speech to text Mac shortcut tutorial for beginners.

Open System Preferences

Keyboard options, dictation & language selection, enhanced dication & offline access, setup a speech to text mac shortcut, place your mouse where you want to start dictating text, press your assigned function key or sequence, start talking, macos speech to text tips, how to use speech to text on macos.

To use speech to text on macOS, you first need to turn it on. This is a very easy tutorial. If you are very Mac savvy, then just enable the Dication feature under the Keyboard setting in System Preferences . Or follow the steps below. Let’s begin!

On your Mac, choose the Apple menu in the top left of your menu bar and select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

Apple > System Preferences

Enable Speech To Text Mac Shortcut In Macos - The Keyboard Settings Under The Macos System Preferences

After you open the System Preferences panel, you’ll see a collection of preference icons. Select Keyboard .

System Preferences > Keyboard

Speech-To-Text Dictation Options Under The Macos'S Keyboard System Preferences

There are several sub-options under the Keyboard ‘s Dictation submenu: Keyboard, Text, Shortcuts, Input Sources, Dictation.

Click on the Dictation sub menu.
Turn on Dictation .
If you’re asked if you want to improve Siri and Dictation, click Not Now .
Choose a Language . To dictate using another language besides English, click the Language pop-up menu, then choose a language and dialect.
Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation > On

Screenshot Of The Macos Enhanced Dictation Option

Enhanced Dictation is optional. You can skip to the next step if you want.

Do you want the ability to dictate speech to text without an Internet connection? Depending on your installed version of the macOS, you might be presented with an option to enable offline dictation. This could be useful if you are in an area with limited connectivity or want to use this feature while on an airplane.

Just be aware that this feature requires at least a gigabyte of hard drive storage. Make sure you have extra space for these files before trying to install.

Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation > Use Enhanced Dictation

How do you want to tell your Mac to start listening for your speech to text input? The default Mac speech to text shortcut for dictation is to press the Function key twice. But you can use the Command, Control, or whatever keys you want. Just select Customize to change to the keyboard shortcut of your choice.

Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation > Shortcut

How To Dictate Text

Man Casually Dictating A Speech To His Macbook Laptop

Once you’ve enabled the Dictation feature and selected your keyboard shortcut, you can now start speaking into your computer and letting it type for you. Try using this speech-to-text feature to compose an email . You’ll be surprised how much time this feature can save you on a daily basis!

Open a document or locate a text field where you want to start dictating text.
Click your mouse in the place where you want to start dictating.
Press the Function key twice (or whatever keyboard shortcut you previously selected).
A microphone icon should appear with a fluctuating loudness indicator and make a chirp sound.

Once the microphone is active, your computer will start to turn your voice into text.

Start talking. Speak clearly and only try to dictate in short bursts. Try one or two sentences at a time.
When you’re finished dictating, press your keyboard shortcut key again.

Here are some tips for using the speech to text feature on macOS:

Speak clearly and slowly. If you speak too fast, or mumble, your dictation results will be bad. Going back to re-edit everything isn’t worth the time. Just do it right the first time.
Speak in smaller chunks. Don’t try dictating a college commencement speech in one try. The Mac speech to text function isn’t made to listen for long periods of time. Smaller sections that are 60 seconds are less work best.
Avoid background noise. If possible, move to a quiet area. Background noise can cause unpredictable results with the Mac dictation software.
Speak punctuation marks as needed. If you want to end a sentence, then just say “period” or “questions mark” and the dictation software will add that punctuation for you.
Create new lines or paragraphs. To create a new line or a paragraph break, just say “new line “ or “new paragraph “.
Use a professional external microphone. The default microphone on your MacBook will work fine for most users. However, if you are having issues with your dictation results, you can try using an external microphone like the(Amazon link) Blue Yeti ($99+) .

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Hi, I’m Zack Applegate. I’m a technology writer at MethodShop. Please check out my articles on a variety of topics, including artificial intelligence, music, movies, and silly tech stuff like funny Elon Musk jokes and rock bands with weird names. If you have article ideas, please connect with me on Facebook.

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How to transcribe audio to text using Dictation on a Mac

You can use the Dictation feature built into your Mac to transcribe audio files, and in my experience, it's been about 98-99% accurate, so it saves a lot of time if you want to index your audio files, or you need a transcript for some other purpose.

These instructions were last updated for macOS Monterey 12.4.

First, open up System Preferences, go to Keyboard, then the 'Dictation' tab:

Turn on Dictation, and when prompted, accept the terms for Apple's Dictation service. Also take note of the 'Shortcut' (e.g. 'press dictation key' or 'press control twice'. You'll use that to activate dictation later.

Make sure you have your Mac's microphone selected, then open up TextEdit and create a new document:

Activate the dictation shortcut (e.g. press the dictation key), then start playing back your audio file through your Mac's speakers. The mic should pick up the audio and start transcribing live into the open document.

Bonus: Routing audio internally on the Mac with Loopback

If you have Rogue Amoeba's Loopback , you can also use it to route the audio signal internally , so you don't have to have audio playing out through the speakers.

After you have Loopback installed and running, create a new device called 'Transcription Device'. Delete the default Pass-thru source, and add in Quicktime Player as a new source:

Quit Loopback (the device will still be present on the system after quitting), then go back to the Dictation settings in System Preferences. In there, choose the new 'Transcription Device' sound input:

Transcription Device in System Preferences Dictation

Then go back to TextEdit, and in a new document, activate Dictation using your configured shortcut (e.g. the dictation key). Pop over to QuickTime Player, and play your audio or video file, and watch as the words are transcribed as if by magic!

Live transcription using Loopback from QuickTime to TextEdit on the Mac

Alternative: Welder (or other online services)

As an alternative, you could use an online upload-to-transcribe service like Welder . I tested the same files on Welder that I used with Dictation, and Welder was better about adding punctuation and separating multi-person interviews.

Their transcription feature can be used for free; upload a video or audio file, and within a few minutes, you can read or download the transcribed text.

How to dictate on a Mac computer, using the voice-to-text dictation feature that can type out your speech

You can dictate on a Mac computer so that your computer types out your speech.
But before you can start using dictation, you'll have to enable it via your Mac's System Preferences, and decide the shortcut you'll use to turn it on, as well as the language it will dictate in.
Here's how to set up and use the dictation feature on a Mac computer.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Voice-to-text is a helpful feature for those who are often out and about.

And for those who have a Mac computer, you can take that feature and use it in your everyday workflow. The key is a built-in feature known as dictation.

But before you can take advantage of dictation, you'll have to enable it. After that, it works similarly as any voice-to-text feature, any you may be able to access more in-depth voice commands to format your document.

Here's how to set it up and start using it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Macbook pro (from $1,299.99 at best buy), how to set up dictation on a mac.

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left toolbar, then choose "System Preferences."

2. Select "Keyboard."

3. Toggle over to "Dictation" in the menu at the top of the window.

4. Next to "Dictation" select "On" and if desired, turn on enhanced dictation by ticking the corresponding box — this allows you to use additional commands, like bold, italics, underline, copy, delete, and undo — and dictate without an internet connection (enhanced dictation is only available for those with OS X Mavericks v10.9 or later ).

5. Set the language and create the desired shortcut.

How to dictate on a Mac

Once you've enabled the dictation feature, here's how to use it:

1. Open a document.

2. Place your cursor to the desired location for your dictation.

3. Use the shortcut you established when setting up dictation; alternatively, you can also select "Edit" and then "Start Dictation."

4. Start talking.

You should see a microphone icon appear on the screen after you start the feature.

As you speak, it's important to remember to say your desired punctuation out loud, otherwise you'll end up with a long, run-on sentence. To stop dictation, click "Done" below the microphone icon.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech :

How to easily record audio on your mac using either of its 2 simple recording apps, how to uninstall apps on a mac computer in three different ways, how to create folders on a mac computer and organize your files, how to set an alarm or event reminder on a mac using the calendar app.

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Watch: A diehard Mac user switches to PC

Main content

How to Use Dictation in macOS: A Comprehensive Resource

Apple’s macOS includes speech recognition software baked right into the operating system.
You can select from multiple languages, with options varying by which version of macOS you are running.
Dictation is not only a handy speech tool, but it is also a fantastic Accessibility feature.

Use Dictation macOS August 2023 Featured

I’m taking a look at how to set up and use Dictation for macOS. For those that may not know, Apple includes voice recognition software within macOS that is capable of dictating your voice directly to any document that needs text. Dictation is not only useful as an Accessibility feature, but it can be pretty helpful for those that may simply prefer speaking their ideas rather than using their hands to type. This not only saves you from buying third-party dictation products, but Apple’s form of dictation software includes some additional handy tools as well.

