Change or add a dictation language in Word on a Mac, and what to do when yours is not listed
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
To change the dictation language in Word on a Mac, go to Home, click Dictate, then click the gear icon on the dictation toolbar and choose a language under Spoken Language. By default Dictate uses your document's language. You cannot add a language of your own: the choice is Microsoft's list, which has 15 supported language variants and 36 more in preview.
The Word facts here are from Microsoft's support page Dictate your documents in Word, read on October 11, 2026. I built YapToText, a free Mac dictation app that types into Word, and I say below where each fits.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Change the language
- Open a document and go to Home, Dictate. On a Mac the shortcut is Option F1.
- Wait for the Dictate button to turn on.
- Click the gear icon on the dictation toolbar.
- Open Spoken Language and choose the language you are about to speak.
Dictate needs a Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft says the feature is only available to subscribers, which is why the button can be missing. The same gear menu holds Microphone, Auto Punctuation where the language supports it, and Filter sensitive phrases.
The languages Microsoft lists
From Microsoft's support page, read October 11, 2026. Microsoft says preview languages may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support.
| Status | Languages |
|---|---|
| Supported | Chinese (China), English (Australia), English (Canada), English (India), English (United Kingdom), English (United States), French (Canada), French (France), German (Germany), Hindi, Italian (Italy), Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico) |
| Preview | Arabic (Bahrain), Arabic (Egypt), Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Bulgarian, Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong), Chinese (Taiwan), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (New Zealand), Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hungarian, Irish, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Marathi, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese |
Why it starts in the wrong language
Dictate is set to your document language by default. If the document's language is English and you speak Spanish, change Spoken Language before you start, and check it again whenever the words come out as nonsense. Auto Punctuation is offered only for some languages, so in a preview language you may need to say the punctuation.
If your language is not on the list
Word from Microsoft's page. Apple from its Feature Availability page. YapToText from its own settings.
| Option | Languages | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Word's Dictate | 15 supported and 36 in preview | Needs Microsoft 365 and an internet connection |
| Apple Dictation | Apple's own list, by language and region | Built into macOS. Works in Word like in any app |
| YapToText | 29 languages, plus auto-detect | Free. Runs on an Apple silicon Mac and types into Word |
Of YapToText's 29, Indonesian and Ukrainian are not on either of Microsoft's lists above. Microsoft's lists include languages YapToText does not, among them Bulgarian, Croatian, Estonian, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Slovenian, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu. The Mac dictation languages page has Apple's lists.
Where your voice goes
Microsoft's page says the service does not store your audio or the transcribed text, and that your speech is sent to Microsoft and used only to give you text results. Dictate is one of the connected experiences that analyze your content, a category that can be switched off in Word's privacy settings, which turns Dictate off with it.
Dictating in two languages
Word's Dictate listens in one Spoken Language at a time, so switching mid-document means opening the gear menu again. YapToText lets each mode carry its own language, so one mode can be Spanish and another English, each started by its own shortcut, and an Auto-detect choice exists as well. Apple Dictation has its own way to switch. Bilingual dictation on a Mac walks through all three, and dictation in Word on a Mac covers the rest of Word's Dictate, including what to do when it is grayed out.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
The short version
- Change it. Home, Dictate, gear icon, Spoken Language.
- Default. Your document's language.
- Add your own. Not possible. It is Microsoft's list.
- No Dictate button. It needs a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- Not listed. Apple Dictation or a dictation app that types into Word.
If Microsoft changes its language list, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dictate-your-documents-in-word-3876e05f-3fcc-418f-b8ab-db7ce0d11d3c (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/connected-experiences-in-microsoft-365 (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://www.apple.com/macos/feature-availability/ (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-11)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-11)
Questions
How do I change the dictation language in Word on a Mac?
Go to Home, click Dictate, click the gear icon on the dictation toolbar and choose a language under Spoken Language.
How do I add a dictation language in Word?
You cannot add one yourself. Choose from Microsoft's Spoken Language list, which has 15 supported variants and more in preview.
Where is the Dictate button in Word for Mac?
On the Home tab. The shortcut is Option F1. Microsoft says Dictate is only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
Why is Word dictating in the wrong language?
Dictate defaults to your document's language. Change Spoken Language under the gear icon before you start.
Does Word dictation work offline on a Mac?
No. Microsoft says your speech is sent to Microsoft to give you text results, and that Dictate needs a reliable internet connection.