A microphone icon will pop up on the side. On the Menu bar at the top of the Mac, click on Edit > Start Dictation. First, open the app where the dictation is being used. Once that's done, the user is ready to start employing dictation on the Mac. Once it's enabled, a language and dialect can be selected, as well as a shortcut key to bring up the feature quickly. On the Mac, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences, and click on Keyboard and Dictation. To enable dictation, the user first needs to turn it on via their system settings. Related: How To Change Siri Voice On A Mac (macOS Sierra Or Later) On Mac, dictation also displays the text as a person is speaking, so they can see the live preview and pause to make changes. Siri does have a few limitations though, and these are mainly restricted to the use of third-party apps. Mac’s dictation feature on the other hand works anywhere a keyboard is used and can be utilized offline too since it functions just like a voice-to-text feature. Siri can be used to search for a particular file or folder, bring up an app, answer questions, or even change a Mac’s settings. It's especially useful when writing long emails or drafting lengthy documents. It's important to note that Mac's dictation feature differs from Siri, which is Apple’s built-in voice assistant.

For some people, speaking out loud is a more effective way to express their thoughts compared to typing. Voice dictation is a neat feature that’s built right into a Mac, letting users employ their voice to dictate and type for them.

How to start dictation on mac