Getting it all together, I’m going to take a look at how to use the Apple Dictation feature with macOS, as well as look at some of the advantages of Dictation. This includes setting up the built-in dictation software and then properly using it. I’ll also provide some dictation tips, while also covering additional dictation options as well. Considering this can be incredibly useful for those that need accessibility features, I break the steps down so that the average person can get an idea of what to do. I also go over the common commands you can implement with Dictation while covering additional commands as well.

Keyboard Dictation VS Voice Control: What’s the Difference?

Before starting, folks should be aware that two different Accessibility features on macOS involve speaking to your device . While both are extraordinarily helpful, they serve different functions. While macOS Dictation allows a voice-to-text option, there’s also Voice Control. The Voice Control feature provides voice-to-text options, but you can also control your Mac using voice commands.

Concerning Voice Control and Dictation, the most important thing to remember is that the Dictation feature is not going to work if Voice Control is enabled. You can check to see if Voice Control is active from the menu bar by navigating to Apple > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control and ensuring it is disabled.

How to Enable Dictation on macOS

If you need to know how to enable Dictation on your Mac, simply follow these steps. Remember that if you are using an Intel-based processor, you may need an internet connection to properly engage with the Dictation feature.

Time needed: 1 minute

To turn on Dictation on your Mac, follow this guide.

From here, you’re all set to go! Dictation should be ready to go. Next, I will show you how to use Dictation on macOS.

How to Use Dictation on macOS

Now that Dictation is enabled, you can begin to dictate your text to your Mac, offering a great Accessibility feature for those that need it. Simply follow the steps below to begin a Dictation.

Using any app on your Mac, place the insertion point wherever you would like to add text.
Press and release the microphone button (which looks like a microphone) that is within your row of function keys.

You can finish your Dictation by pressing the Return key. Or you can also press your keyboard shortcut, or click Done from the feedback window. Dictation also ends when your Mac doesn’t detect any speech for 30 seconds.

Dictation Privacy: What You Need to Know

One should be aware that the first time they enable Dictation, there’s a chance your machine is going to ask you to share your audio recordings with Apple. Be aware that agreeing to this allows Apple to store copies of your inputs into Dictation. This also includes Siri commands if you agree. Agreeing also means that Apple can listen to portions of your recordings.

It’s up to you whether or not you want to share this information. Remember that regardless of what you choose when you first set up Dictation, you can always change this setting by going to Apple > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvement > Improve Siri & Dictation . This will prevent Apple from storing and reviewing your Dictations. However, if you use Dictation, Apple is going to be listening to help process your requests, so keep that in mind.

You should also be aware that if you want to remove your recordings from your disk drive, simply go to Apple > System Settings > Siri & Spotlight > Siri & Dictation History > Delete Siri & Dictation History . Note that on anything before macOS Ventura, the Siri & Spotlight option will just be labeled Siri. Either way, this can be a good way to free up some disk space and remove your Dictation history.

Go Offline: Enhanced Dictation

Depending on what version of macOS you are running, you may have the option for Enhanced Dictation. You will know your Mac has this as an option, as it will simply be a checkbox that you need to click to enable from the Dictation Settings page. Also, be aware that if you are using a Mac with Apple silicon, you will not need an internet connection for Dictation anyway.

This can be extremely beneficial for those that do a lot of work offline. You can always check what processor you are using (Apple or Intel) by going to Apple > About This Mac . If you see the word ‘Intel’ anywhere in the Processor section, you are running an Intel-based Mac.

Key Voice Commands for Dictation

While Apple’s Dictation feature does automatically include punctuation, knowing certain Voice Commands for each type of punctuation is still going to be rather useful, as it substitutes certain key combinations. Being aware of these advanced dictation commands can make the process faster for you. Additionally, there are several other Commands that one should familiarize themselves with as well. Take a look at the complete list below.

Punctuation

Special characters, codes for formatting, capitalization, mathematical, intellectual property, tips for effective dictation on macos.

When using Dictation on Mac, you may need to familiarize yourself with the speech recognition software feature before diving into it fully. Extended use of this program can truly be a help, as it allows your Mac to get a better sense of your voice. The degree of accuracy within the program is only going to increase the more you engage with it.

Additionally, consider your voice and compatible speech when using Dictation. Accuracy rates will only continue to climb if you speak in a clear tone with a consistent pace. Remember to consider the punctuation rules at well. While it may take a bit of use to get the Dictation feature to 100% accuracy, taking extra time working with the program is only going to make things easier.

If you do find that you’re using Dictation for an extended period, or you’re not happy with the results, considering a more advanced microphone may be the way to go. You may also want to consider removing any background sounds or distractions.

Use Dictation with Different Languages

One nice thing about Apple Dictation is that it is available in a multitude of languages, though this is going to vary from Mac to Mac. For example, any Mac running Apple silicon is likely to have more language options than an Intel-based Mac. If you want to use Dictation with another language, you can select a different language from Apple > System Settings > Keyboard > Dictation and select the Language pop-up menu. Choose a language from the list, or select Customize or Add Language to add additional languages. English will more than likely be the default option. Though the default setting may also depend on what language you originally chose when setting up your Mac.

You can also remove languages by going to the Language pop-up menu, selecting Customize and deselecting any languages you do not want to use. It’s also important to note that you can switch languages while you are dictating. So long as you set the feature up for multiple languages, you can select a language from the feedback window and select the language you wish to use.

Dictation and App Compatibility

Concerning Apple Dictation for macOS, any program native to the company is going to work without issues. However, this might not be the case for third-party applications. While countless applications are likely to work, some are likely not, possibly common applications. If you find that Dictation simply isn’t working with a third-party app, remember that the program simply may not support this feature. It can also be a good idea to check an App’s page on the App Store to see if it offers any information in terms of this feature. While you may want to use your application of choice for a specific situation, remember that apps native to macOS may work better with the feature over third-party apps.

Dictation in Siri

In addition to Dictation implementing Apple’s voice recognition software, don’t forget that Siri can also be your handy virtual assistant. Arriving on the scene in Oct. 2011, Siri is Apple’s virtual assistant, and it can be quite powerful on its own. You can think of Siri as a nice combination of Voice Control and Dictation: while Siri is not able to do all of the things that these features can, it can still perform many of them , and perform them well. For example, you can send messages with Siri by asking it “Hey Siri, send a message to. . .” It can also help set reminders and more.

Differences in Enabling Dictation on Different macOS Versions

While different versions of macOS may have different ways they word enabling Dictation, the instructions should be relatively the same. Simply go to Apple > System Settings from the menu bar and navigate to Keyboard. Look for Dictation, and ensure it is enabled. Different versions of macOS may prompt you differently, but the steps are the same. Whether you’re using macOS High Sierra or Sonoma , just remember where the Dictation setting is located, and ensure that it is enabled.

Note that older versions of macOS may refer to System Settings as System Preferences. Essentially, be mindful of the language.

Troubleshooting Dictation: Problems and Solutions

One thing a user needs to remember is that Voice Control and Dictation will not operate at the same time. You can either have one, or the other. If you are enabling Dictation and it is not working for you, ensure that Voice Control is disabled by going to Apple > System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control and ensuring that it is disabled. Be mindful of your Accessibility settings.

Another issue you may have is your machine picking up their speech. I discuss this elsewhere in this article, but it’s important to reiterate that you may need to spend some time with Dictation to get it exactly where you want it: it may take some practice before it is perfect. Also, be aware that Dictation will highlight ambiguous text with a blue line. If the program finds a statement unclear, you can click the text highlighted in blue and make the corrections suggested by Dictation. You can also dictate or type your corrections. If you have been using Dictation for a while and it is still making several mistakes, you may want to consider a different microphone.

You may also want to remember that you may not hear audio coming from other apps while you are using Dictation. However, this is an easy one to fix. If you are not hearing audio from any of your apps, simply wait 30 seconds without saying anything to get Dictation to close on its own, or have it stop listening for audio by pressing the Return key.

Apple’s built-in speech tool isn’t just powerful, it can be outright necessary for certain individuals. Of course, an important thing to remember is that macOS Dictation is going to work best as a digital assistant for official Apple apps. You may also want to remember the importance of clarity while recording your voice. I recommend giving Dictation a try and seeing if it works well for you, though be mindful of my recommendations as well. Experimentation is almost always a good thing. Of course, feel free to let us know in the comments what your experience was, or if there is anything that you would recommend.

