Dictate in Czech on a Mac: setup, commands and diacritics

To dictate in Czech on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation (Diktování on a Czech-language Mac), click Edit next to Languages, and select Czech (Czechia). Start Dictation and pick Czech from the language shown next to the cursor. Czech has the basic Dictation feature only: Apple does not list it for on-device dictation, automatic punctuation or emoji, so you say each punctuation mark yourself, and Apple does not say Czech dictation works without a connection.

The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac for macOS 27 Golden Gate, and its Czech edition, Diktování zpráv a dokumentů na Macu. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation" or "Diktování".

How do you turn on Czech dictation?

1. Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard (Klávesnice) in the sidebar.
2. Go to Dictation (Diktování) and turn it on.
3. Click Edit (Upravit) next to Languages (Jazyky) and select Czech (Czechia). Keep English selected too if you dictate in both.
4. In a text field, start Dictation with the Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation (Úpravy → Zahájit diktování).
5. Check that the language next to the cursor is Czech. To switch, click it, or press the Globe key (klávesa s glóbem) and choose.

Apple's guide does not describe automatic detection of a language change, so switch before you speak the second language.

Which Czech dictation features does Apple list?

From Apple's macOS feature availability page for macOS Golden Gate, checked on 3 October 2026:

Apple lists one Czech variant, Czechia. A row marked Not listed means absent from that feature's list on the day we checked.

What that means in practice:

• Say every punctuation mark. Apple's guide says Dictation adds "commas, periods, and question marks" only in supported languages, and Czech is not on that list.
• Check where your Czech dictation is processed. Apple's guide says the text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings tells you whether general dictation is processed on your Mac or sent to Siri servers. Read it before you dictate anything confidential. Is Mac Dictation private? explains that note.
• Use the emoji picker. Czech is not on the emoji dictation list.

How do you say punctuation in Czech?

Apple publishes a Czech command list, Příkazy pro diktování textu na Macu, but it is only partly translated. These entries appear in Czech:

Three details from Apple's Czech pages:

• The full stop command is in English. The Czech list gives period/point/dot/full stop for a full stop, not a Czech word. Apple does not say whether tečka works; try it, and fall back to the English words if it does not.
• Several commands stay in English, including no space on and no space off, caps on and caps off, dash and hyphen. The Czech Dictation guide also uses English examples (exclamation mark, new line). Test the Czech word first, then the English one.
• No koruna sign. The currency section lists dollar, cent, pound, euro and yen. Write Kč yourself, or check how your Mac writes amounts you dictate.

Czech keyboard, háčky and čárky

Dictation language and keyboard layout are separate settings. Apple's Write in another language on Mac has you add keyboards under Keyboard → Text Input → Edit: search for Czech and choose a layout. It says an added input source's language also joins "your list of Dictation languages (if available)", and that Control-Space selects the last input source you used. The Keyboard Viewer in the Input menu shows the current layout.

Apple's Dictation guide does not say you need a Czech keyboard to dictate Czech, and it does not describe how Dictation spells ě, š, č, ř, ž, ý, á, í, é, ú or ů. Check them in your test. To fix a letter on an English keyboard, Apple's accent marks page says you can press and hold a letter key to open the accent menu, though accent marks are not available in every app.

If a word comes out wrong, Apple says ambiguous text is underlined in blue: click it and pick an alternative. The Czech edition's example is getting lak when you meant vlak.

What about other dictation apps?

Two other vendors list Czech on their own pages. Google's voice typing help lists Czech for voice typing in Google Docs in Chrome, Edge or Safari. It notes that "Punctuation might not be available in every language" and that "Voice commands are available only in English." Dictate in Google Docs on a Mac covers the steps. Microsoft's Dictate your documents in Word lists Czech as a preview language, which it says may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support; it needs a Microsoft 365 subscription.

SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, and Czech is not one of them. Do not buy SuprFlow for Czech dictation.

A 10-minute test for your Czech

1. Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary, one with an English product or person name, and one with a date, an amount and a negation. For example: Schůzka s Jordanem Chenem je 14. května. Částka je 2 750 Kč, ne 2 570.
2. Dictate them into Notes with Czech active, saying čárka and trying tečka for full stops.
3. Check every háček and čárka, the case endings, the name, the figures and the negation.
4. Say nový odstavec once, then new paragraph once, and see which your Mac obeys.

Questions people ask

How do I use Czech dictation on a Mac?

Add Czech (Czechia) under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, start Dictation, and choose Czech from the language shown next to the cursor.

Why does my Mac not add commas in Czech dictation?

Apple does not list Czech for auto-punctuation. Say čárka for a comma. Apple's Czech list gives the full stop command in English, so test tečka on your Mac.

Does Czech dictation work offline on a Mac?

Apple does not list Czech for on-device dictation. The text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings tells you how your Mac processes it.

Does Mac dictation write ř and ů correctly?

Apple does not say. Dictate a sentence full of diacritics, check the result, and fix misses with a Czech layout or the accent menu.

Related guides

• Mac dictation languages: what Apple supports in each one
• Dictate in Polish on a Mac
• Dictate in Ukrainian on a Mac
• Dictate in German on a Mac
• Mac dictation commands and punctuation
• Is Mac Dictation private?

Sources

• Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac
• Apple — Diktování zpráv a dokumentů na Macu
• Apple — Příkazy pro diktování textu na Macu
• Apple — macOS feature availability
• Apple — Write in another language on Mac
• Apple — Enter characters with accent marks on Mac
• Google — Type and edit with your voice
• Microsoft — Dictate your documents in Word
• SuprFlow — System requirements