Dictate in Arabic on a Mac: setup, commands and right-to-left text

To dictate in Arabic on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation, click Edit next to Languages, and select Arabic (Saudi Arabia) or Arabic (United Arab Emirates). Start Dictation and choose Arabic from the language shown next to the cursor. Apple lists Arabic for on-device dictation but not for automatic punctuation, so you say the punctuation in Arabic. When Arabic and English are mixed in one paragraph, use the Writing Direction commands to fix the display order.

The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac in the Mac User Guide for macOS 27. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation".

How do you turn on Arabic dictation?

1. Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar.
2. Go to Dictation and turn it on.
3. Click Edit next to Languages and select Arabic with Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates.
4. Stay online while the Mac sets it up. Apple's feature page notes that on-device dictation "Requires download of speech models."
5. In a text field, start Dictation with the Microphone key, your shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation, and check that the language next to the cursor is Arabic. Apple says languages appear "as abbreviations or characters that represent the language".

Your keyboard and your dictation language are separate. Apple's Write in another language on Mac says adding an Arabic input source under Keyboard → Text Input also adds Arabic to "your list of Dictation languages (if available)", but Dictation listens for whichever language is active next to the cursor.

Which Arabic variants does Mac Dictation support?

From Apple's macOS feature availability page, checked on 1 October 2026:

Apple lists two regional variants, both based in the Gulf. If you speak another variety, pick one of these and test it with your own speech; Apple's page does not describe how it handles other dialects.

Because auto-punctuation is not listed, do not expect Dictation to add commas, full stops and question marks for you. Apple says the text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings tells you whether general dictation is processed on your Mac. Is Mac Dictation private? explains what that covers.

How do you say punctuation in Arabic?

Apple's Arabic command list is أوامر لإملاء النص على Mac. The UAE and Saudi editions list the same commands. The most useful:

Note the marks. The question mark and semicolon commands give the Arabic forms ؟ and ؛. The comma command is shown with a Latin comma (,), not the Arabic comma (،). Apple does not explain the difference, so dictate a test sentence and check which comma your Mac inserts. If you need ، and it does not appear, type it with an Arabic keyboard.

The currency section lists the dollar, cent, pound, euro and yen signs. It has no entry for the riyal or dirham.

How do you fix right-to-left text when English is mixed in?

Apple's Change the direction of text as you type on Mac explains that macOS supports bidirectional text and that "The first character you enter determines the default direction for a paragraph."

That matters for dictation. If a dictated paragraph starts with an English word, such as a product name, an otherwise Arabic paragraph can display left to right in the wrong order. Apple's fixes:

1. Whole paragraph: Control-click in the paragraph and choose Writing Direction (or Paragraph Direction), then Right to Left. Some apps put this under Format → Text or Format → Alignment; some apps do not offer it.
2. Selected text: Control-click the selection and choose Writing Direction (or Selection Direction).
3. Keyboard shortcuts: with an Arabic input source added, turn on Enable keyboard shortcuts for it under Keyboard → Text Input → Edit. Then Control-Option-Command-Left Arrow sets selected text right to left, and Control-Option-Command-Right Arrow sets it left to right.

A simple habit helps: start each paragraph with an Arabic word, so the paragraph's default direction is right to left.

Can you mix Arabic and English while dictating?

You can set up both languages and switch: click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key and choose. Apple's Dictation guide, checked on 1 October 2026, describes choosing the language yourself and does not describe automatic detection of a language change. English names spoken while Arabic is active may not come out as you expect, so check them, and switch to English for whole English sentences. Mac dictation shortcut covers the Globe key.

What about other dictation apps?

Apple's Dictation is free and lists Arabic for on-device dictation, so try it first.

SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, including Arabic, without naming a regional variety. Its setup asks you to choose a speech-recognition language. We have not tested accuracy per language and make no accuracy claim for Arabic. How to test SuprFlow with another language gives a short test. SuprFlow costs $125 once and has no free tier.

A 10-minute test for your Arabic

1. Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary, one that starts with an English product name, and one with a date, an amount and a negation.
2. Dictate them into TextEdit or Notes with Arabic active, saying each punctuation mark.
3. Check the comma (، or ,), the question mark, the figures and the negation.
4. Look at the sentence that starts with English. If it displays in the wrong order, set it to Right to Left.

Questions people ask

How do I change Mac dictation to Arabic?

Add Arabic (Saudi Arabia) or Arabic (United Arab Emirates) under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, then choose Arabic from the language shown next to the cursor.

Why is my dictated Arabic text in the wrong order?

Apple says the first character of a paragraph sets its default direction. If the paragraph starts with an English word, it may display left to right. Control-click and choose Writing Direction → Right to Left.

Does Mac dictation add punctuation in Arabic?

Not automatically, according to Apple's feature page, which does not list Arabic for auto-punctuation. Say the commands, such as "فاصلة" and "علامة استفهام".

Does Arabic dictation work offline on a Mac?

Apple lists Arabic under on-device dictation, after a speech model download. Keyboard settings confirm whether your dictation is processed on your Mac.

Related guides

• How to use voice to text on a Mac
• Mac dictation commands and punctuation
• Dictate in Hindi on a Mac
• How to test SuprFlow with another language
• Is Mac Dictation private?
• Mac Dictation not working? Causes and fixes

Sources

• Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac
• Apple — macOS feature availability: Dictation
• Apple — أوامر لإملاء النص على Mac
• Apple — Change the direction of text as you type on Mac
• Apple — Write in another language on Mac
• SuprFlow — System requirements