3 thoughts on “ How to Use Dictation in macOS: A Comprehensive Resource ”

One warning about Mac speech dictation: it mutes the sound for other apps. You can get fooled by that if you accidentally leave speech dictation (the little mic icon) on. Then, if you attempt to watch or listen to something somewhere else, you will not have sound. It took me a few minutes to figure out why I had no sound in a different app – I had previously left speech dictation on in a previously used app and it was on another one of my Mac’s 3 displays.

I’m trying to convert a lecture from an MP3 file into text using Pages. Is this possible? Have tried without any luck. Thank you very much for your help.

To do it manually, you would be able to use dictation on the Mac if you spoke what the lecturer was saying. For audio transcription you would need specialized software. One example I found is called Descript .

How to Use Dictation on a Mac for Voice-to-Text Typing

Here's how to use the dictation feature on your Mac to type without using a keyboard.

Typing isn't for everyone. If you have clumsy fingers or difficulty spelling, typing might be your least favorite part of using a computer. Fortunately, you can use the built-in dictation software on your Mac to speak what you want to type instead.

Unlike Voice Control---which is Apple's fully-featured accessibility tool---dictation is easy to use. It's also so accurate at translating your voice that some of the best dictation software developers, like Dragon Dictate, stopped making their own dictation apps for Mac to compete with it.

How to Use Dictation on a Mac

Double-press the Fn button to start dictating on your Mac. You should see a microphone icon appear or hear a macOS confirmation tone. If this is your first time using Dictation, click OK in the popup window to confirm you want to use it.

After activating Dictation, start saying what you want to type to see it appear on screen. Dictation ignores pauses in your speech, allowing you to take a moment to compose your thoughts. However, this does mean you need to dictate your own punctuation, which we explain below.

Apple suggests you dictate in short bursts of 40 seconds or less. This keeps your Mac from falling behind, since you can speak much faster than it can process what you say.

You can dictate text anywhere you'd usually type on your Mac. That includes writing documents, using Spotlight or search bars, entering web addresses, and composing emails. If that sounds useful, you might want to take a look at these dictation apps for your Android phone as well.

Use any of the following methods to stop dictating:

Press Fn again
Click Done beneath the microphone

Your dictated words appear underlined while your Mac is processing them. After you stop dictating, they'll reformat themselves, and any words your Mac was unsure of appear underlined in blue. Click these words to pick an alternative option or type it out manually if it was wrong.

The more you use Dictation, the better your Mac gets at understanding your voice. This means you'll see fewer mistakes and words underlined in blue less often.

How to Add Punctuation and Format Your Dictation

Chances are that you need to add punctuation to your dictation to make sure it's formatted correctly. This is easy to do while dictating your text by saying the particular punctuation marks you want to add.

For example, to dictate the following text:

Hello, my name is Dan. How are you?

You need to say:

Hello comma my name is Dan period how are you question mark

Apple includes a long list of over 50 punctuation marks, typography symbols, currency signs, mathematical signs, and voice commands you can use with Dictation in the macOS user guide. Visit Apple's voice dictation commands page to take a look at the list yourself.

Along with adding punctuation, you can also use a small set of voice commands to change the formatting of dictated text on your Mac. These commands include capitalization, line breaks, and even typing without spaces.

Say the following voice commands to format text with Dictation:

New Line: Equivalent to pressing the Return key once
New Paragraph: Equivalent to pressing the Return key twice
Caps On/Off: Types the following words in "Title Case"
All Caps On/Off: Types the following words in "ALL CAPS"
No Space On/Off: Types the following words "withoutspaces" (useful for website URLs)

Troubleshoot Dictation Problems on Your Mac

Dictation is a fairly simple tool, but it doesn't work all the time. There are a few different problems that might stop you from being able to use Dictation on your Mac. Here's what they are and how to fix them.

Change the Dictation Shortcut

If nothing happens when you double-press the Fn button, you might have changed the Dictation shortcut on your Mac. You can change this shortcut to whatever you like, or check what the new shortcut is and use that instead.

To do so, open System Preferences and go to Keyboard > Dictation . Open the Shortcut dropdown menu and choose the dictation shortcut you want to use. To create your own, click Customize , then press the keyboard shortcut you'd like.

Test Your Internet Connection

Your Mac requires an active internet connection to use Dictation. This is because Apple processes your voice on its servers---using the latest language data---rather than locally on your Mac.

Without an internet connection, the microphone icon appears with three dots in it, but vanishes before you can start dictating.

To make sure your internet connection is working, try streaming a video on YouTube. To fix problems with your connection, restart your Wi-Fi router and follow our steps to get your Mac connected to Wi-Fi again . Contact your internet service provider for more help.

Choose a Different Microphone to Use

As you dictate, you should see a white bar in the microphone icon that fluctuates with the loudness of your voice. This shows the microphone input on your Mac. If nothing appears in the microphone, your Mac can't hear you. You need to use a different microphone to fix it.

Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation . Open the dropdown menu beneath the microphone at the left of the window to choose a different microphone. If you can't see your microphone, make sure it's connected with the latest drivers installed.

Change the Dictation Language

To dictate in a different language, you need to add that language in System Preferences and select it from the Dictation icon. Using the wrong language results in a lot of mistakes, as Dictation will use regional spellings or replace what you said with similar-sounding words from another language.

In System Preferences , go to Keyboard > Dictation and open the Language dropdown menu. Click Add Language and check the box next to whichever languages you want to use. Make sure you choose the appropriate region if your language is used in multiple countries.

The next time you activate Dictation, you should see the current language displayed beneath the microphone icon. Click it to change to another dictation language instead.

How to Make Dictation as Private as Possible

Dictation communicates with Apple's servers to convert your speech to text. This means it's never completely private, as explained by the popup message that appears when you enable Dictation for the first time. That said, there are still steps you can take to reclaim as much Dictation privacy as possible.

To change the data Dictation uses, open System Preferences and click on Security & Privacy . Go to the Privacy tab and scroll down to select Analytics & Improvements in the sidebar. Disable the option to Improve Siri & Dictation to stop Apple from storing or reviewing your future Dictation recordings.

Apple usually does this to help improve Dictation. Even with this option disabled, you still need to delete existing recordings from Apple's servers. Go to System Preferences > Siri and click Delete Siri & Dictation History to do so.

Do More With Your Voice Using Voice Control

Although many people confuse the two, Dictation and Voice Control are two separate features on your Mac. As we've explained, Dictation allows you to convert your speech to text, adding punctuation and line breaks where necessary. But Voice Control unlocks an entire world of voice commands that control your Mac.

If you want to save documents, switch applications, open menus, and do much more with your voice, you need to use Voice Control. This is primarily an accessibility tool; it lets anyone control a Mac using nothing but their voice. Take a look at our Mac Voice Control guide to learn how it works.

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How to use dictation on a Mac

Using speech-to-text has become a popular way to use dictation on a Mac. It allows you to dictate documents, emails, and even text messages rather than typing them. 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 .

Enable dictation on a Mac

Use dictation on a mac, common dictation commands.

With the dictation feature included in your keyboard settings, you can speak your text in apps like Pages, Notes, and Mail. You can also adjust settings for a keyboard shortcut to activate dictation and the language you speak. Let’s take a look at how to use dictation on a Mac, along with some common commands.

What You Need

Mac computer

The keyboard dictation is a feature that you need to turn on in order to use.

Step 1: Open your System Preferences using the icon in your Dock or the Apple icon in the menu bar, and choose Keyboard .

Step 2: Select the Dictation tab in the keyboard settings.

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Step 3: Next to Dictation, pick On .

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. If you want to continue, click Enable Dictation . Otherwise, choose Cancel .

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.

Step 6: To use a different keyboard shortcut to turn on dictation, click the Shortcut drop-down box and choose the one you want. You can also set your own keyboard shortcut by selecting Customize and entering the combination you want to use.

Step 7: To use a specific microphone for the input, click the Drop-Down Arrow below the Microphone icon on the left.

When you finish, close the System Preferences window, and you’re set.

Should you choose to turn off keyboard dictation later, return to the Keyboard settings in System Preferences and select Off on the Dictation tab.

Once you have dictation enabled, you can simply use the keyboard shortcut to begin using it.

Step 1: Place your cursor in the app where you want to speak the text.

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.

Begin speaking, and you’ll see your text appear in the app and the icon fluctuate for volume as you speak.

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

Step 4: To stop using dictation, click Done below the microphone icon, enter the keyboard shortcut, or press your Return key.

As you speak your text, you’ll likely need to perform actions like starting a new paragraph and inserting punctuation marks.

Here are some common commands you’ll need:

New line: Start a new line.
New paragraph: Start a new paragraph.
Tab key: Move the cursor to the next tab.
Caps on: Format the following in title case.
Caps off: Return to the default letter case.
All caps: Format the following word in all uppercase letters.
All caps on: Format the following phrase in all uppercase letters.
All caps off: Return to the default letter case.

