Eko · How-to
How to dictate in another language on your Mac
Mac dictation isn’t limited to English. You can switch Apple’s built-in Dictation to another language, or use Eko, which dictates in 25 languages on-device and can translate what you just said with one shortcut. Here’s how both work.
Get Eko for Mac — $39Steps
Switch Apple’s Dictation language
Open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Language, add the language you want to speak in, then select it from the dictation language menu before you start talking.
Know the catch
Built-in Dictation only listens in one language at a time — mix, say, English and Spanish mid-sentence and it garbles both. It also has no way to translate what you dictate.
Dictate in 25 languages with Eko
Install Eko for Mac (Apple Silicon, macOS 14+) and press ⌥D to dictate — its on-device speech model recognizes 25 languages automatically, with no menu-switching required.
Translate what you just said
Select the dictated text and press ⌥T to translate it into another language in place, right in whatever app you’re using — email, Slack, docs, anywhere.
One shortcut. In any app. $39 once.
Eko is a Mac AI keyboard assistant: dictate, fix, translate, ask AI, read your screen and open apps — from one shortcut, in any app. Runs on-device or with your own API key. $39 once, no subscription.
Get Eko for Mac — $39$39 once · No subscription · macOS 14.0 or later, Apple Silicon (M1+)
FAQ
How do I dictate in another language on a Mac?
Open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Language and add the language you want, then select it before dictating. With Eko, just press ⌥D — it recognizes 25 languages automatically without switching menus.
Can Mac dictation understand more than one language at once?
No — Apple’s built-in Dictation only listens in the single language you’ve selected. Eko’s on-device model recognizes across 25 languages automatically, so it handles mixed-language speech far better.
How do I translate text I just dictated on a Mac?
Apple’s Dictation has no built-in translation. With Eko, select the text you dictated and press ⌥T to translate it in place, right where you’re typing.
Does multilingual dictation work offline on Mac?
Eko can dictate and recognize all 25 languages fully on-device with a local model, so your audio never leaves your Mac and no internet connection is required.