When dictation on your Mac doesn’t work

The five checks

1. Dictation is turned on: System Settings › Keyboard, then Dictation.
2. The language and region are right: in the same place, click Edit next to Languages.
3. You’re using the right Dictation shortcut: it’s chosen in the same place, from the Shortcut menu.
4. If you use an external microphone, it’s connected and selected (in Sound settings, or as the microphone source under Dictation in Keyboard settings), with enough input volume: System Settings › Sound, then Input.
5. You’re online, if you need to be: the text below Dictation in Keyboard settings says whether you need a connection.

If it mishears you

Keep the microphone uncovered. Sit as you normally would at your Mac, and speak clearly, neither too quietly nor too loudly. Avoid background noise: in a noisy or echoey room, a headset microphone may help. For more on microphones, see Which microphone to dictate with.

A word underlined in blue may have been misheard: click it and choose an alternative.

If it stops on its own

The built-in Dictation stops after 30 seconds without speech. There’s no limit on how long you can dictate, so start it again and carry on.

If you use Saywind

• Nothing is pasted: check Saywind’s Settings › Permissions.
• A note says “No audio detected”: choose another microphone.
• A word keeps coming out wrong: correct it where it landed so Saywind can learn it, or add it to the Dictionary.
• Something else opens when you press your dictation key: follow the step in Settings › Permissions.
• Words come out with US spelling: choose English (UK) in Settings › General › Language.

Still stuck?

Apple Support can help with the built-in Dictation. For Saywind, use the feedback form or email hello@saywind.com.

Sources: Apple, “If Dictation on Mac doesn’t work as expected” and “Dictate messages and documents on Mac”, macOS 27, read 2 November 2026.