To include punctuation marks, symbols, and special characters, use the following:

Punctuation: Say the name of the punctuation mark, such as “comma,” “period,” “question mark,” “open parenthesis,” and “close parenthesis.”
Symbols: Say the name of the symbol or character, like “ampersand,” “asterisk,” “at sign,” “caret,” and “percent sign."
Emojis: Say the name of the emoji, such as “smiley face,” “frowny face,” or “winky face.”

For a complete list, take a look at the Apple support page for dictation commands on Mac .

Whether for convenience or necessity, MacOS makes it easy to dictate what you need. And remember, you can use dictation on your iPhone as well as non-Apple software like Microsoft Word too!

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MacBook tips: How to use speech-to-text to dictate in macOS

Take notes without a keyboard using this handy feature

Speech-to-text is a handy tool for dictation available in macOS. Once you set it up, you can scribble words to a page using this tool anywhere you would otherwise type with a keyboard. In addition to typing text, you can also enter punctuation marks and formatting such as line breaks and special symbols by speaking the commands.

While this feature was full of glitches and actually made typing more laborious in years past, Apple really has ironed out most of the wrinkles and made it fairly useful. If you find yourself needing a break from the keyboard, it’s definitely worth trying.

It is a handy tool when you need to work hands-free, or jot down a quick note before its lost forever. That said, it’s still not perfect, and I find that it works best when you speak slowly and accentuate bigger words.

1) Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.

2) In the menu that opens, select System Preferences .

3) In System Preferences, select Keyboard .

4) In the Keyboard window, go to the Dictation tab .

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5) There, switch on the dictation option .

6) Click Enable Dictation to allow Apple to use the recording.

7) In any document processor, click the Dictate icon and start speaking.

8) To change the default language, click the down arrow to open the language drop-down menu .

9) Select a language you would like to convert from speech to text.

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How to Dictate on Mac: Control Your Mac With Voice Commands

Go ahead, be a dictator

Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others. Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm.

Make Your Own Voice Commands in Catalina

Enhanced dictation in macos mojave and earlier, using dictation for voice commands, customizing voice commands, enabling voice dictation in macos mojave and earlier.

Voice control on the Mac has been available for a long time using the options available in the Dictation system preferences. Beginning with the release of macOS Catalina , the Mac uses Siri for voice control, which improves on the Enhanced Dictation feature of earlier versions of the operating system.

Information in this article applies to macOS Catalina (10.15) through OS X Mountain Lion (10.8).

How to Turn on Voice Control in Catalina

Unlike Enhanced Dictation in earlier versions of the OS, Voice Control in macOS Catalina doesn't send your voice to Apple's servers for conversion. Voice Control is off by default, so you must turn it on to use it.

Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu or from the Dock .

Click Accessibility .

Select Voice Control in the sidebar and place a check mark in front of Enable Voice Control .

The first time you use Voice Control, your Mac receives a one-time download from Apple.

When Voice Control is active, you see an on-screen microphone. To pause Voice Control, tell it to Go to sleep , or click the word Sleep under the microphone. Turn it back on by saying Wake up.

Say Click Commands or press the Commands button on the Voice Over screen to open a list of the built-in voice commands.

Scroll through to see the types of things you can do with Voice Control.

Voice Control is familiar with most apps, controls, and on-screen items. Simple examples are:

Open Numbers
Click New Document
Save document

To make your own voice commands, click the plus ( + ) at the bottom of the list of commands, or say Add Command to enter a custom command.

In the When I Say field , enter the phrase you will say to perform the custom action.

In the While using field, select the related app or Any Application .

In the Perform drop-down menu, choose an action.

Click Done .

The Mac has had the ability to take dictation and convert a spoken word into text since the feature was introduced with OS X Mountain Lion . The original Mountain Lion version of Dictation had a few drawbacks, including the need to send a recording of your dictation to Apple servers, where the actual conversion to text was performed.

This not only slowed things down, but it also had some people concerned about privacy issues. Beginning with OS X Mavericks, Dictation can be performed directly on your Mac with no need to send information to the cloud. This provided a performance improvement and eliminated the security concern about sending data to the cloud.

The Mac's dictation system isn't limited to speech to text; it can also convert speech to voice commands, letting you control your Mac with your spoken words.

The Mac comes equipped with a number of commands ready for you to use. Once you set up the system, you can use your voice to launch applications, save documents, or search Spotlight , for just a few examples. There's also a large set of commands for navigation, editing, and formatting text.

You're not limited to the commands that Apple includes with the Mac OS. You can add your own custom commands that let you open files, open apps, run the workflow, paste text, paste data, and cause any keyboard shortcut to be executed.

If you want to become a Mac Dictator, follow these steps to set up Mac dictation and create a custom voice command that checks for new mail.

Select System Preferences from the Apple menu, or click System Preferences in the dock.

Select the Keyboard preference pane or the Dictation & Speech preference pane, depending on your operating system version.

Select the Dictation tab in the preference pane you opened.

Use the Dictation radio button to select On .

A warning appears that using Dictation sends a recording of what you say to Apple for conversion to text.

If you don't want to be encumbered by a wait for Apple servers to convert speech to text or don’t like the idea of Apple listening in, you want to use the Enhanced Dictation option.

Place a check mark in the Use Enhanced Dictation check box. This causes the Enhanced Dictation files to be downloaded and installed on your Mac. After the files are installed (you'll see status messages in the bottom left corner of the preference pane), you're ready to continue.

Create a Custom Voice Command in macOS Mojave and Earlier

Now that Dictation is enabled, and the Enhanced Dictation files are installed, you're ready to create your first custom voice command. This example instructs the Mac to check for new mail whenever you say the phrase, "Computer, Check Mail."

Open System Preferences , if you closed it, or click the Show All button in the toolbar.

Select the Accessibility preference pane.

In the left pane, scroll down and select Dictation .

Place a check mark in the Enable dictation keyword phrase box.

In the text field, just below the box, enter a word you want to use to alert your Mac that a voice command is about to be spoken. This can be as simple as the suggested default Computer or the name you gave your Mac.

Click the Dictation Commands button.

You'll notice a list of commands that are already understood by your Mac. Each command includes a check box to allow you to enable or disable the spoken command.

Since there's no check mail command, you have to create it yourself. Place a check mark in the Enable advanced commands box.

Click the plus ( + ) button to add the new command.

In the When I say field, enter the command name. This is the phrase you speak to invoke the command. For this example, enter Check Mail .

Use the While Using drop-down menu to select Mail .

Use the Perform drop-down menu to select Press Keyboard Shortcut .

In the text field that is displayed, perform the keyboard shortcut for checking mail, which is Shift + Command + N . That’s the shift key, the command key (on Apple keyboards, it looks like a cloverleaf), and the n key—all pressed at the same time.

Click the Done button.

You created a new Check Mail voice command, and now it's time to try it out. You need to use both the dictation keyword phrase and the voice command. In this example, you check whether new mail is available by saying:

Computer, check mail

Once you say the command, your Mac launches the Mail app, if it isn't already open, brings the Mail window to the front, and then executes the Check Mail keyboard shortcut.

You need a microphone for voice control. Many Mac models come with built-in mics that work fine. If your Mac doesn't have a mic, use one of the many available headset-microphone combos that can connect via USB or Bluetooth.

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How to use dictation on your Mac

Once again, I am in a place where I can’t work directly with my servers to test the NetInstall steps and images, so… we’ll take a brief detour here to take a quick look at your Mac’s built-in dictation features.

I can hear you now

You may think you have to wait for Siri to appear in macOS Sierra before you can talk to your Mac, but your Mac already has a way to listen to everything you say and to turn what it hears into text. You can enable this feature, which supports over 30 languages and many more dialects, using the Dictation & Speech preference in System Preferences.

Apple’s speech to text features are turned off by default, so before you can use this feature you need to turn it on.

Open System Preferences.

Click Enable Dictation. The default keyboard shortcut to begin dictating is to press your Mac’s fn key twice. If you aren’t using an Apple keyboard with an f* key, make note of or choose a different shortcut key.

Let’s give this a test:

Open the TextEdit app.
Select File > New to create a new document.
Tap the fn (or your selected shortcut key) twice and began speaking to your Mac.

Note that what you say will almost immediately begin to appear on your screen. You should also note that your normal speech doesn’t make for very good text, because your normal speech doesn’t usually include punctuation. So, let’s work out a little “speech-to-text”.

Learning to speak again

Instead of your normal speech, speak the following italicized text exactly as it’s written, but first, press the fn key twice:

This is great

Exclamation point

I’m using Apple’s speech to text feature

New paragraph

Pretty great

Isn’t it

Question mark

When you’re done, press the fn key.

As you can see, this isn’t exactly pretty sounding speech, but, as you can also see, what you said is exactly what appears on the page. And that’s pretty great!

So, about that warning

By default, Apple’s dictation feature uses Apple’s servers to convert your speech to text. This can be a problem, because whatever you’re saying gets sent across the Internet, converted to text, and sent back to you; and if you don’t have access to the Internet you can’t use this feature. So let’s remedy that:

Click Dictation & Speech.
Put a check in the box that says Use Enhanced Dictation.

You Mac will download the speech-to-text translation files to your Mac’s hard drive. As soon as the download is complete you’ll have access to the dictation feature without an Internet connection and you don’t have to worry about your romantic love poetry traveling to infinity and beyond to get turned into text.

How to Use Speech to Text On Mac?

Finding ways to streamline our daily tasks has become significant in recent times. Imagine if you could effortlessly transform your thoughts into words without the constraints of manual typing. Say hello to MacBook’s speech to text functionality , which enables you to effortlessly convert spoken words into written text!

Speech recognition on your MacBook opens up a new dimension of efficiency and convenience. From drafting emails to crafting elaborate documents, the power of your voice becomes the catalyst for productivity, saving your valuable time and sparing your fingertips from the monotony of keystrokes.

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As time is a precious commodity and accessibility is a cornerstone of technology, the ability to convert spoken words into text on your MacBook is more than just a feature it’s a game-changer. Here are the key benefits of speech to text on Mac:

Whether you are composing emails, drafting reports, or brainstorming ideas, the accelerated pace at which MacBook seamlessly transcribes your thoughts into text on the screen empowers you to conquer tasks with unparalleled speed.

For those who may face challenges in typing, this feature becomes an invaluable lifeline, offering a means to communicate and interact with their Apple devices effortlessly. By bridging the accessibility gap, Apple’s commitment to inclusivity shines through, making the MacBook a device that caters to diverse user needs.

The hands-free nature of this feature allows you to articulate your thoughts into text while concurrently tackling other responsibilities. Whether you are engaged in a video conference, researching online, or managing multiple applications, the ability to seamlessly integrate speech into your workflow ensures that no moment goes underutilized. MacBook’s speech to text is a dynamic facilitator of efficiency in the complex dance of multitasking.

Steps to Enable Voice Dictation on a MacBook

MacBook’s Voice Dictation, also known as speech to text, is a powerful tool that promises to redefine your interaction with your MacBook. Here are the steps to enable voice dictation on a MacBook and how to use it:

Step 1: Access System Settings

Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select “System Settings.” Then, navigate to “Keyboard” in the sidebar.

Step 2: Enable Dictation: Within the Keyboard settings, find and click on “Dictation” on the right. Turn it on, and if prompted, click “Enable.”

Step 3: Configure Siri and Dictation Settings

When asked if you want to improve Siri and Dictation, choose whether to share audio recordings with Apple by clicking “Share Audio Recordings” or “Not Now.”

Step 4: Language Settings

To dictate using a specific language, click the “Edit” button next to Languages, then select your desired language and dialect.

Step 5: Privacy Settings

To manage privacy settings related to Siri and Dictation, go to “Privacy & Security” in System Settings and adjust the “Improve Siri & Dictation” option under Analytics & Improvements.

Position Cursor: Place the insertion point in the application where you want to dictate text.

Initiate Dictation: Press the Microphone key (if available), use the keyboard dictation shortcut, or choose “Edit > Start Dictation.”

Start Dictating: When the microphone icon appears, start speaking. On Apple silicon Macs, you can even type while dictating.

Perform Commands: To insert emojis, punctuation, or perform simple formatting tasks, use voice commands like “heart emoji,” “exclamation mark,” or “new paragraph.”

Language Switching: If using multiple languages, click the language next to the microphone or the Globe key to switch languages.

End Dictation: Press the Dictation keyboard shortcut or the Escape key when finished. Dictation stops automatically after 30 seconds of no speech.

There are various customization options in a Mac to help you get the most out of the dictation function. Here are some of the key customization functions you can use to manage it better:

1. Set Keyboard Shortcut: Choose a specific Dictation keyboard shortcut or create a custom one in Keyboard settings.

2. Change Microphone Source: In Keyboard settings, adjust the microphone source for dictation based on your preference.

3. Turn Off Dictation: To disable dictation, go to System Settings, click “Keyboard,” find “Dictation,” and turn it off.

Embracing the power of voice commands on your MacBook elevates the user experience by enabling seamless interaction with your device. Here are various actions you can effortlessly perform using voice commands:

Opening Applications: Instantly open your preferred applications with a simple voice command, eliminating the need for manual navigation.

Creating and Editing Documents: Initiate the creation of new documents with voice commands, streamlining your workflow without touching the keyboard with Apple dictation. Edit text and make revisions hands-free, making the document editing process more dynamic and efficient.

Searching the Web: Conduct web searches effortlessly by vocalizing your queries and letting your MacBook fetch the necessary information without typing under Apple’s dictation.

Sending Messages: Dictate and send messages easily, making communication a breeze while multitasking on your MacBook.

While the dictation functionality on your Mac computer proves to be a valuable asset in boosting productivity, there may be instances where you prefer to turn it off. Whether for privacy concerns or personal preferences, turning off speech to text is straightforward. Follow these steps in system preferences under the Apple menu bar to disable dictation on your Mac:

Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select “System Settings” to set the system preferences for the voice to text feature.

Step 2: Navigate to Keyboard Settings

Within System preferences, click on “Keyboard” in the sidebar.

Step 3: Turn Off Dictation

Locate the “Dictation” tab on the right-hand side of the Keyboard settings. Toggle the switch to turn dictation off.

The Last Word

With the seamless integration and diverse applications of speech to text, the benefits of free dictation software extend beyond mere convenience. Experiment with different dictation tool and settings, tailoring them to your unique needs and preferences. The ability to enable dictation, create documents, and perform various tasks with the dictation feature empowers you to navigate the digital ecosystem with unprecedented ease. Embrace the liberating potential of speech to text on your MacBook. Break free from the confines of traditional typing and let your words flow effortlessly.

Is speech to text available in all MacBook models?

Yes, the dictation feature is available on most recent MacBook models. However, it may also vary depending on the macOS version and the specific MacBook model.

Can I use voice commands to control other aspects of my MacBook?

Yes, you can use the Voice Control feature on your MacBook to control different aspects. For instance, users can say commands like “Open Mail” to open an email on their phone, or “Scroll down” to navigate the display screen, and so on.

Are there any voice typing apps for Mac that offer additional features?

While macOS includes a free dictation feature, third-party apps like Dragon Professional Individual for Mac offer advanced features like voice commands, transcription, and customization.

Is my voice data secure when using speech to text technology on my MacBook?

Apple prioritizes user privacy in the dictation software. When using Mac speech to text, your voice data is anonymized, associated with a random identifier, and subject to Apple’s stringent privacy policies.

How can I improve the accuracy of speech to text on my MacBook?

To enhance accuracy in the dictation software, speak clearly after tapping the microphone icon, use a quality microphone, and ensure a quiet environment. Additionally, regularly update your macOS to access improvements in speech recognition technology.

You should also read:

How Speech Recognition is Changing Language Learning

Future of AI in Speech Recognition

From Talk to Tech: Exploring the World of Speech Recognition

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21 readers helped!

How to Activate Text to Speech in Mac OS X

Last Updated: July 6, 2021

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 251,516 times.

So you want your Mac to read something to you? Read more to find out how.

Setting The Voice

The Shortcut Way

Step 1 Open System Preferences/Speech/Text to Speech.

A box will appear.

Step 3 Press the key-combination that you would like to use.

The Right-Click Way

Step 1 Select the text that you would like to have read.

Community Q&A

You can right click on the text and click Stop Speaking. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
You can press the key combination again to stop speaking. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
In the System Preferences window where you set the Voice and Key Combination you can also make the computer announce the time and warn you when a pop-up window appears. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Some people absolutely hate it when the Computer announces the time. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Don't do this to someone else's computer, as it can be annoying. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Do not set the key combination to anything that you already use, because it will be over written. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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How to use text to speech on MacBook and text to speech Mac shortcuts

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Table of contents, what is text to speech on a macbook, and how does it work, how to use text to speech with different applications, text to speech mac shortcuts, the benefits of using text to speech on your macbook, tips for improving your text to speech experience on macbook, get text to speech on macbook with speechify, what is the shortcut for text to speech on mac, how do you dictate and type on a mac, what is the hotkey for text to speech for mac, what is text to speech.

Text to speech on MacBook and text to speech Mac shortcuts are essential if you are looking to save time, increase productivity, and improve accessibility.

Many people own MacBooks, and they are powerful computers. If you are one of numerous Mac users, you might want to check out your text to speech (TTS) options for the Mac operating system. It can be so beneficial for you, and it’s easy to use.

Text to speech is a type of speech synthesis software that allows you to easily convert text into speech with an AI-generated voice. What this means is that you can use an existing text, and the program will read it to you.

Using text to speech apps can be quite helpful. So, how does it work? All you need to do is enable your chosen TTS app, and once you do, you will be able to convert any type of text—from web pages to Microsoft Word documents and more—into an audio file.

The app will then go through the text and read it aloud. You will get a chance to customize the speaking rate, languages, accents, and so much more.

There are many text to speech options for MacOS.

How to enable text to speech on your MacBook

The first thing you will need to do is find an app that works on MacBooks and install it on your device. Fortunately, there are plenty of options to choose from. As for the choice, why not pick the best text to speech app available on the market— Speechify .

Once you install Speechify from the App Store , using it is quite easy. The app works on your desktop, and also has both Safari and Google Chrome web browser extensions. Speechify Premium additionally supports OCR, which allows you to snap a photo of a text, and the character recognition will turn the text into audio.

This can save you so much time, and the quality of the app will create a seamless experience for your text to speech needs.

Text to speech APIs work with numerous applications. One of the most common uses is with browsers like Safari or Chrome, and you can add it as an extension. The type of settings and functions you will get mostly depends on the TTS tool you choose. You can also download apps for your Apple desktop or mobile devices—whether that be your MacBook, iPhone, or iPad.

The majority of well-known brands have their own version of text to speech. These include Speechify, Google Cloud Text to Speech Amazon Polly, Microsoft Azure, NaturalReader, and many more.

You can also check out the native TTS app on MacOS, although its functionality is quite limited compared to a more robust TTS app like Speechify.

Starting a text to speech app is quite simple—and if you use keyboard shortcuts, the process is even quicker. Follow these steps to turn on text to speech MacBook shortcuts:

Head over to the Apple menu or Dock, and open System Preferences. A new window will open up.
Click the Accessibility section in the new window. On the left side of the panel, locate the Speech section.
See the checkbox “Speak selected text when the key is pressed.” The default key is Option+Esc, but you can add any key you want. Once you do this, using the text to speech feature is as simple as it can be.
Highlight the text you want to hear, press the shortcut, and the app will start speaking. Once the text is over, the app will stop speaking, and you can select a different piece of text.

There are so many benefits of using text to speech apps on your MacBook. First, you will be able to save so much time by not having to read everything. It is great for business, and it will make checking emails a lot more enjoyable.

You can turn on the app and multitask while listening to your emails, social media, favorite web pages, news articles, documents for work, and so much more. Individuals who struggle with reading due to dyslexia, visual impairment, or any other disability can also benefit from Speechify as an excellent accessibility tool. There are people who need a lot of time to finish a single page, and you won’t need to struggle with Speechify or any other TTS tool. Speechify even has a screen reader feature that will highlight the text as it reads it out loud, so users can follow along.

There are several ways you can improve the experience on your MacBook if you plan on using text to speech tools. The first tip on the list is to ensure the app works properly.

Text to speech programs aren’t always perfect, and the only way you can ensure they work as intended is to focus on spelling and grammar. It’s not rare for someone to make a mistake while typing, but the program won’t be able to spot the error.

This means that you should focus on both spelling and punctuation. Having a question mark at the end of the sentence will change the way the app reads it to you.

Furthermore, you should adjust the sound and voice in your chosen TTS app by customizing it to your listening preference in terms of reading speed, language, and voice quality. But to simplify things even further, you can always download the Speechify app for many incredible and easy-to-use features.

Speechify is one of the best options if you are looking for a text to speech tool. It is easy to use, and the intuitive UI makes it an excellent option for beginners. The app lets you choose between numerous languages, accents, and speak selections.

But the most appealing thing about Speechify is that the voiceovers sound so natural. This is one of the primary reasons so many users prefer using Speechify and why it is one of the most popular TTS apps for Macs today. With the addition of OCR technology, Speechify also allows you to use screenshots instead of text files, which is a huge bonus.

Speechify works on any Apple device including iPhones, iPads, or anything using iOS—as well as Android and Windows devices. This means that you can easily add it to your MacBook, and the app will instantly start saving you time and improving your accessibility.

Experience the difference of text to speech on MacBook with Speechify today.

The default shortcut for opening text to speech on Mac is Option+Esc—but you can change it at any point.

In the System Preferences section of the menu, you will move the cursor to the Keyboard and Dictation option within it. Once you pick a keyboard shortcut, you can start the app by pressing the selected keys.

To start the text to speech on macOS or mac OS x, all you need to do is press Option+Esc, unless you picked a different key combination.

Text to speech is a voice synthesis software that uses AI to create a reading system voice for the text. With it, you can have your device read text aloud, and it is a great way to convert text files to audio.

Lahnda text to speech voices

Deepgram API: A Gateway to Powerful Speech Recognition and Transcription

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

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Are you looking for an easier way to engage with content? Are you tired of reading long articles, or are you a special needs individual needing assistance? If you’re a Macbook owner, you have some fantastic tools to create content. You can use the free text-to-speech Mac feature, an incredible accessibility tool that reads the existing text aloud in a natural-sounding voice.

The text-to-speech feature is both easy to use and highly beneficial. In this blog, we will explore the top benefits of using the text-to-speech Mac feature and share some tips on how to get started.

How to enable the text-to-speech Mac feature using a keyboard shortcut

Not everyone has time to read lengthy documents or time-consuming emails on their Mac. Sometimes, it’s not about time constraints, but it could be about someone with a learning disability who can’t see very well or are too tired to read. Luckily, you don’t have to go through all that hassle; the text-to-speech Mac feature is handy, and can easily read content aloud.

The text-to-speech Mac feature is available on all macOS versions. All you have to do is press a keyboard shortcut, and the speech will start playing automatically. The keyboard shortcut for enabling the text-to-speech Mac feature is Option + Esc . Once you press this combination of keys, you’ll be presented with the built-in TTS panel where you can make adjustments.

If a particular area of text is marked or the words are highlighted, the text-to-speech Mac feature will read it, but you can also choose a specific section to be read aloud. It’s easy to enable the text-to-speech Mac feature on your machine and use its capabilities. In the interest of writing a comprehensive tutorial, we’ll discuss the other way to enable the text-to-speech Mac feature on your computer.

How to enable the text-to-speech Mac feature from the settings menu

If you don’t want to use the keyboard shortcut, there is an alternate way of enabling the text-to-speech Mac feature through the system preferences. In just a few simple steps, you can enable TTS on your Mac when you open system preferences:

Step 1 : To find the ‘ Accessibility ‘ option on your MacBook, click the Apple Menu, then select System Settings . After that, look for the ‘ Accessibility ‘ option in the sidebar.
Step 2 : Click on the ‘ Spoken Content ‘ option.
Step 3 : Next, turn on the ‘ Speak selection ‘ setting.
Step 4 : Press the ‘ Option + Esc ‘ key combination to start the TTS in its system voice. If you select a particular text before pressing the key combination, your Mac will speak only that text in the default voice. Otherwise, it will say all the text items in the current window. So, for example, if you want to use the text-to-speech Mac feature in Mail, it will read the recent email message aloud. If no text items are available, you’ll hear the beep sound.
Step 5 : Press the ‘ Option + Esc ‘ key combination again to stop the text-to-speech feature. The default voice will then stop speaking.

When users choose to display a text box with the controller automatically, it will show up on the screen while the Mac is speaking. In addition, the controller allows users to move one sentence forward or backward in the text. The built-in text-to-speech function on MacBook works well with a keyboard shortcut or when used to speak selected text, but it doesn’t have enough features for different content needs.

Why the TTS feature may not work well for your content

a frustrated student having issues reading her books

Unfortunately, the TTS feature on the Mac is helpful, but it’s meaningless for anyone looking to make their content easier to enjoy. The text-to-speech Mac feature has limited speech modulations and customizations for users. The AI-generated voice also fails to understand different accents and pronunciations in various languages.

Furthermore, the Mac’s built-in TTS does not have natural-sounding voices to improve the readability of your content. Therefore, looking for free third-party TTS software offering more features would be best.

No speech customizations

The TTS has a controller that enables users to pause, resume or stop speech, change the speaking rate, and skip ahead or back in the text. However, there are limited language options to read text, whereas some users prefer to hear their familiar accents through speech. Additionally, there are few choices to change the style of the displayed text.

Without these valuable features, those with reading comprehension issues or dyslexia can’t benefit from the TTS feature. In addition, with TTS, you can transform a text file into speech with advanced options such as adjusting the pitch and speed of the voice professionally, modifying specific pronunciations, and inserting pauses in the lesson. However, these features are not available in the TTS function on MacBook.

No other voice languages or limited voice options

TTS software allows users to choose voice options for their audio content, which Mac doesn’t offer. Users can select from multiple languages and accents and apply filters such as gender, age group, and use cases to meet their specific project needs. In addition, many TTS tools have multiple AI voices that creators can use to improve their situation.

Limited download formats

If you’re a creator making more accessible content for everyone, you’ll likely need many different audio formats depending on your tools. Unfortunately, you don’t get this freedom with the text-to-speech Mac feature. Instead, users would need to listen to text directly from a web page by adding a Chrome extension.

Additionally, TTS software enables users to convert text files such as Microsoft Word documents, PDF files, and images into speech by dragging and dropping them. Some TTS software can also create voice-overs for various content rather than only reading the text aloud. With the right TTS software, you can download your projects in multiple audio formats (such as MP3, AAC, WMA, and WAV) without needing an external tool to convert the file.

Why a voice-over program that uses natural-sounding voices is better

The main benefit of this feature is that it allows you to easily convert existing text into a natural-sounding speech using AI-based speech synthesis technology. All you have to do is use the voice-over program and select online text or write the content you want to read aloud. Then, the text-to-speech software will read it to you naturally.

While multitasking, the voice-over program lets you listen to emails, social media, web pages, news articles, and work documents. Additionally, those with disabilities like dyslexia or visual impairments can benefit from the app’s accessibility features. Not having to read everything will save you a lot of time. This is beneficial for businesses, too, and will make checking emails more enjoyable.

Use Typecast to create text-to-speech content on your Mac

Typecast is the perfect text-to-speech Mac tool for those who want a natural-sounding voice and advanced customizations. With Typecast, you can customize your speech output with pitch, speed, pauses, and more. You can also choose from various natural-sounding voices from different cultures and languages, all in an extensive cloud library.

In addition, Typecast is perfect if you need a text-to-speech tool to create audio files for work documents, eBooks, podcasts, blog posts, and more.

Whether you are a student who needs text to speech app to read textbooks out loud, a person with a disability who needs an accessible format for reading text, or a business owner who needs to create audio recordings from written content, text-to-speech software is a great solution.

With the right text-to-talk software, you can save time, improve accessibility for everyone and create engaging content with natural-sounding voices.

Typecast is the perfect tool for Mac users who want to use text-to-speech technology and easily create audio content. Try it today to see how Typecast can improve your text-to-speech experience.

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How to Do Text to Speech on Mac

Learn how to set up and customize your Mac's text-to-speech feature.

Text-to speech technology is transforming how we communicate and consume content—but did you know that your Mac has in-built text-to-speech capabilities?

Imagine your computer reading out documents, emails, or even your favorite web articles with just a simple command. This is the power of text-to-speech on macOS.

Let’s delve into what text-to-speech is and how to use it on your Mac. Whether you're a professional seeking efficiency, a student aiming for a better learning experience, or someone exploring accessibility options, this guide’s for you.

Setting Up Text to Speech on Your Mac

Enabling text-to-speech on your Macbook or Apple desktop is a straightforward process. Here's how you can set it up and customize it to fit your needs:

Enabling Speak Selection

First, access your Mac's System Settings and click on 'Accessibility' in the sidebar.
Within the Accessibility settings, select 'Spoken Content'.
Turn on the 'Speak selection' option. This feature allows your Mac to read out selected text or, in its absence, any text items in the current window, such as an email in Mail.

Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts

To personalize your experience, you can set a custom keyboard shortcut for Speak selection.
Go to System Settings, then click 'Keyboard' in the sidebar.
Under Keyboard Shortcuts, choose 'Accessibility' to modify the shortcut for Speak selection. The default combination is Option-Esc, but you can change it to something that suits your workflow better.

Using the Onscreen Controller

When Speak selection is active, you have the option to display an onscreen controller.
This controller includes buttons for adjusting the speaking rate, skipping sentences, playing/pausing, and stopping the speech.
The controller is particularly handy for managing the speech in longer texts, allowing you to easily navigate and control the playback.

Highlighting Spoken Content

For visual tracking, you can set your Mac to highlight words or sentences as they are spoken.
In the Spoken Content settings, choose your preferred highlighting style and colors for both words and sentences.
This feature enhances comprehension and is useful for following along with the spoken text.

Customizing Sentence Style

You can also customize how spoken sentences are indicated, either by underlining or background color, enhancing the readability and understanding of the text.

Controller Visibility Options

Decide when the controller appears: automatically with the shortcut, always, or never. This customization ensures the controller is available according to your preference and usage patterns.

Advanced Features and Customization

Now you’ve enabled text-to-speech on your Mac, here’s how you can customize it according to your unique preferences.

Accessing Customization Options

To begin customizing text-to-speech on your Mac, open 'System Preferences' from the Apple menu and navigate to 'Accessibility.' From there, select 'Spoken Content' in the sidebar. This section houses a variety of settings that allow you to tailor the text-to-speech functionality to your specific needs.

Choosing the Right Voice

MacOS offers an extensive selection of voices, varying in gender, accents, and languages—meaning you don’t just have to settle for the default voice. Some of these voices are even available for additional download from the App Store. Use the play button to preview different voices and select the one that resonates best with you.

Adjusting Speaking Rate

The speaking rate of the text-to-speech feature is fully adjustable. You have the option to slow down the speech for clearer comprehension or speed it up to quickly absorb information. This level of control ensures the spoken content is delivered at a pace that suits your listening preferences.

Enjoying the Benefits

Customizing text-to-speech on your Mac enhances the overall user experience, whether for educational, professional, or leisure activities. By experimenting with the various settings available, you can discover the full potential of text-to-speech, making information more accessible and enjoyable for your specific needs and lifestyle.

With these customization features, your Mac becomes a more powerful and accommodating tool, bringing written content to life in a way that best suits your individual preferences and requirements.

Reasons to Choose Dedicated Text-to-Speech Software Over Mac's Built-In Functionality

While Macs have in-built text-to-speech capabilities, that doesn’t mean they’re best suited for all needs. If you’re a serious content creator looking for natural-sounding voices (e.g. if you create podcasts or Youtube videos), then you should use dedicated text-to-speech software like ElevenLabs.

Here’s why.

Advanced Voice Quality and Naturalness

Dedicated text-to-speech software, such as ElevenLabs , offers voices that are remarkably natural and human-like. This advanced voice quality and speech options significantly surpasses the often mechanical-sounding tones of Mac's built-in system voices. Users experience a more engaging and pleasant listening experience, making the software ideal for a wide range of applications.

Greater Customization and Control

Specialized text-to-speech programs provide extensive customization options. Users can choose from a diverse array of voice types and have greater control over speech modulation and patterns. This level of customization, which is not available in Mac’s in-built functionality, allows for a tailored auditory experience to suit specific preferences and needs.

Enhanced Language and Accent Options

Unlike the limited language and accent options in Mac's system, dedicated text-to-speech software offers a broad selection. This variety caters to a global audience, making it an invaluable tool for users who require content in multiple languages and dialects. Whether you’re looking for English, Spanish, or Arabic text-to-speech options, ElevenLabs has you covered.

Superior Contextual Understanding

The advanced algorithms in specialized text-to-speech software result in a superior understanding of context and nuances in text. This leads to more accurate and contextually appropriate speech output, ensuring that the synthesized voice conveys the intended message effectively and accurately.

Reliability and Support

Dedicated text-to-speech software providers typically offer reliable performance and robust customer support—a key combination. This level of service ensures users have assistance readily available, a benefit not always matched by built-in operating system features. Some providers even have dedicated how-to tutorials. The reliability and support offered make these programs a dependable choice for professional voiceovers and personal use.

Ongoing Development and Innovation

Specialized text-to-speech (TTS) software is often at the cutting edge of technology, with ongoing development and innovation. These continuous improvements ensure users have access to the latest advancements in speech synthesis, a level of innovation that built-in systems like Mac’s may not regularly receive.

In conclusion, dedicated text-to-speech software offers numerous advantages over Mac's built-in functionality, including superior voice quality, extensive customization, diverse language options, constantly updated new voices, enhanced contextual understanding, reliable performance, and continuous innovation. These benefits make it an ideal choice for users seeking an advanced, adaptable, and high-quality text-to-speech experience.

Final Thoughts

Choosing ElevenLabs' dedicated text-to-speech software over Mac's built-in functionality offers a vastly superior experience.

ElevenLabs provides exceptionally natural and engaging voices, extensive customization options, and a broad range of languages and accents. Its advanced algorithms ensure accurate contextual understanding and pronunciation, enhancing the effectiveness of the spoken word.

Coupled with reliable performance, continuous innovation, and strong customer support, ElevenLabs represents a significant upgrade in quality and versatility. It’s the ideal choice for those seeking a more immersive, personalized, and sophisticated text-to-speech experience.

Try ElevenLabs today

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Activate Text to Speech on Mac to Get Siri Read to You

Updated on Monday, May 13, 2024

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How to Make Mac Read Text

It is hard to read the text on your Mac screen when it is too small, then you can instruct Siri to read them to you. Or, you want to hear the text read aloud and deal with other tasks meanwhile. This is where the Text to speech feature on Mac comes in. You will learn about how to make Mac read text from this post.

Text to speech feature on Mac

You can get Siri read to you on iPad and iPhone with the feature named Speak Screen enabled. This text-to-speech feature is also available on macOS with a different name, that is Spoken Content on Mac.

Spoken Content is an Accessibility feature in System Preferences. If you turn on Spoken Content, it can read any text on your screen when you invoke this feature. Besides, you can customize Spoken Content by changing the preferences, including voice, rate, volume, etc.

How to get Siri to read text on Mac

Here are detailed steps to get Siri to read text on Mac.

Turn on Spoken Content

Click on the Apple menu in the upper left corner of the screen.

Select Accessibility on the System Preferences pane.

Select a system voice, you can click on Customize to find more languages and voices.
Adjust the speaking rate and volume.
Select the tickbox of what you want Siri to read to you:
Speak announcements : announce and speak dialogues and other announcements.
Speak selection : speak selected text when using the designated keyboard shortcuts.
Speak items under the pointer : identify items under the pointer
Speak typing feedback : speak what you type, select or press using the keyboard

Each of these 4 types can be customized by clicking on the Options button. The Speak selection feature is the most used one, let's see how to customize it on Mac.

Customize Speak selection

In the pane of Spoken Content preference, click the Options button of Speak selection.

On the pop-up dialogue, you can change the following settings:

Keyboard shortcuts : Option + Esc. You need to use this key combination to activate the text-to-speech feature after you select text on the screen.
Highlight content : Highlight the selected words or sentences on the screen, you can also choose Never to disallow highlight selected content.
Word color : color the selected words in a chosen color.
Sentence color : color the selected sentences in a chosen color.
Sentence style : Choose how to indicate sentences as they're spoken.
Show controller : Choose when to show the controller (Automatically, Never, or Always).

Then, click OK to confirm the changes. If you want to turn off the text to speech feature on Mac, just deselect all the four tickboxes of Spoken Content.

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Amanda is one of the main columnists at iBoysoft. She loves exploring new technologies, focusing on macOS, Windows OS, data recovery, data security, disk management, and other tech-related issues. She takes delight in providing technical and informative articles to help people out of problems and get the utmost out of their devices.

Connie Yang is the primary columnist in the computer field at iBoysoft. She is enthusiastic about sharing tech tutorials on data recovery and operating system-related problems resolution. Over the years, Connie has published many computer-related guides and introductory articles.

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Dictate messages and documents on Mac
In an app on your Mac, place the insertion point where you want the dictated text to appear. Press if available in the row of function keys, use the Dictation keyboard shortcut, or choose Edit > Start Dictation. Note: Press and release to start Dictation; press and hold to activate Siri (Siri must be enabled).
How To Enable The Speech To Text Mac Shortcut In macOS
Click on the Dictation sub menu. Turn on Dictation. If you're asked if you want to improve Siri and Dictation, click Not Now. Choose a Language. To dictate using another language besides English, click the Language pop-up menu, then choose a language and dialect. Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard > Dictation > On.
How to transcribe audio to text using Dictation on a Mac
You'll use that to activate dictation later. Make sure you have your Mac's microphone selected, then open up TextEdit and create a new document: Activate the dictation shortcut (e.g. press the dictation key), then start playing back your audio file through your Mac's speakers. The mic should pick up the audio and start transcribing live into ...
Dictation on Mac: How to Use Voice-to-Text Typing
Here's how -. 1. Head over to the System Preferences, and select Keyboard. 2. In the Keyboard settings tab, tap on Dictation and select the On radio button next to Dictation. Once enabled, you ...
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How to set up dictation on a Mac. 1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left toolbar, then choose "System Preferences." 2. Select "Keyboard." Click on Keyboard in System Preferences. Devon Delfino ...
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From your Mac, go to Apple > System Settings from the menu bar. Scroll down to the bottom and select Keyboard from the sidebar. On the right, select Dictation and ensure it is enabled. You may be ...
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Double-press the Fn button to start dictating on your Mac. You should see a microphone icon appear or hear a macOS confirmation tone. If this is your first time using Dictation, click OK in the popup window to confirm you want to use it. After activating Dictation, start saying what you want to type to see it appear on screen.
How to use dictation on a Mac
The keyboard dictation is a feature that you need to turn on in order to use. Step 1: Open your System Preferences using the icon in your Dock or the Apple icon in the menu bar, and choose ...
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6) Click Enable Dictation to allow Apple to use the recording. 7) In any document processor, click the Dictate icon and start speaking. 8) To change the default language, click the down arrow to ...
How to Dictate on Mac: Control Your Mac With Voice Commands
Place a check mark in the Enable dictation keyword phrase box. In the text field, just below the box, enter a word you want to use to alert your Mac that a voice command is about to be spoken. This can be as simple as the suggested default Computer or the name you gave your Mac. Click the Dictation Commands button.
How to use dictation on your Mac
Click Enable Dictation. The default keyboard shortcut to begin dictating is to press your Mac's fn key twice. If you aren't using an Apple keyboard with an f* key, make note of or choose a ...
MacBook Speech to Text: How to Dictate Text on MacBook
Step 1: Access System Settings. Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select "System Settings" to set the system preferences for the voice to text feature. Step 2: Navigate to Keyboard Settings. Within System preferences, click on "Keyboard" in the sidebar. Step 3: Turn Off Dictation.
Dictate Your Messages Using This Mac Keyboard Shortcut
Mac users who like to multitask: there's a keyboard shortcut to turn on text dictation so you can talk instead of type. Just place your cursor where you want to enter text (it'll work in any ...
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Dragon Professional. $699.00 at Nuance. See It. Dragon is one of the most sophisticated speech-to-text tools. You use it not only to type using your voice but also to operate your computer with ...
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In this video I am going to show you how to enable and use the dictation feature to convert your speech into text on Max OS v 12.5 Monterey.Speech-to-text is...
3 Ways to Activate Text to Speech in Mac OS X
Check Speak Selected Text When Key is Pressed. A box will appear. 3. Press the key-combination that you would like to use. 4. Select the text you would like to have read. 5. Press the key-combination that you have set. Method 3.
Text-to-Speech On MacBook & Text-to-Speech Mac Shortcuts
Text to speech Mac shortcuts. Starting a text to speech app is quite simple—and if you use keyboard shortcuts, the process is even quicker. Follow these steps to turn on text to speech MacBook shortcuts: Head over to the Apple menu or Dock, and open System Preferences. A new window will open up. Click the Accessibility section in the new window.
How to Use Text-to-Speech on Your Mac
Step 2: Click on the ' Spoken Content ' option. Step 3: Next, turn on the ' Speak selection ' setting. Step 4: Press the ' Option + Esc ' key combination to start the TTS in its system voice. If you select a particular text before pressing the key combination, your Mac will speak only that text in the default voice.
How to Do Text to Speech on Mac
Enabling Speak Selection. First, access your Mac's System Settings and click on 'Accessibility' in the sidebar. Within the Accessibility settings, select 'Spoken Content'. Turn on the 'Speak selection' option. This feature allows your Mac to read out selected text or, in its absence, any text items in the current window, such as an email in Mail.
Activate Text to Speech on Mac to Get Siri Read to You
Keyboard shortcuts: Option + Esc.You need to use this key combination to activate the text-to-speech feature after you select text on the screen. Highlight content: Highlight the selected words or sentences on the screen, you can also choose Never to disallow highlight selected content.; Word color: color the selected words in a chosen color.; Sentence color: color the selected sentences in a ...
The TRex App Can Copy Text From Literally on Your Mac's Screen
Any text in the area of the screen you select is instantly converted to text and copied to your clipboard. This functionality comes as a cost: TRex is $8 in the Mac app store, or is free if you ...